“But what has happened, Wonota?” the puzzled Ruth asked the Indian girl.

Wonota pointed scornfully at Fenbrook, just then struggling to his feet.

“Joe, heap smart white man.  Wuh!” She really was grimly chuckling.  “He go get a talking paper from the court.  Call it injunction, eh?”

“I heard about the injunction,” admitted Ruth interestedly.

“All right Wonota can’t leave Joe to work for you, eh?  But the paleface law-man say to me that that talking paper good only In that county.  You see?  I not in that county now.”

“Oh, Jerry!” gasped Jennie Stone.  “Isn’t that cute?  She is outside the jurisdiction of the court.”

“Sho!” exclaimed Jabez Potter, much amused by this outcome of the matter.  “It is a fact.  Go on back to your show, mister.  The gal’s here, and she’s with friends, and that’s all there is to it.”

Dakota Joe had already realized this situation.  He climbed slowly into his saddle and eyed them all—­especially Ruth and Wonota—­with a savage glare.

“Wait!” he growled.  “Wait—­that’s all.  I’ll fix you movie people yet—­the whole of you!  It’s the sorriest day’s job you ever done to get Wonota away from me.  Wait!”

He rode away.  When he was some rods up the road, down which he had galloped, he set spurs to his horse again and dashed on and out of sight.  For a little while nobody spoke.  It was Jennie who, as usual, light-hearted and unafraid, broke the silence.

“Well, all right, we’ll wait,” she said.  “But we needn’t do it right here, I suppose.  We can sit down and wait just as easily.”

Helen laughed.  But Ruth and Wonota were sober, and even Uncle Jabez Potter saw something to take note of in the threat of the proprietor of the Wild West Show.

“That man is a coward.  That’s as plain as the nose on your face.  And a coward when he gits mad and threatens you is more to be feared than a really brave 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.