CHAPTER VI
EVERYBODY AGREES BUT DAKOTA JOE
An inspiration is all right--even when it strikes one in the middle ofthe night. So Jennie Stone remarked. But there had to be somethingpractical behind such a venture as Ruth Fielding had suggested to thesleepy girl.
Her thought regarding Princess Wonota of the Osage Tribe was partly dueto her wish to help the Indian girl, and partly due to her desire tofurnish Mr. Hammond and the Alectrion Film Corporation with another bigfeature picture.
Ruth and Jennie (who became enthusiastic when she was awake in themorning) chattered about the idea like magpies from breakfast to lunch.Then Helen drove over from The Outlook, and she had to hear it allexplained while Ruth and Jennie were making ready to go out in the carwith her.
"You must drive us right to Cheslow," Ruth said, "where I can get Mr.Hammond on the long-distance 'phone. This is important. I feel that Ihave a really good idea."
"But what do you suppose that Dakota Joe will say?" drawled Helen. "Hewon't love you, I fear."
"Has he got to know?" demanded Jennie. "Don't be a goose, Helen. This isall going to be done on the q.t."
"Very well," sniffed the other girl. "Guess you'll find it difficult totake Wonota away from the Wild West Show without Joe's knowing anythingabout it."
"Of course!" laughed Ruth. "But until the fatal break occurs we must notlet him suspect anything."
"I see. It is a fell conspiracy," remarked Helen. "Well, come on! Thechariot awaits, my lady. If I am to drive a bunch of conspirators, let'sbe at it."
"Helen would hustle one around," complained Jennie, "if she were in theplot to kill Caesar."
"Your tense is bad, little lady," said Helen. "Caesar, according to thebooks, has been dead some years now. Right-o?"
The girls sped away from the old mill, and in a little while Ruth wasshut into a telephone booth talking with Mr. Hammond in a distant city.She told him a good deal more than she had the girls. It was his due.Besides, she had already got the skeleton of a story in her mind and sherepeated the important points of this to the picture producer.
"Sounds good, Miss Ruth," he declared. "But it all depends upon thegirl. If you think she has the looks, is amenable to discipline, and hassome natural ability, we might safely go ahead with it, I will get intocommunication by telegraph with the Department of Indian Affairs atWashington and with the agent at Three Rivers Station, Oklahoma, aswell. We can afford to invest some money in the chance that this Wonotais a find."
"Fifty-fifty, Mr. Hammond," Ruth told him. "On whatever it costs,remember, I am just as good a sport as you are when it comes to taking achance in business."
He laughed. "I have often doubted your blood relationship to UncleJabez," Mr. Hammond declared "He has no gambler's blood in his oldveins."
"He was born too long before the moving picture came into existence,"she laughingly returned. "Now I mean to see Wonota again and try toencourage her to throw in her fortunes with us. At least, I hope to gether away from that disgusting Dakota Joe."
Later Jennie teasingly suggested: "You should have taken up with hisoffer, Ruthie. You could have had free passes to the show in severaltowns."
"I don't much wish to see the show again," Ruth declared.
"I bet Mercy Curtis would like to see it," giggled Helen, "if Wonota wassure to shoot Joe. What a bloodthirsty child that Mercy continues tobe."
"She has changed a lot since we were all children together," Ruth saidreflectively. "And I never did blame Mercy much for being so scrappy.Because of her lameness she missed a lot that we other girls had. I amso glad she has practically gotten over her affliction."
"But not her failings of temper," suggested Jennie. "Still, as long asshe takes it out on Dakota Joe, for instance, I don't know but I agreewith her expressions of savage feeling."
"Hear! Hear!" cried Helen.
Despite their expressed dislike for Fenbrook, Helen and Jennie Stoneaccompanied Ruth the next day to the afternoon performance of the WildWest Show at a town much farther away than that at which they had firstmet Wonota, the Indian princess.
Wonota was glad to see them--especially glad to see Ruth Fielding. ForRuth had given her hope for a change. The Indian girl was utterlydisillusioned about traveling with a tent show; and even the promisesFenbrook had made her of improved conditions during the winter, whenthey would show for week-runs in the bigger cities, did not encourageWonota to continue with him.
"Yet I would very much like to earn money to spend in searching for thegreat Chief Totantora," she confessed to the three white girls. "TheGreat Father at Washington can do nothing now to find my father--and Ido not blame the White Father. The whole world is at war and thosepeoples in Europe are sick with the fever of war. It is sad, but itcannot be helped."
"And if you had money how would you go about looking for ChiefTotantora?" Helen asked her curiously.
"I must go over there myself. I must search through that Germancountry."
"Plucky girl!" ejaculated Jennie. "But not a chance!"
"You think not, lady?" asked Wonota, anxiously.
"We three have been to Europe--to France. We know something about thedifficulties," said Ruth, quietly. "I understand how you feel, Wonota.And conditions may soon change. We believe the war will end. Then youcan make a proper search for your father."
"But not unless I have much money," said Wonota quickly. "The Osagepeople have valuable oil lands on their reservation. But it will be someyears before money from them will be available, so the agent tells me.That is why I came with this show."
"And that is why you wish to keep on earning money?" suggested Ruthreflectively.
"That is why," Wonota returned, nodding.
At this point in the conversation the showman himself came up. Hesmirked in an oily manner at the white girls and tried to act kindlytoward his pretty employee. Wonota scarcely looked in the man'sdirection, but Ruth of course was polite in her treatment of Dakota Joe.
"I see you're doin' like I asked you, ma'am," he hoarsely whisperedbehind his hairy hand to the girl of the Red Mill. "What's theprospect?"
"I could scarcely tell you yet, Mr. Fenbrook," Ruth said decidedly."Wonota must decide for herself, of course."
"Humph! Wal, if she knows what's best for her she'll aim to stay rightwith old Dakota Joe. I'm her best friend."
Ruth left the girl at this time with some encouraging words. She hadtold her that if she, Wonota, could get a release from her contract withthe showman there would be an opportunity for her to earn much moremoney, and under better conditions, in the moving picture business.
"Oh!" cried Wonota with sparkling eyes, "do you think I could act forthe movies? I have often wanted to try."
"There it is," said Helen, as the girls drove home. "Even the Red Indianis crazy to act in the movies. Can you beat it?"
"Well," Ruth asked soberly, "who is there that is not interested ingetting his or her picture taken? Not very many. And when it comes toappearing on the silver sheet--well, even kings and potentates fall forthat!"
Ruth was so sure that Wonota could be got into the moving pictures andthat Mr. Hammond would be successful in making a star of the Indiangirl, that that very night she sat up until the wee small hours layingout the plot of her picture story--the story which she hoped to makeinto a really inspirational film.
There was coming, however, an unexpected obstacle to thisachievement--an obstacle which at first seemed to threaten utter failureto her own and to Mr. Hammond's plans.