rantic horses were driven, until finally Paul, who was on
the seat beside Mr. Switzer, with Russ between them taking pictures,
called out:

"Hold on! Wait a minute. I think I hear voices!"

The horses were held back, not without difficulty, and then as the noise
of their galloping, and the sound of the creaking wagon ceased, there
was heard the unmistakable shouts of cowboys, and the rapid firing of
revolvers.

"There they are!" cried Alice.

"Oh, if daddy is only there!" Ruth replied.

"Go on!" cried Paul to the German, and again the horses were given their
heads.

But now, even above the noise made by the wagon and the galloping
steeds, could be heard the welcome shouts which told that some, at
least, of those left behind were still alive. The girls were crying now,
in very joy, though their anxiety was not wholly past.

On and on galloped the horses. And then Paul cried:

"There's a way! There's a way out! The fire hasn't burned around the
whole circle yet."

He pointed ahead. Through the smoke clouds could be seen an open space
of grass that was not yet burned, and beyond that sparkled the waters of
a wide but shallow creek.

There was safety indeed! They had escaped the flames by a narrow margin.

And as the wagon rushed for this haven of refuge, there came sweeping up
from one side a group of cowboys, urging their horses to top speed,
while, in their midst was Mr. DeVere, Mr. Pertell and the others of the
moving picture company who had been left to finish the scene at the slab
cabin.

CHAPTER XXIV

A DISCLOSURE

"Into the creek! Drive right in!" cried Baldy Johnson. "Run the wagon
right in! It's a good bottom and you can go all the way across!"

"Go on!" called Mr. Switzer to his horses, and the steeds, nothing
loath, darted for the cooling water. Indeed it was very hot now, for the
fire was close, and it was still coming on, in an ever-narrowing circle.

"Go ahead, boys! Into the creek with you! It's our last chance, and our
only one!" went on Baldy. "Into the water with you!"

And into the welcome coolness of the creek splashed the cowboys on their
ponies and the wagon containing the refugees.

"Where are you going?" cried Ruth, as Russ swung himself down off the
seat.

"I'm going to get this last film, showing the escape," he answered.
"It's too good a chance to miss."

"But you'll be burned!" she exclaimed. "The fire is coming closer."

And indeed the flames, closing up the