The Girls of Central High on Track and Field Part 6

"We are prisoners!" whispered Nellie, seizing Eve's arm.

"s.h.!.+" admonished Laura again. "Don't let them see that you're afraid.

That will only make them the bolder."

But all of the six girls outside the Gypsy's tent were more than a little disturbed. The situation did seem serious.

CHAPTER VI--PRESSING HOSPITALITY

The other woman had been stirring the great pot of stew. It certainly _did_ throw off a delicious odor. Each girl carried a lunch box and they had been about to hunt a pretty spot, near a spring, and satisfy their appet.i.tes. Now the woman at the cauldron, who looked a deal like an old witch, turned and waved her spoon, grinned, and said something to the half-frightened visitors.

The younger Gypsy woman interpreted:

"She says you can have some dinner, if you will stay."

"My goodness!" whispered Dora. "I could not eat any of that stuff."

"Some of the Gypsies are good cooks--and that smells delicious," Eve said.

Laura shook her head, but tried to speak kindly. "We could not stop long enough to eat with you," she said. "We must go just as soon as the other girl comes out."

"Better think twice of it, little lady," said the Gypsy woman. "When you eat the bread and salt of the Romany folk they remain your friends."

"And chase you with bloodhounds if you try to get away," spoke Nellie, unguardedly.

It was an unfortunate remark. The woman must have heard it. She turned and spoke to the men again. They rose and stood ready to oppose the departure of the girls of Central High.

Even Laura and Eve felt their courage waver at this. The latter knew that there were no farms near--no inhabited dwellings. The nearest family must be at least two miles away. And this road was lonely at best--and this time of year, when the farmers were just beginning to get their plows into the ground, everybody was busy and there would not be much driving on any of the ridge roads.

"What can we do?" moaned Dorothy Lockwood.

"Will they dare keep us here, Eve?" demanded her twin.

At this strained point in the proceedings there was a sudden excitement among the Gypsies. One of the men started up the road in an easterly direction. The girls looked in some worriment of mind to see what was to happen.

"They've caught the girl!" muttered Jess.

"No, But the dog's coming back," said Laura.

There appeared almost at once the three men who had hunted with the bloodhound--and the hound himself. He was more ferocious-looking close to than at a distance. The six girls shrank together when he pa.s.sed them, his great dewlaps s...o...b..ring and dripping, and his red eyes glancing sullenly from side to side.

The Gypsies laughed when they saw fear so plainly displayed in the countenances of the six girls. The bloodhound was fastened to one of the wagon wheels, and then the Romany folk paid no particular attention to their visitors.

It was plain that they considered the girls would not go far when they saw that the dog could be unleashed and set upon their trail. Nellie Agnew began to cry, but Laura was growing angry.

"Just wait till Bobby comes out of that tent. I'm going to start right off along the road----"

"You won't ever dare to!" gasped Dora.

"Yes, I will. They won't dare set a dog like that on us----"

Just then the little boy they had first seen ran out of the other tent.

He was evidently aiming for his father, who was a low-browed man with huge hoops of gold in his ears, and a ferocious mustache.

But the little one had to pa.s.s the dog. He saw him, gave a shriek of delight, and ran straight at the huge and savage-looking creature!

The girls were, for an instant, greatly startled. Then they were amazed to see the little fellow roll the bloodhound over and laugh and shriek in delight--while the dog nuzzled the baby and seemed to like the play.

"My goodness!" cried Jess. "That dog's nothing but a bluff!"

"I believe you," said Laura. "I've heard of a dog's bark being worse than his bite; but in this case his appearance is a whole lot worse than his real nature. I guess they just keep him for his fearful looks and his ability to trail anything."

"Girls included," murmured Dora. "I don't want him trailing me."

The Gypsies had tried to call the little boy away from the huge dog. But they knew that the appearance of the hound would no longer strike terror to the hearts of their visitors.

Indeed, Laura, who was naturally unafraid of dogs, as she was of horses, went over to the big, ugly-looking brute, and patted his head. He raised up and looked at her, and his bloodshot eyes _did_ have a fearful appearance; but he lapped her hand with his soft tongue--and _that_ bogey was laid!

"Just as soon as Bobby comes out, we'll go, girls," said Laura, confidently. "They won't dare lay a finger on us."

At that moment Bobby burst from the fortune-teller's tent. She presented a wonderful and a shocking sight to her friends, for usually they saw her laughing. She was in tears and she ran to Laura and clung to her in a frightened way.

"Oh! oh!" she cried. "I want to get away from this horrid place. Do let's go, Mother Wit! Please do!"

"What's the matter with you, Bobby?" demanded Jess, nervously. "You give me the creeps."

"These hateful people----" began Dora Lockwood, when the Gypsy queen appeared at the tent entrance. Her eyes sparkled and her handsome face was flushed. She called something in a low, clear voice, and the men, who had gathered in a knot at one side, started toward her.

One of them unfastened the dog again and held the end of the chain. The queen was talking excitedly in their own tongue to the others.

Laura shook Bobby a little and said, shrewdly:

"I guess she got out of you what she wanted to know, eh?"

Bobby only sobbed.

"Did you tell her what direction that girl was going--that she was wading up stream?"

"Oh, yes! I did!" gasped Bobby. "She made me."

"Well, it can't be helped. It's really none of our business," said Laura. "But if they try to stop us from going away now, we've got to scatter and run. They can't hold us all very well, and one of us will surely find some house----"

"They won't dare stop us," said Eve, decidedly.

At that moment Nell held up her hand. "Hark!" she exclaimed. "What is that?"