back on the car and did not see it slip out of the
crowd of motor traffic and turn into the avenue. But Wonota, the Indian
girl, saw her friend's danger. She uttered a loud cry and bounded out of
the camera field just as the two camera men began to crank their
machines.

"Look out, Miss Fielding!"

The cry startled Ruth, but it did not aid her much to escape. And
perhaps the chauffeur of the car only intended to crowd by the girl of
the Red Mill and so escape from the traffic hold-up.

At Wonota's scream the director shouted for the camera men to halt. He
started himself with angry excitement after the Indian girl. She had
utterly spoiled the shot.

But on the instant he was adding his warning cry to Wonota's and to the
cries of other bystanders. Ruth, amazed, could not understand what
Wonota meant. Then the car was upon her, the mudguard knocked her down,
and her loose coat catching in some part of the car, she was dragged for
several yards before Wonota could reach her.

Over and over in the dust Ruth had been whirled. She was breathless and
bruised. She could not even cry out, the shock of the accident was so
great.

The instant the Indian girl reached the prostrate Ruth the motor-car
broke away and its driver shot the machine around the nearest corner and
out of sight.

A policeman charged after the car at top speed, but when he reached the
corner there were so many other cars in the cross street that he could
not identify the one that had caused the accident.

To Ruth, Wonota gasped: "That bad man! I knew he would do something
mean, but I thought it would be to me."

Ruth could scarcely reply. The director was at her side, as well as
other sympathetic people. She was lifted up, but she could not stand.
Something had happened to her left ankle. She could bear no weight upon
it without exquisite pain.

For the time the taking of the picture was called off. The traffic
officer allowed the stalled cars to pass on. A crowd began to assemble
about Ruth.

"Do take me into the hotel--somewhere!" she gasped. "I--I can't walk--"

One of the camera men and the director, Mr. Hooley, made a seat with
their hands, and sitting in this and with Wonota to steady her, the girl
of the Red Mill was hurried under cover, leaving the throng of
spectators on the street quite sure that the accident had been a planned
incident of the moving picture people. They evidently considered Ruth a
"stunt actress."

It was not unti