And then, Crack!  It was unmistakably a rifle shot.

The bull plowed up several yards of sod, swerved, shook his great head, bellowing again, and then started off at a tangent across the field with the farmer, brandishing a stick, close on his heels.

Saved, Ruth Fielding did sink to the earth now, and when the other girls ran clamorously around the motor-car she was scarcely possessed of her senses.  Truly, however, she had been through too many exciting events to be long overcome by this one.

Many queer experiences and perilous adventures had come into Ruth Fielding’s life since the time when, as an orphan of twelve years, she had come to the Red Mill, just outside the town of Cheslow, to live with her Great Uncle Jabez and his queer little old housekeeper, Aunt Alvirah.

The miller was not the man generously to offer Ruth the advantages she craved.  Had it not been for her dearest friend, Helen Cameron, at first Ruth would not have been dressed well enough to enter the local school.  But if Jabez Potter was a miser, he was a just man after his fashion.  Ruth saved him a considerable sum of money during the first few months of her sojourn at the Red Mill, and in payment for this Uncle Jabez allowed her to accompany Helen Cameron to that famous boarding school, Briarwood Hall.

While at school at Briarwood, and during the vacations between semesters, Ruth Fielding’s career actually began, as the volumes following “Ruth Fielding of the Red Mill” show.  The girl had numerous adventures at Briarwood Hall, at Snow Camp, at Lighthouse Point, at Silver Ranch, on Cliff Island, at Sunrise Farm, among the gypsies, in moving pictures, down in Dixie, at college, in the saddle, in the Red Cross in France, at the war front, and when homeward bound.  The volume just previous to this present story related Ruth’s adventures “Down East,” where she went with Helen and Tom Cameron, as well as Jennie Stone, Jennie’s fiance, Henri Marchand, and her Aunt Kate, who was their chaperon.

The girl of the Red Mill had long before the time of the present narrative proved her talent as a scenario writer, and working for Mr. Hammond, president of the Alectrion Film Corporation, had already made several very successful pictures.  It seemed that her work in life was to be connected with the silver sheet.

Even Uncle Jabez had acknowledged Ruth’s ability as a scenario writer, and was immensely proud of her work when he learned how much money she was making out of the pictures.  For the old miller judged everything by a monetary standard.

Aunt Alvirah was, of course, very proud of her “pretty” as she called Ruth Fielding.  Indeed, all Ruth’s friends considered her success in picture-making as only going to show just how smart Ruth Fielding was.  But the girl of the Red Mill was far too sensible to have her head turned by such praise.  Even Tom Cameron’s pride in her pictures only made the girl glad that she succeeded in delighting him.