nd all the paraphernalia of the camp was returned to the three vans.

"Something has happened," whispered Ruth to Helen. "Perhaps Tom has
raised the hue and cry for us, and they are afraid of being caught here
with us in their possession."

"Mean old things!" snapped Helen. "I wish they would all be caught and
put into jail."

"The little children, too?"

"The little ones will grow up to be big ones--and they are all bad,"
declared Helen, with confidence.

"I can't believe that Roberto is bad," said Ruth, thoughtfully. "I wish
he was with them now. I believe he would help us get away."

"Maybe these are not his people."

"I think they are," returned Ruth. But she did not say anything then to
Helen about the pearl necklace, and the cashbox of Queen Zelaya.

The necklace was never out of Ruth's thought, however, for she was sure
it had been stolen. The girl of the Red Mill would know the necklace
again; wherever she might see it.

In the first place it was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen.
But there was a peculiar pendant attached to it--in the shape of a
fleur-de-lis--of larger pearls, that would distinguish it among any
number of such articles of adornment.

Ruth kept in mind the chance she hoped would arise for their escape.
Helen was hopeless; but she had agreed to make the attempt, if Ruth
did.

The whole camp was busy in preparing for departure. There were not so
many eyes now upon the girls. And--therefore--there being no regular
guard set over them, the opportunity Ruth hoped for arose.

In harnessing one of the horses to a van, something happened to call
most of the excited crowd together. The horse kicked, and one of the men
was hurt.

The moment the shouting over this incident arose, Ruth pinched Helen and
they both got up and slipped into the wood. They were out of sight in a
moment, and having chosen the side toward the lake, they set off at top
speed through the underbrush for the spot where Ruth had seen the
fishing punt.

"Suppose it leaks?" gasped Helen, running hard beside her friend.

"Well! we'll know it when we're in deep water," grimly returned Ruth.

At that moment they heard a great hullabaloo at the camp behind them.

"They've discovered we're missing," gasped Helen.

"Come on, then!" cried Ruth. "Let's see if we can outwit them. We've got
a chance for liberty, my dear. Don't lose heart."

CHAPTER XIII

RUTH IN THE TOILS

The lake shore was just ahea