o to prison, as he deserves to do. All I hope is that he won't be
the only one, that we can get the man who bribed him to do this, and
see that he gets punished properly, too."
"I'm sure with you there, ma'am," said old Andrew. "He's a worthless
critter enough, I know, but he ain't as bad as the man that set him on.
If the law lets that other snake go, ma'am, jest you get him to come up
here for a little hunting, and we'll make him sorry he ever went into
such business, I'd like to get my hands on him. I'm an old man, but I
reckon I'm strong enough to thrash any imitation of a man what would
play such a cowardly trick as that. Afraid to do his own dirty work, is
he? So he hires it done. Well, much good it's done him this time."
"I'll keep this letter," said Eleanor. "I think it was mighty foolish of
him to sign his name to it. It's a pretty good piece of evidence against
the man, if he is rich and powerful. If there's any justice to be had, I
think he'll suffer this time."
"How did you ever get back here, just when you were so badly needed?"
Bessie asked Andrew.
He smiled at that.
"Well, we get sort o' used to readin' tracks in our work around here,
Miss, and we seen that someone who might be this feller was doublin'
around mighty suspicious. So, bein' some worried about leavin' you two
here alone anyhow, I decided to come back with three or four of the men
here, an' we did it, leavin' the others to go on an' see if they could
pick up the other two gypsies.
"To tell the truth, I thought it'd be mighty strange if we found him
anywhere near that camp. Seemed like he must know that we'd be lookin'
fer him, and that there was the fust place we'd go to. So here we were,
and mighty timely, as you say, Miss."
It was no great while before the sounds of the other party, returning,
resounded through the woods, and soon Lolla and Peter, the man bound,
and the girl carefully guarded by two guides, each of whom held one of
her arms, were brought into the clearing about the camp. Lolla, at the
sight of John, lying against a tree, his arms and his feet bound, gave
a cry of rage, and, snatching her arms from her guardians, ran toward
him, wailing.
"Go away, you fool!" muttered John. "This is your doing. If you and
Peter had not been afraid of your own shadow, this would not have
happened. I am glad they have caught you; you will go to prison now,
like me."
"Look here, young feller," said Andrew, angrily, "that ain't
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