"It isn't that exactly; but I think he's a,--a--"

"A what?"

"Never mind; here we are at the place. Why, Mops, it isn't a house at
all! It's a tent,--a lot of tents."

"So it is! It must be an encampment. Do you think there are soldiers
here?"

"Soldiers? No! I only wish they _were_ soldiers."

As King was speaking, a young woman came walking toward them, smiling
in an ingratiating way. Like the man, Jim, she was dark-haired and
dark-skinned. Her black eyes flashed, and her smiling red lips showed
very white teeth as she spoke kindly to the children.

"Come in," she said, in a wheedling voice; "come in; I love little boys
and girls. What do you want?"

Marjorie began to say, "We want a drink of water," when King pinched her
elbow as a sign to be quiet, and he spoke to the woman himself. "We don't
want anything," he said, "we're just passing by on our way to Pelton.
Good-morning."

Grasping Marjorie's arm he turned to go away, but the woman stopped him,
saying, "Oh, don't go so quickly; come in and rest a moment, and I will
give you a drink of milk, and then you can go on to Pelton."