"It must be as Mr. Crittendon said,
that there are tramps here. Though what they are doing I don't know.
There isn't anything to eat here, except what we brought. And you
haven't missed anything, have you, Nora? Has anybody been taking your
strawberry shortcake or apple dumplings from the tent kitchen?"
"No, Mr. Martin, they haven't," Nora answered.
"Well, maybe it was a tramp and perhaps it wasn't," said Grandpa
Martin. "Still it will be a good thing to have a look about the
island. I don't want strange men roaming where they please, scaring
the children."
"Oh, he didn't scare me, except at first," Janet hastened to say. "He
spoke real nice to me, but his clothes were old and awful ragged. He
wanted to know if you were a professor."
"Well, I guess I'm professor enough to drive away tramps that won't
work, and only want to eat what other people get," returned the
farmer. "I'll have a look around this island to-morrow, and drive away
the tramps."
"And until then, don't you Curlytops go far away. Stay where I can
watch you," went on Mrs. Martin, shaking her finger at them, half in
fun, but a great deal in earnest.
"We'll stay near the tent," promised Jan.
"I'm going to help grandpa hunt the tramps," declared Ted.
"No, Curlytop, you'd better stay with your sister and mother," said
the farmer. "I don't really believe there are any tramps here.
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