is belief that it would be a "knockout."

Mr. Hammond arranged for a special car for the cross-continent run, and
he took his own family along, as the weather prophesied for the ensuing
few weeks was favorable to out-of-door work and living. The special car
made it possible for Ruth and her two friends, Helen and Jennie, as well
as the Osage Indian girl, to be very comfortably placed during the
journey.

Ruth had traveled before this--north, south, east and west--and there
was scarcely anything novel in train riding for her. But a journey would
never be dull with Jennie Stone and Helen Cameron as companions!

They ruined completely the morale of the car service. The colored porter
could scarcely shine the other passengers' shoes he was kept so much at
the beck and call of the two wealthy girls, who tipped lavishly. The
Pullman conductor was cornered on every possible occasion and led into
discourse entirely foreign to his duties. Even the "candy butcher" was
waylaid and made to serve the ends of two girls who had perfectly idle
hands and--so Ruth declared--quite as idle brains.

"Well, goodness!" remarked Helen, "we must occupy our minds and time in
some way. You, Ruthie, are confined to that story of yours about
twenty-five hours out of the twenty-four. Even Wonota has thought only
for her tiresome beadwork when she is not studying her part with Mr.
Hooley and you. I know we'll have fun when we get to the Hubbell Ranch
where Mr. Hammond says your picture is to be filmed. I do just dote on
cowboys and the fuzzy little ponies they ride."

"And the dear cows!" drawled Jennie. "Do you remember that maniacal
creature that attacked our motor-car that time we went to Silver Ranch,
years and years and years ago? You know, back in the Paleozoic Age!"

"Quite so," agreed Helen. "I have a photographic remembrance of that
creature--ugh! And how he burst our tires!"

_"He,_ forsooth! What a way to speak of a cow!"

"It wasn't a cow; it was a steer," declared Helen confidently.

Ruth retired from the observation platform where her chums were
ensconced, allowing them to argue the matter to a finish. It was true
that the girl of the Red Mill was very busy most of her waking hours on
the train. They all took a recess at Chicago, however, and it was there
a second incident occurred that showed Dakota Joe Fenbrook had not
forgotten his threat to "get even" with Ruth Fielding and the moving
picture producer with whom she was asso