CHAPTER VI--PRESSING HOSPITALITY
The other woman had been stirring the great pot of stew. It certainly_did_ throw off a delicious odor. Each girl carried a lunch box and theyhad been about to hunt a pretty spot, near a spring, and satisfy theirappetites. Now the woman at the cauldron, who looked a deal like an oldwitch, turned and waved her spoon, grinned, and said something to thehalf-frightened visitors.
The younger Gypsy woman interpreted:
"She says you can have some dinner, if you will stay."
"My goodness!" whispered Dora. "I could not eat any of that stuff."
"Some of the Gypsies are good cooks--and that smells delicious," Evesaid.
Laura shook her head, but tried to speak kindly. "We could not stop longenough to eat with you," she said. "We must go just as soon as the othergirl comes out."
"Better think twice of it, little lady," said the Gypsy woman. "When youeat the bread and salt of the Romany folk they remain your friends."
"And chase you with bloodhounds if you try to get away," spoke Nellie,unguardedly.
It was an unfortunate remark. The woman must have heard it. She turnedand spoke to the men again. They rose and stood ready to oppose thedeparture of the girls of Central High.
Even Laura and Eve felt their courage waver at this. The latter knewthat there were no farms near--no inhabited dwellings. The nearestfamily must be at least two miles away. And this road was lonely atbest--and this time of year, when the farmers were just beginning to gettheir plows into the ground, everybody was busy and there would not bemuch driving on any of the ridge roads.
"What can we do?" moaned Dorothy Lockwood.
"Will they dare keep us here, Eve?" demanded her twin.
At this strained point in the proceedings there was a sudden excitementamong the Gypsies. One of the men started up the road in an easterlydirection. The girls looked in some worriment of mind to see what was tohappen.
"They've caught the girl!" muttered Jess.
"No, But the dog's coming back," said Laura.
There appeared almost at once the three men who had hunted with thebloodhound--and the hound himself. He was more ferocious-looking closeto than at a distance. The six girls shrank together when he passedthem, his great dewlaps slobbering and dripping, and his red eyesglancing sullenly from side to side.
The Gypsies laughed when they saw fear so plainly displayed in thecountenances of the six girls. The bloodhound was fastened to one of thewagon wheels, and then the Romany folk paid no particular attention totheir visitors.
It was plain that they considered the girls would not go far when theysaw that the dog could be unleashed and set upon their trail. NellieAgnew began to cry, but Laura was growing angry.
"Just wait till Bobby comes out of that tent. I'm going to start rightoff along the road----"
"You won't ever dare to!" gasped Dora.
"Yes, I will. They won't dare set a dog like that on us----"
Just then the little boy they had first seen ran out of the other tent.He was evidently aiming for his father, who was a low-browed man withhuge hoops of gold in his ears, and a ferocious mustache.
But the little one had to pass the dog. He saw him, gave a shriek ofdelight, and ran straight at the huge and savage-looking creature!
The girls were, for an instant, greatly startled. Then they were amazedto see the little fellow roll the bloodhound over and laugh and shriekin delight--while the dog nuzzled the baby and seemed to like the play.
"My goodness!" cried Jess. "That dog's nothing but a bluff!"
"I believe you," said Laura. "I've heard of a dog's bark being worsethan his bite; but in this case his appearance is a whole lot worse thanhis real nature. I guess they just keep him for his fearful looks andhis ability to trail anything."
"Girls included," murmured Dora. "I don't want him trailing me."
The Gypsies had tried to call the little boy away from the huge dog. Butthey knew that the appearance of the hound would no longer strike terrorto the hearts of their visitors.
Indeed, Laura, who was naturally unafraid of dogs, as she was of horses,went over to the big, ugly-looking brute, and patted his head. He raisedup and looked at her, and his bloodshot eyes _did_ have a fearfulappearance; but he lapped her hand with his soft tongue--and _that_bogey was laid!
"Just as soon as Bobby comes out, we'll go, girls," said Laura,confidently. "They won't dare lay a finger on us."
At that moment Bobby burst from the fortune-teller's tent. She presenteda wonderful and a shocking sight to her friends, for usually they sawher laughing. She was in tears and she ran to Laura and clung to her ina frightened way.
"Oh! oh!" she cried. "I want to get away from this horrid place. Dolet's go, Mother Wit! Please do!"
"What's the matter with you, Bobby?" demanded Jess, nervously. "You giveme the creeps."
"These hateful people----" began Dora Lockwood, when the Gypsy queenappeared at the tent entrance. Her eyes sparkled and her handsome facewas flushed. She called something in a low, clear voice, and the men,who had gathered in a knot at one side, started toward her.
One of them unfastened the dog again and held the end of the chain. Thequeen was talking excitedly in their own tongue to the others.
Laura shook Bobby a little and said, shrewdly:
"I guess she got out of you what she wanted to know, eh?"
Bobby only sobbed.
"Did you tell her what direction that girl was going--that she waswading up stream?"
"Oh, yes! I did!" gasped Bobby. "She made me."
"Well, it can't be helped. It's really none of our business," saidLaura. "But if they try to stop us from going away now, we've got toscatter and run. They can't hold us all very well, and one of us willsurely find some house----"
"They won't dare stop us," said Eve, decidedly.
At that moment Nell held up her hand. "Hark!" she exclaimed. "What isthat?"
The rattling of a heavy wagon coming down the road from the east wasaudible. Eve instantly ran out to the edge of the road. One of theGypsies uttered a shrill, warning cry, and the men turned to interceptthe girls.
But into view came the heads of a team of bay horses, and then afarm-wagon, with a bewhiskered man in high boots on the seat, drivingthe team.
"Hullo! Whoa!" exclaimed the farmer, when he saw Eve. "I declare I Isthat you, Evie?"
"Why, Mr. Crook! how glad I am to see you," said the Swiss girl. "Whathave you got in the wagon? Just a few bags? Then you can give us a lift,can't you? We are tired walking."
"Sure I can, Miss Evie," replied the farmer. "What are you girls doin'with these 'Gyptians? Gettin' your fortunes told?"
"Oh, we just stopped here for a minute," said Eve, carelessly.
The Gypsies had hesitated to approach closer. The men began to slipaway, one after the other.
"Pile in, girls," said the farmer, hospitably. "I'm going five or sixmiles on this road. Bound for Fielding?"
"Yes, we are," replied Eve, as her friends gratefully clambered into theend of the wagon.
"Oh, dear me!" whispered Jess. "What luck this is! I believe those folkswould have tried to keep us."
"I don't know about that," returned her chum. "But the woman certainlymanaged to frighten Bobby most thoroughly."
Bobby had hushed her sobs. But even when the wagon had started again andthe Gypsy camp was out of sight, she was not willing to talk about whatthe Varey woman had told her.
The Girls of Central High on Track and Field Page 6