a. Tom
was ravenous--nothing could spoil that boy's appetite.

"Gyps., sure enough," was his comment. "But what you heard them say
wasn't much."

"They'd been robbing somebody--or were going to rob," said Helen,
shaking her head. "What frightful men they are!"

"Pooh! they've gone now, and the old machine is fixed. We'll plow on
through the mud as soon as you like."

"I shall be glad, when we get to civilization again," said his sister.

"And I'd like very much to understand what those men were talking
about," Ruth observed. "Do you suppose Roberto knows about it?
Pearls--beautiful pearls, that fellow spoke of."

"I tell you they are thieves!" declared Helen.

"We'll probably never know," Tom said, confidently. "So let's not
worry!"

Master Tom did not prove a good prophet on this point, although he had
foreseen the breaking down of the automobile before they started from
the Red Mill. They went back to the car and started from the old house
in a much more cheerful mood, neither of the girls supposing that they
were likely to run across the Gypsy men again.

"We must hustle to make Uncle Ike's to-night, sure enough," Tom said, as
the car rolled out into the muddy highway.

"Is it very far yet?" asked Ruth.

"More than sixty miles, and a bad road, and it is now half-past five,"
replied the boy.

"Oh, my! I hope we'll not be delayed after dark," said his sister.

"I never knew you to be such a 'fraid-cat before, Helen," laughed Ruth.

"Everything's gone wrong to-day. And those awful men scared me. Let's
stop at the hotel at Boise Landing, if it grows dark. Uncle Ike's is a
long way beyond the town, Tom."

"Sure--if you say so," agreed her brother, cheerfully. "I can send word
up to the folks that we are all right. Of course, they will be expecting
us this evening. I telegraphed them this morning that we were on the
way."

The car plowed on through the mud. These roads were in very bad shape,
and even while it had been dry, the traveling was bad enough. Now the
wheels skidded and slipped, and the engine panted as though it were
tired.

It missed explosions frequently, too, and Tom sat under the wheel with
a very serious face indeed. It was not far to a small settlement called,
on the map, Severn Corners. Tom knew he could get gas there, if he
needed it, but he was not sure that there was a repair shop at the
place. If the old machine played a trick on them again----

And it did! Right at the foot of