The Corner House Girls Among the Gypsies Part 34

"Sh!" advised Sammy again, and earnestly. "I got an idea."

"What is it?" asked Tess, without much curiosity.

"This here window in front!" whispered the boy. "We can open it. It is all dark at that end of the van. If we can slide out on to the seat we'll climb down in the dark and get into the woods. I know the way to the road. I can see a patch of it through the window. What say?"

"But Dot? She sleeps so hard," breathed Tess.

"We can poke her through the window on to the seat. Then we will crawl through. If she doesn't wake up and holler--"

"I'll stop her from hollering," agreed Tess firmly. "We'll try it, Sammy, before those awful women get back into the van."

Fortunately for the attempt of the captives their own supper had been dispatched with promptness. The Gypsies were still sitting about over the meal when Sammy opened that front window in the van.

He and Tess lifted Dot, who complained but faintly and kept her eyes tightly closed, and pushed her feet first through the small window.

The driver's seat was broad and roomy. The little girl lay there all right while first Tess and then Sammy crept through the window.

It was dark here, and they could scarcely see the way to the ground.

But Sammy ventured down first, and after barking his shins a little found the step and whispered his directions to Tess about pa.s.sing Dot down to him.

They actually got to the ground themselves and brought the smallest Corner House girl with them without any serious mishap. Sammy tried to carry Dot over his shoulder, but he could not stagger far with her.

And, too, the sleepy child began to object.

"Sh! Keep still!" hissed her sister in Dot's ear. "Do you want the Gypsies to get you again?"

She had to help Sammy carry the child, however. Dot was such a heavy sleeper--especially when she first went to sleep--that nothing could really bring her back to realities. The two stumbled along with her in the deep shadows and actually reached the woods that bordered the encampment.

Suddenly a dog barked. Somebody shouted to the animal and it subsided with a sullen growl. But in a moment another dog began to yap. The guards of the camp realized that something was going wrong, although as yet none of the dogs had scented the escaping children exactly.

"Oh, hurry! Hurry!" gasped Tess. "The dogs will chase us."

"I am afraid they will," admitted Sammy. "We got to hide our trail."

"How'll we do that, Sammy?" gasped Tess.

"Like the Indians do," declared the boy. "We got to find a stream of water and wade in it."

"But I've got shoes and stockings on. And Mrs. McCall says we can't go wading without asking permission."

"Crickey! how you going to run away from these Gypsies if you've got to mind what you're told all the time?" asked Sammy desperately.

"But won't the water be cold? And why wade in it, anyway?"

"So the dogs can't follow our scent. They can't follow scent through water. Come on. We got to find a brook or something."

"There's the ca.n.a.l," ventured Tess, in an awed whisper.

"The ca.n.a.l, your granny!" exclaimed the exasperated boy. "That's over your head, Tess Kenway."

"Well! I don't know of any other water. Oh! Hear those dogs bark."

"Don't you s'pose I've got ears?" snapped Sammy.

"They sound awful savage."

"Yes. They've got some savage dogs," admitted the boy.

"Will they bite us? Oh, Sammy! will they bite us?"

"Not if they don't catch us," replied the boy, staggering on, bearing the heavier end of Dot while Tess carried her sister's feet.

They suddenly burst through a fringe of bushes upon the open road.

There was just starlight enough to show them the way. The dogs were still barking vociferously back at the Gypsy camp. But there seemed to be no pursuit.

"Oh, my gracious! I've torn my frock," gasped Tess. "Do wait, Sammy."

The boy stopped. Indeed he had to, for his own breath had given out.

The three fell right down on the gra.s.s beside the road, and Dot began to whimper.

"You stop her, Tess!" exclaimed Sammy. "You said you could. She will bring those Gypsies right here."

"Dot! Dot!" whispered Tess, shaking the smaller girl. "Do you want to be a prisoner again? Keep still!"

"My--my knees are cold," whined Dot.

"Je-ru-sa-lem!" gasped Sammy explosively. "_Now_ she's done it! We're caught again."

He jumped to his feet, but not quickly enough to escape the outstretched hand of the figure that had suddenly appeared beside them. A dark face bent over the trio of frightened children.

"He's a Gyp!" cried Sammy. "We're done for, Tess!"

CHAPTER XXV--IT MUST BE ALL RIGHT

As Mrs McCall told Ruth Kenway when she arrived with Luke and Cecile at the old Corner House, the other Kenway sister and Neale O'Neil had not started out on their hunt for the Gypsy encampment alone. Mr.

Pinkney, hearing of the absence of the smaller girls, had volunteered to go with the searchers.

"Somehow, my wife feels that Sammy may be with Tess and Dot," he explained to Neale and Agnes. "I never contradict her at such times.

And perhaps he is. No knowing where that boy of mine is likely to turn up, anyway."

"But you do not suppose for one instant, Mr. Pinkney, that Sammy has come and coaxed my sisters to run away?" cried Agnes from the tonneau, as the car started out through Willow Street.

"I am not so sure about that. You know, he got Dot to run away with him once," chuckled Mr. Pinkney.

"This is nothing like that, I am sure!" declared Agnes.