_Chapter XXII_ WESTERN ACTION
In the days intervening Janet and Helen found plenty to do. Billy Fenstowsent over scripts of his new western and they had a chance to familiarizethemselves with the general theme of the play. The story, briefly, wasthe efforts of a band of ruthless men to gain control of "Broad Valley,"a great cattle ranch which had been left to young Fred Danvers by hisfather. There was plenty of action, some gunplay, and a love theme inwhich Fred fell in love with the leader of the band of men who sought hisproperty. The theme was as old as western pictures, but Billy Fenstow hada knack of dressing them up and making them look new.
Janet and Helen reported at stage nine at eight o'clock Monday morning,Henry Thorne driving them over himself. He left as soon as they reachedthe lot.
Nearly a score of people were clustered around the chubby little directorand he nodded as Janet and Helen joined the crowd. Janet nudged Helen.
"There's Curt Newsom, the western star. I'll bet he's got the lead."
"He looks nice," replied Helen, "but older than he appears on thescreen."
A rather artificial blonde was seated at Billy Fenstow's right, idlythumbing through the sheaf of script from which the picture would beshot.
Mr. Fenstow spoke sharply. "Attention everybody. All of you have had achance to study the script; all of you should be familiar with the parts.We'll make plenty of changes as we go along, but in general you know whatwe're aiming at. We've got two weeks assigned for the shooting and thatmeans we'll be done in two weeks, and not three."
He looked around at each of them, then went on.
"Curt Newsom goes into the lead as Fred Danvers and Miss Jackson willplay the role of Ruth Blair, the girl he falls in love with."
He ran on down the list. "The green cousins from the east who come tovisit Bill will be played by Janet Hardy and Helen Thorne."
Janet felt her heart bound. She actually had a part and it matteredlittle that it was an insignificant role.
Bertie Jackson, the blonde in the chair, turned and looked sharply at thegirls, then sniffed. "I should say they would be well qualified to playsuch roles."
Billy Fenstow caught the sneer in her voice and turned quickly.
"You know, Miss Jackson, you don't have to work in this picture if youdon't want to. There are plenty of blondes would jump at the chance toplay this lead."
"Oh, calm down, Billy. Just because one of the girls is Henry Thorne'sdaughter, you don't need to get on your high horse when I make a harmlesswisecrack."
But Helen had her own ideas about Bertie Jackson's wisecrack and sheresolved to watch the pallid blonde. Bertie, if it served her ownpurpose, was quite capable of doing any number of mean tricks.
The morning passed rapidly with costume assignments being made. Therewere a number of interior shots of the ranch house which would benecessary and these scenes had already been erected on stage nine.
Janet and Helen would have their first scenes tomorrow, but they remainedon hand to watch the first shots of the picture and to attempt to getacquainted with other members of the company. Most of them were friendlyenough, but they seemed to feel that the girls had deliberately been putinto the cast through Henry Thorne's influence and Helen voiced herbelief quietly.
"We've got to expect that," admitted Janet, "but we don't need to let itspoil all of our fun."
Whatever she might have thought of Bertie Jackson from a standpoint ofpersonality, Janet had to admit that the actress was a thorough workmanand she went through her role in an easy and screen-appealing manner. Inmakeup Curt Newsom appeared much younger than the forty years he waswilling to admit.
The next morning Janet and Helen reached the lot early. Although nottheir first scene in the picture, the first one in which they were to beshot showed them arriving at the ranchhouse.
Simple travelling costumes had been assigned by the wardrobe department,but Roddy stepped in and quietly added a touch or two that made themdistinctive. Janet could almost hear Bertie Jackson hissing. It was anunheard of thing for Roddy to pay any attention to the costume worn by aminor character in a western or any other character in a picture of thattype.
"Your lines are simple, girls. You've just gotten out of a buckboardafter a long ride from the nearest railroad station. You're tired andstiff and a little mad because Curt didn't come to meet you. Janet,remember that you're a little giddy and anything crazy you do will fit inall right."
"She'll do plenty of that," said Bertie Jackson, under her breath.
Billy Fenstow didn't believe in rehearsals. He told his people what hewanted, then asked them to do it, and started the cameras grinding. If itwas too bad, he had to shoot it over, but if it was fair, he let it go,with the result that once in a while he got some exceptional shots.
"All set, girls?" asked the director.
Janet, her mouth dry, nodded.
"Let's go. Camera!"
They stepped into the range of the cameras, Helen in the lead and Janet,a rather vacant stare on her face, following. There was a bear-skin rugin front of the door and some way her feet became tangled up in it andshe pitched forward, only the strong arm of Curt Newsom preventing herfrom falling. Curt, a veteran trooper, faked a line and Janet had enoughpresence of mind to come back with a cue. Then they went on with thescene, which was extremely brief, ending with a cowboy, laden withbaggage, trying to get through the door.
"Cut it," waved Billy. "What are you trying to do, clown this?" hedemanded of the red-faced Janet.
"No, Mr. Fenstow. You see, I slipped. I didn't mean to do it," sheexplained.
"Well, whatever it was, it was a nice bit of action and I think we'llkeep it. It ought to be worth a laugh or two."
The next morning they left early by bus for a location back in themountains. Billy Fenstow had every ranch possibility listed in a smallblack book and this was one of his favorites. He had used it severaltimes, but a studio carpenter crew, by going out several days in advance,had changed the barns and corrals enough to disguise them. They arrivedshortly before noon and a delicious meal was waiting for them.
Janet and Helen had little to do for the next two days, most of the shotsbeing confined to action on the range, with the camera, mounted on aspecial truck, racing ahead of the pounding horses while the broad valleyresounded to volleys of blank shots as the cowboys, led by Curt Newsom,chased and were chased by the marauders.
Then Janet and Helen got their chance in a comedy sequence called fortheir first riding. Neither of them felt any qualms until they weremounted. Then their horses seemed to explode and both girls hung on fortheir lives, their faces registering surprise in no uncertain terms.
Helen lost her grip and flew through the air to land in an undignifiedposition in a cloud of dust. Janet, either more fortunate or a betterrider, clung on for another minute, then found herself dumped into theopen water trough. Splashing furiously and sputtering at a great rate,Janet got her head above water. Her hair was plastered to her head andshe was soaking wet. The camera crew, in spite of their roars oflaughter, had kept grinding away.
"Great stuff, Janet. You've got a natural born sense of comedy," chuckledBilly Fenstow as he wiped the tears out of his eyes.
"It looks like I'm all wet as an actress," admitted Janet.
"Oh, I don't know. Getting all wet may make you one," countered thedirector. "Get into some dry clothes. We're through with this sequence,anyhow."
The days on location passed swiftly and in the main pleasantly. CurtNewsom took an interest in the girls, which only heightened BertieJackson's jealousy. He taught them several tricks about riding and theyspent every extra hour in the saddle.
One of the last sequences to be filmed at the ranch was one calling for awild ride by Janet to take news of a raid on the ranch to the sheriff'soffice in a near-by town.
With the camera crew in the truck ahead, the action started. Janet rodehard, but was careful to keep in camera range. Suddenly she felt hersaddl
e slipping and she grabbed desperately at the mane of the gallopinghorse. Alarmed by the looseness of the saddle, the beast increased itsstride and Janet, a stifled scream on her lips, plunged headlong. Shefelt the shock of the ground as she struck and then a mantle of mercifuldarkness descended upon her.