ce more in good condition Emery announced that he wanted to work
out a few scenes of an uncompleted "movie-drama." The action was
snappy. The plot was brief, but harmonized well with the setting, and
the "props." Dodd, who was a big Texan, was cast for the role of horse
thief and bad man in general. Bert's brother, Morris Lauzon, was the
deputy sheriff, and had a star cut from the top of a tomato can to
prove it. John was to be a prospector. He would need little rehearsing
for this part. In addition, he had not been out where he could have
the services of a barber for six months past, which was all the
better. John had a kind, quiet, easy-going way that made friends for
him on sight. He was not consulted about the part he was to play, but
we counted on his good nature and he was cast for the part. Emery, who
was cast for the part of a mining engineer, arrived on the scene in
his boat, after rounding the bend above the camp, tied up and climbed
out over the cliffs to view the surrounding country.

The hidden desperado, knowing that he was being hunted, stole the boat
with its contents, and made his escape. The returning engineer arrived
just in time to see his boat in the middle of the stream, and a
levelled rifle halted him until the boat was hidden around the bend.
At that moment the officer joined him, and a hurried consultation was
held. Then the other boat, which had been separated from its
companion, pulled into sight, and I was hailed by the men on shore.
They came aboard and we gave chase. Could anything be better? The
thief naturally thought he was safe, as he had not seen the second
boat! After going over a few rapids, he saw a fire up in the cliffs,
on the opposite side of the river. He landed, and climbed up to the
camp where John was at work. John shared his camp fare with him, and
directed him to a hidden trail. The pursuers, on finding the abandoned
boat, quietly followed the trail, and surprised Dodd in John's camp.
He was disarmed and sent across the river in the tramway, accompanied
by the deputy, and was punished as he richly deserved to be.

This was the scenario. Bert handled the camera. Emery was the
playwright, director, and producer. All rights reserved.

Everything worked beautifully. The film did not get balled up in the
cogs, as sometimes happened. The light was good. Belasco himself could
not have improved on the stage-setting. The trail led over the
wildest, and most picturesque places imag