of range of the cameras. For there were to be two
snapping this jump, to avoid the necessity of a retake in case one film
failed.

"All ready now!" called Mr. Pertell, when there had been several
rehearsals up to the actual point of making the jump. Estelle had raced
out of the woods bearing the message. The Confederate guerrillas had
pursued her, and she had found the bridge burned--one built for the
purpose and set fire to.

"All ready for the jump?" asked the director.

"All ready," Estelle answered, looking to saddle girths and stirrups.

"Then come on!" yelled the director through his megaphone.

Estelle urged her horse forward. With shouts and yells, which, of
course, had no part in the picture, yet which served to aid them in
their acting, the players who were portraying the Confederates came
after her, spurring their horses and firing wildly. On and on rushed the
steed bearing the daring girl rider.

She reached the place of the burned bridge, halted a moment, made a
gesture of despair, and then raced for the bank, down which she would
leap her horse to the ford.

"Come on! Come on!" yelled Mr. Pertell. "That's fine! Come on! You men
there put a little more pep in your riding. Turn and fire at them, Miss
Brown! Fire one shot, and one of you men reel in his saddle. That's the
idea!"

Estelle had quickly turned and fired, and one man had most realistically
showed that he was hit, afterward slumping from his seat.

Now the girl was at the edge of the bank. She was to make a flying jump
over its edge and come down in the soft sand, sliding to the bottom--in
the saddle if she could keep her seat, rolling over and over if,
perchance, she left it.

"That's the idea! Get every bit of that, Russ! That's fine!" yelled Mr.
Pertell.

"There she goes!" cried Alice, grasping her sister's arm, and as she
spoke Estelle spurred her horse and it leaped full and fair over the
edge of the embankment. Estelle had made her big jump. Would she come
safely out of it?

CHAPTER VIII

A MASSED ATTACK

While Russ Dalwood and his helper were grinding their cameras, reeling
away at the film on which was being impressed the shifting vision of
Estelle Brown taking her hazardous leap, Alice, Ruth, and the others
were watching to see how the daring young horsewoman would come out of
it.

"She's going to land in a minute!" exclaimed Miss Dixon.

"In a minute? In a half second!" cried Alice. "But don't talk!"

"Ther