“I’m sure of it,” said Mollie.

“I guess I am too,” admitted the Little Captain.  “He was the tramp.  Now I will know what to do.”

“What?” chorused her chums.

“Let the railroad company know about it.  They must have had some inquiries.  I never thought of that before.  Look, he is waving to us.”

“And little Nellie, too,” added Grace.  The boy and the little lost girl had reached a turn in the road.  They looked back to send a voiceless farewell, the child holding trustingly to the boy’s hand.

“Come on!” exclaimed Mollie, as the two passed from sight.  “We’ll hardly get to my aunt’s in time for supper.”

And they hastened on.

Somewhat to their relief they learned, on reaching the home of Mrs. Mulford, in Flatbush—­Mrs. Mulford being Mollie’s aunt—­that the boy peddler was quite a well-known and much-liked local character.  He was thoroughly honest, and could be trusted implicitly.  Some time later the girls learned from Mollie’s aunt that the little lost tot had reached home safely, and that the boy had to remain at her house for a week to recover from the cut on his foot.

The mother of the lost child took quite an interest in Jimmie Martin, the boy peddler, and looked after him, so the news came to Mrs. Mulford, who had friends acquainted with the parents of the child who insisted she had “two muvvers.”

So that little incident ended happily, and once more the outdoor girls were left to pursue their way as they had started out.  They stayed a day with Mollie’s aunt, a rain preventing comfortable progress, and when it cleared they went on to Hightown, where they stopped with Grace’s cousin.

“And now for the camp!” exclaimed Betty, one morning, when they were headed for Cameron, where a half-brother of Mr. Ford maintained a sort of resort, containing bungalows, and tents, that he rented out.  It was near a little lake, and was a favorite place in summer, though the season was too early for the regulars to be there.  Mr. Ford had written to Harry Smith, his half-brother, and arranged for the girls to occupy one of the bungalows for several days.  Mrs. Smith agreed to come and stay with them as company.

“Though we don’t really need a chaperon,” laughed Grace.  “I think we can look after ourselves.”

“It will be better to have her at the bungalow,” said Betty, and so it was arranged.

Betty had written to the railroad company, asking if any report of a lost sum of money had been received, and the answer she got was to the contrary.

“That leaves the five hundred dollar mystery as deep as ever,” she said, showing the letter to her chums.  It had reached them at Hightown.

“Maybe we should have told that boy peddler, and asked him to be on the lookout,” suggested Amy.

“No, I do not think it would have been wise to let him have the facts,” said Betty.

The girls found the camp in the woods a most delightful place.  The bungalow was well arranged and furnished, and, though there were no other campers at that time, the girls did not mind this.