use any," faltered Mr. Bunn, for he saw the cowboy taking a
revolver from its holster, and the actor evidently thought he was to be
"held up" then and there, and perhaps scalped.

"Too bad. I wish you did, and could tell me what to use," sighed Baldy,
and then, with a whoop he raised his gun in the air and fired.
Instantly all the other cowboys were doing the same thing, as their
horses broke into a fast gallop. Miss Pennington and Miss Dixon
screamed, but they need have had no fears, for it was but a repetition
of the scene at the station. The cow-punchers were merely celebrating
their return to the ranch.

"Glad to see you all," Mr. Norton, the owner, greeted them as he came
out to welcome the party. He had met Mr. Pertell in Chicago, where
arrangements for the use of the ranch had been made.

Introductions were soon over, and then, under the direction of Mrs.
Norton, who proved to be a motherly, home-like sort of person, the
ladies of the company were taken to their quarters, and the men shown to
theirs.

"You won't find marble halls and electric elevators here," laughed the
ranch owner. "In fact, everything's on the ground floor; but you'll find
some comforts. I want you to have a good time while you're here. You'll
find us a bit rough, perhaps; but you'll find us ready to do our best
for you."

"I'm sure of it," agreed Mr. Pertell, heartily.

The players had scarcely removed the dust of travel, and freshened
themselves, before the mellow notes of a gong sounded through the air,
and at the same time a strident voice cried;

"Glub leady! Glub leady!"

"What in the world is that?" asked Alice.

"That's the Chinese cook, Ling Foo, announcing that grub, or supper, is
ready," replied Mr. Norton, with a laugh. "This way to the dining room."

As the company, the members of which were to eat by themselves, filed
out, Russ, who was walking beside Mr. Pertell, saw a familiar looking
box on a bench.

"Look!" he exclaimed to the manager.

"A moving picture camera!" was the surprised comment. "Is that one of
yours left out by mistake?"

"No, mine are in the room with the other props."

"But that's a camera, sure enough, though the lens has been taken off. I
wonder how that got here," and he looked anxiously at the young
operator.

"I'll ask Mr. Norton," Russ volunteered, and, as the ranch proprietor
came along at that moment, Russ had his chance.

"That? Oh, that belongs to a new man I hired the other day,"