the smoke of cannon and heard the shouting of the director and
his assistants who were using big megaphones. It was the rehearsal of
one of the many battle scenes that were to take place about Oak Farm.

"Oh, look at that girl ride!" suddenly exclaimed Alice, pointing to a
young woman who dashed past on a spirited horse. "Isn't she a wonder?"

"She is indeed," agreed Ruth. "I wonder who she is?"

"One of the extras," said Paul. "A number of them have just arrived.
We'll begin active work soon, and film some big scenes with you girls in
them."

Alice gazed across the fields toward the figure of the girl on
horseback. There was something spirited in her riding, and, though she
had never seen her before, Alice felt strangely drawn toward the new
player.

CHAPTER V

A DARING RIDER

"Come on now, Confederates!"

"No, you Union chaps hold back there in ambush. You're not to dash out
until you get the signal. Wait!"

"Keep that horse out of the way. He isn't supposed to dash across,
riderless, until after the first volley."

"Put in a little more action! Fall off as though you were shot, not as
though you were bending over to see if your horse had a stone under his
shoe! Fall off hard!"

"And you fellows that do fall off--lie still after you fall! Don't
twitch as though you wanted to scratch your noses!"

"If some of 'em don't stay quiet after they fall off they'll get stepped
on!"

"All ready now! Come with a rush when the signal's given!"

Mr. Pertell and his men were stationed near a "battery" of camera men,
who were ready to grind away; and the director and his assistants were
calling their instructions through big megaphones. To reach the soldiers
in the more distant parts of the field recourse was had to telephones,
the wires of which were laid along the ground in shallow trenches,
covered with earth so that the trampling of the horses would not sever
them.

"Get that battery farther back among the trees!" cried Mr. Pertell to
one of his helpers. "It's supposed to be a masked one, but it's in plain
sight now. Even the audience would see it, let alone the men it's
supposed to fire on. Get it back!"

"Yes, sir," answered the man, and he telephoned the instructions to the
assistant director in charge of a battery of field guns that had been
thundering away--the sound which had brought Ruth and Alice to the
scene.

"Do we have any part in the battle scenes?" asked Ruth.

"Yes, quite big parts