“We did,” went on Natalie. “And we’re going to tell the constable about it, and see if he can get back Mabel’s mother’s ring—it was the same band of Gypsies we think.” “The same band!” cried Jack. “Yes,” continued Mabel. “There was a Hadee in it, only she was missing. And we had our fortunes told, and there seemed to be some excitement in the camp, and——” “Don’t tell it all!” exclaimed Mabel. “Leave some for the rest of us. Old Hanson is moving, boys because——” “He saw a ghost!” broke in Alice. “He heard it, you mean,” corrected Marie. “Nat was the only one who saw it.” “I’m not so sure,” said Natalie, doubtfully. “Say, kindly translate,” begged Blake in a weak voice as he pretended to support himself against Jack. “What does all this mean, anyhow?” “It’s got me going,” admitted Phil. “Let me sit down—then please tell it all over again,” pleaded Jack. “Now proceed,” and he took a seat beside Mrs. Bonnell. Gradually the girls gave a connected story of their trip that afternoon, including their meeting with the man of the old mill. “And to cap the climax,” finished Natalie, “you boys meet us and say your camp has been looted—is that the proper word?” “We’ll permit you to use it semi-occasionally,” said Blake, “though I think it is taboo in Camp Fire Girls’ rules.” “Well, anyhow, let’s go over and see what we can find in the boys’ camp,” suggested Marie. “After what you have gone through with to-day you can accomplish anything,” declared Blake. “To think of you finding the Gypsy camp at Bear Pond, when, all the while, we had a notion that it was at Mt. Harry.” “And we’ve been trying to locate it there,” added Phil. “We know it,” laughed Marie. “That’s why we didn’t tell you where we were going. We wanted to surprise you.” “And you succeeded beautifully,” put in her brother. “Come on over to our desolate abode. Maybe you can look at the place where the dog biscuits were kept and tell what kind of an ostrich ate them.” “I have it!” suddenly cried Natalie, while they all prepared to walk to the other camp. “What—the dog biscuits?” demanded Jack. “No, but I know who has been at your camp. It’s some of the Gypsies—that’s why they were so excited to-day when we had our fortunes told. They knew we girls were friends of yours, and they thought we had come to spy on them.” “Well, we hope you _are_ friends of ours,” spoke Jack, “but as for the Gypsies suspecting that you had come to spy on them, because our camp had been looted, as Nat puts it, why it couldn’t be. They must have known you made an early start, and they didn’t come to our camp—if it was they who did it—until after you had left here. No, you’ve got to think up a better reason than that.” “Well, I’m sure the Gypsies were at your camp,” insisted Mabel. “A woman’s reason—because,” laughed Jack.