The girls tried to laugh at the youth’s attempt to cheer them up, but it was only a feeble effort that responded.
“All the same, I call it great luck to get the goods,” insisted Ned, “and only for Doro’s scare the game would be all to the goal.”
“Well I wouldn’t want to go through it again,” answered Dorothy, “but having it over I, too, think it is a good thing to get the birds and the silver. I would be almost happy if I only knew about Urania.”
“Now, just as soon as we deposit this stuff safely--the birds in their nests and the silver in the pantry, we will sneak off somewhere, and you must give us the whole story. Then, we will know which way to go to look for the gypsy girl.”
Just as they turned into the path that led up to the Cedars the party met John. He had been sent out by Mrs. White to look for the “children.”
“Oh, here, John, take this bag!” called Ned as he approached, “my back is just paralyzed.”
“No take this crate,” demanded Nat. “He’s only got one back paralyzed, I’ve got two arms broken!”
“Set them down, set them down,” answered the man. “What in the world--the birds! Well, so you found them?”
“So--we--did!” panted Ned, as he dropped the bag.
“And what’s this?” asked John, taking a look into the black muslin bundle. “The silver! Well now! Did you raid a pawn shop?”
“No, sir, we raided a hole in the hill,” replied Nat.
“And we pulled the hole in after us,” added Ned.
The man thought the boys only joking, but he promptly took up the crate with many kind “coos” to the birds, and proceeded with them to their quarters, telling the boys, as he went, that the “creatures” were both starved and choked, and that their wants should be attended to at once.
“Then it’s up to me to bag it again,” said Ned, “although I do think, Nat, you might shuffle for a new deal.”
When the recovered silver had been examined it was found that one article was missing--a piece of untold value to the White family. This was an old Indian drinking cup, that Professor White in his travels through India had acquired. It happened to be the last present Mrs. White’s husband and the boys’ father had sent home before his sudden death, and on account of this intimate association with her husband’s last days Mrs. White prized the old dark cup beyond estimate.