man. That man's a coward. He's mean. He's p'ison mean! You
want to look out for him, Niece Ruth. I wouldn't wonder if he tried,
some time, to do you and Mr. Hammond some trick that won't bring you in
no money, to say the least."

The old miller went off with that statement on his lips. Ben, the hired
man, followed him, shaking his head. The girls looked at each other,
then at the rapidly disappearing cloud of dust raised by Dakota Joe's
pony. Jennie said:

"Well, goodness! why so serious? Guess that man won't do such a much!
Don't be scared, Wonota. We won't let anybody hurt you."

"I wish Tom were here," Ruth Fielding repeated.

And in less than forty-eight hours this wish of the girl of the Red Mill
seemed to her almost prophetical. Tom Cameron was coming home!

The whole land rejoiced over that fact. The whole world, indeed, gave
thanks that it was possible for a young captain in the American
Expeditionary Forces to look forward to his release and return to his
home.

The armistice had been declared. Cheslow, like every town and city in
the Union, celebrated the great occasion. It was not merely a day's
celebration. The war was over (or so it seemed) and the boys who were so
much missed would be coming home again. It took some time for Ruth and
her friends to realize that this return must be, because of the nature
of things, postponed for many tiresome months.

Before Tom Cameron was likely to be freed from the army, the matter of
the Indian girl's engagement with the moving picture corporation must be
completely settled--at least, as far as Dakota Joe's claim upon Wonota's
services went.

CHAPTER IX

THE PLOT DEVELOPS

Ruth had insisted upon Wonota's remaining at the Red Mill from the hour
she had ridden there for protection. Not that they believed Fenbrook
would actually harm the Indian girl after he had cooled down. But it was
better that she should be in Ruth's care as long as she was to work
somewhat under the latter's tutelage.

Besides, it gave the picture writer a chance to study her subject. It
would be too much to expect that Wonota could play a difficult part. She
had had no experience in acting. Ruth knew that she must fit a part to
Wonota, not the girl to a part. In other words, the Indian girl was
merely a type for screen exploitation, and the picture Ruth wrote must
be fitted to her capabilities.

Grasping, like any talented writer does, at any straw of novelty, Ruth
had seen po