over her
shoulder into the bushes, as though she feared a dark-faced man, with
gold rings in his ears, might step out any moment and make a grab for
Flossie or Freddie.

"Well, I guess they're here now, 'less they've gone," said Tom. "I saw
some of the men and women here day before yesterday. They had been over
to the mainland buyin' things from the store, and they rowed over here.
I'd come to look for blueberries, but there wasn't as many ripe as there
is to-day, though that isn't sayin' much. But the gypsies are here all
right."

"Then we'd better go," said Nan to Bert.

"Why?" Tom asked.

"Because," said Nan slowly, "we don't like gypsies. They might take----"

"They took Helen's talking doll!" exclaimed Flossie. "She cried about
it, too. I would if they'd take my doll, only I got her hid under my
bed. You won't tell the gypsies, will you?"

"No, indeed!" laughed Tom. "You're afraid of them, are you?" he asked
Nan.

"Yes--a little," she said slowly.

"They won't hurt you!" Tom said. "They're not very fond of workin', and
they'll take anything they find lyin' around loose, but they won't hurt
nobody."

"They took Helen's doll," said Freddie, who had finished his two pieces
of cake, "and maybe they got my bugs that go around and around----"

"And around! They go around three times," put in Flossie.

"I was going to say that, only you didn't wait!" cried Freddie. "But
we've got a goat!" he went on, "and he's almost as good as Snap, our
dog, and maybe the gypsies got him."

"My, you don't think of anything but gypsies!" said Tom with a laugh.
"I'm not worried about them. If I see any of 'em on the island I'll ask
'em if they have your dog and bugs."

"And Helen's doll," added Flossie. "She wants Mollie back."

"I'll ask about that," promised Tom. "You've been awful good to me, and
I'd like to do you a favor. I know some of the gypsy boys."

"I guess I'll tell my father they're camping on this island," said Bert.

"Let's go tell him now," suggested Nan. "We've stayed here long enough."

"And I guess I'll row back to the mainland," added Tom. "There's no use
waiting here for the blueberries to get ripe. I'll come next week."

He walked back a little way with the Bobbsey twins to where he had left
his boat. Then he was soon rowing across the lake, waving his hand to
his new friends, his white teeth showing between his berry-stained lips.

"He's a nice boy--that blueberry boy," said Freddie. "I saw him