ammock. The air will help."

Nettie was already searching and beating the ground from under the hall
window out into the field, and then into the street. She had found one
spoon, and she had also found a spot that showed where some one had
lately been lying in the tall grass.

Cora joined her now, and the two came to the conclusion that the man
had rested there possibly to do something for the injured foot or leg.

"It is well you found even one spoon," said Cora, bending low in the
bushes to make sure there were no more dropped there, "for that will
help in identifying the others."

"But I do feel dreadfully," sighed Nettie. "I have been with Mrs.
Robinson so long, and nothing of the kind has ever before happened."

"There has to be a first time," said Cora, "and I am sure Mrs. Robinson
will not blame you."

"Only for you what might have happened," exclaimed the girl, looking
into Cora's flushed face. "I cannot see how you ever had the courage
to fire!"

"I had to! Think of three helpless girls--and a desperate man. Why,
if I showed fright, I am sure we might have all been chloroformed or
something. Why, what's this? I declare! a chloroform bottle! There!
And it's from the town drug store! Well, now, wasn't it lucky I had
the revolver?" She picked up a small phial.

"Don't tell Miss Bess or Miss Belle," cautioned Nettie. "They are so
nervous now, I think they would not stay in the house another night if
they knew about the bottle."

"All right," agreed Cora, "but it will be well for the boys to know
about it. It shows that the man went to the Spray drug store, and that
he must belong about here some place."

Meanwhile, Ed, Jack and Walter had done considerable searching. They
followed what they took to be a trail, down over the railroad tracks,
through swamps, and they finally brought up at an abandoned gypsy camp!

"They left in a hurry," declared Ed. "See, they had a meal here last
night, at least."

The remains of food and of a campfire showed that his surmise was
correct, and Jack made bold enough to pull down an old horse blanket
that hung to the ground from the low limbs of a tree. "Hello! Who are
you?" exclaimed Jack, for back of the improvised curtain lay a man
asleep!

The other boys ran to the spot.

"That's him," whispered Ed, ignoring his education. "Look at the
bandaged foot!"

The man turned over and growled. He was not asleep, but pretended to
be, or wanted to be.