“‘You can jest step back and track _them_ then, Andy!’ so my Dad ses, ‘an’ we’ll show ’em whether we’ve got stole cups on board. The other young ladies ses as there was two more of ’em a-tracking. Well, bring ’em along,’ ses Dad. ‘If so be as we’s got to turn this here caravan back to the police station we’ll do it, and face the young ladies, yes, wiv the troof. The police gives us a civil word when they meets us, which is more than some young ladies does!’” “It’s perfectly dreadful,” remarked Gerry to Betty. “It’s quite plain what’s happened. They’ve hailed the caravaners and offended them. And--oh, why, here they all are!” [Illustration: The moor road where a caravan was standing.] Just over the third ridge they came in sight of the moor road again where a caravan was standing. The horse between the shafts was munching grass unconcernedly; but the driver--a grizzled, middle-aged man--was standing in an aggressive attitude still eyeing a pair of rather woebegone maidens. “I say, here you are!” began Mona indignantly, as the others arrived. “Has he brought you? I wish you would explain that----” “It’s explainings _I_ wants,” burst out the owner of the caravan angrily. “Folks may be poor, but they’s honest too; and they’s got their feelings. And when two young ladies--” the plaint began again. “Mumpers we may be called by some, but we earns a living fair and square and honest in summer time by travelling. An’ the police treats us civil; and here we’s tracked down by young ladies what calls us up fer stolen cups!” “They didn’t mean--” began Gerry. But Mona’s angry protestations, and Rene’s tears, and Gerry’s beseechments were of little avail. As for Betty, she stood by feeling even more useless than the rest. For it was evident that these were a party of proud and respectable working-people who had been wounded in their most vulnerable part by Mona’s and Rene’s suspicious-sounding inquiries. The burden of the older man’s speech was the same as that of his son’s. If they were accused of stealing silver cups by young ladies who had evidently come out on purpose of tracking, well, they would turn round and go straight back to the Woodhurst Police Station, taking the young ladies in tow! “To show as we’re fair and square and honest, and that the police there knows us fine and treats us civil,” repeated the man. “Not to say that the Weyhurst police knows us too, where we comes from!” “‘Weyhurst!’” repeated Betty in a surprised squeak. For Weyhurst was the town where she lived.