me?"

"I have," said Ruth rather sharply.

At once Mr. Bilby's round, dented, brown hat came off and he bowed
profoundly.

"Happy to make your acquaintance, Miss," he said.

"You haven't made it yet--near as I can calkerlate," gruffly said Uncle
Jabez. "And it's mebbe a question if you get much acquainted with Wonota.
What's your business with her, anyway?"

"I'll show you, old gent," said Bilby, taking a number of important
looking papers from his pocket. "I have come here to get this princess,
as you call her. The Indian Department has sent me. She is a ward of the
Government, as you perhaps know. It seems she is held under a false form
of contract to a moving picture corporation, and Wonota's friends have
applied to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to look into the matter and get
at the rights of the business."

Ruth uttered a cry of amazement; but Uncle Jabez said calmly enough:

"And what have you got to do with it all, Mister--if I may be so curious
as to ask?"

"The girl is given into my charge while her affairs are being looked
into," said Mr. Horatio Bilby, with an explanatory flourish which
included both the miller and Ruth in its sweeping gesture.

CHAPTER V

TROUBLE IN PROSPECT

Ruth Fielding wished that Mr. Hammond was within reach; but she knew he
was already on his way to the Thousand Islands, for which she herself
expected to start the next day with Wonota and her father. She had not
heard much about this Bilby; but what she had learned--together with what
she now saw of him--impressed her not at all in his favor.

In any event she was not willing to accept either Horatio Bilby or his
declaration at face value. And she was glad to see that the hardheaded
old miller was not much impressed by the man, either.

"I don't know much about this business, Mister," said Uncle Jabez, with
much calmness. "But it strikes me that you'd better see the girl's
father."

"What girl's father?" demanded the visitor, and now he seemed surprised.

"Wonota's. Chief Totantora is the name he goes by. It strikes me that he
ought to have a deal more to say about the girl than any Government
department."

"Why, he's nothing but a blanket Injun!" ejaculated Bilby, with disgust.

"Mebbe so," rejoined Uncle Jabez. "But his wearing a blanket (though I
never see him with it on; he wears pants and a shirt when he comes here)
don't figger none at all. He still remains the girl's father."

"I guess you don't k