ve," said Ed. "My sister is not used to
this sort of thing."

"Certainly, certainly," agreed the squire politely. "I am much obliged
for her testimony. I guess we will hold Tony for the grand jury.
Gypsies in this county have to be careful, or they lose their rights to
come in here. I think, myself, we would be better off without them."

"Then give me a chance to leave," snapped the man. "The rest are gone.
We are done with this blamed county, anyhow."

"Well, you will have to settle up first," declared Squire Redding.
"Those spoons were valuable."

"I ain't got no spoons! I tell you I was at the camp all night, and I
don't know nothin' about this thing."

"Very well, very well. Can you furnish a thousand-dollar bond?"

"Thousand-dollar bond!" and the gypsy shifted uneasily. "I guess not,
judge."

"Then here comes the man to attend to your case. Constable Cummings,
take this man to the station again and lock him up. Here, Tony, you
can walk all right. Don't play off that way."

But Tony did not move. He sat there defiant.

Officer Cummings was a big man and accustomed to handling prisoners as
rough and as ugly as this one. The two steel cells back of the fire
house were often occupied by rough fishermen and clammers who forgot
the law at the seaside place, and it was always Tom Cummings who put
them in "the pen."

"Come, Tony," he said, with a flourish of his stick. "I never like to
hit a gypsy; it's bad luck."

The prisoner looked up at big Tom. Then he shuffled to his feet and
shambled out of the room.

As he passed down the stone steps he brushed past Cora. Whether
intentionally or otherwise, the man shoved the girl so that she was
obliged to jump down at the side of the step. Jack saw it and so did
Ed, but big Tom winked at them and merely hurried the prisoner along.
Cora only smiled. Why should the man not be rude when her evidence had
accused him of a serious crime--that of breaking and entering?

"I didn't tell you about the bottle," she said to the boys as they
walked along. "I found this bottle in the fields."

"Chloroform!" exclaimed Jack. "You should have told the judge, Cora."

"But could I prove that the man had it? Besides, it would be awful to
have that made public."

"You are right, Cora," agreed Ed. "First thing we'd know, it would be
in the New York papers. 'Attempt to Chloroform Three Young Girls!'
That would not be pleasant news for the folks up home way."