“I hardly think so. You see, we’re in the big run that winds up the meet, and after school we’ll have to be practicing, so as to keep in condition. Besides,” with a sigh, “I guess we’ve seen _everything_ now.” Lanky was plainly much disheartened as he started to leave the gypsy camp. He even failed to answer the parting remarks from several of the men, who seemed to rather look upon the two boys in the light of friends, after receiving so much information that promised to be valuable to them as horse traders. And so Frank had to wave a good-bye for both of them. They walked down the road side by side, heading toward the town. Lanky appeared to be wrapped up in his gloomy thoughts, and presently Frank gave him a sly punch in the ribs, bringing out a grunt. “What ails you, old chum?” demanded Frank, in a joking tone. “You pull a long enough face to stand for seven first-class funerals.” “It’s all off, Frank!” grumbled the other. “Oh! you mean the little racket you were working; is that what makes you look so sad?” demanded Frank. “I was foolish and that’s the trouble!” said Lanky savagely. “Well, I don’t like to dispute a gentleman’s word, when he’s bent on giving an opinion of himself; but I’d like to know why you say that?” Frank remarked. “To think that I’d mistake that half-grown gypsy girl for a little one has me badgered some, I tell you, Frank.” “Perhaps after all, Lanky, you didn’t make such a big mistake as you think!” “What’s that you’re giving me, Frank; not taffy, I hope?” cried the tall boy, as he whirled around on his companion, eagerly. “There may have been a small child in that wagon, Lanky, when we first came near the gypsy camp. I didn’t tell you before; but the fact is, I sure saw the old woman hustle some little figure, bundled in a red shawl, down those three steps, and then another gypsy woman lead her off into the woods!” “Oh! Frank, is that so?” burst from the delighted Lanky, his eyes sparkling once more with renewed interest. “You saw all that, did you, when we were talking with the gypsy men? Aren’t you the swift bunch, though, to get on to everything, while I stand around with my mouth open, but my eyes stuck fast? Then she sent the little girl away, and asked us to take a look around in her wagon just to pull the wool over my eyes? And, Frank, she’d ’a’ done it for me, right up to the notch, only for you being so smart!” CHAPTER XVIII FINDING OUT Lanky was once more himself. The look of gloom had vanished from his thin face, and he turned an eager glance on his comrade. “I’ve been thinking,” Frank went on, slowly, as he sometimes did when he was trying to grasp an idea, “that we ought to do something to settle this business about whether there really is a little child in the charge of the old queen, or not.” “Hear! hear!” burst out the other, pretending to clap his hands.