er into which he had thrown his players.

"Why, about this blaze. I couldn't for the life of me understand how it
was it could burn two ways at once. But now I do."

"You mean those fellows set another fire?" asked Bow Backus.

"That's my plain identical meanin'," declared Baldy. "Them scoundrels
started another fire after we did ours."

"Oh, how terrible!" exclaimed Ruth.

"Wait; hold on, Miss! I'm not goin' so far as to accuse 'em of doin' it
purposely," the cowboy went on, earnestly. "They may not have meant it.
The grass is pretty dry just now, and a little fire would burn a long
way. It's jest possible they may have made a blaze to bile their coffee,
and the wind carried sparks into a bunch of grass. But I have my
suspicions."

"Why, who could they be, to do such a dastardly thing as that?" demanded
Mr. DeVere.

"That's what I want to know," put in Mr. Pertell.

Baldy turned sharply to the manager.

"Who's been followin' on your trail ever since you started out to make
your big drama 'East and West'?" he asked.

"Who--who!" repeated Mr. Pertell. "Why--why those sneaks from the
International Picture Company--that's who."

"That's them," declared Baldy, laconically, as he pointed to the
retreating horsemen. "That's them, and they're the fellows who sot this
second fire that so nearly wrecked us."

"Is it possible!" ejaculated Mr. DeVere.

"I'm sure of it," declared Baldy. "I ain't got no real proof; but I've
seen a good many fires in my day, and they don't start all by their
ownselves--not two of 'em, anyhow. You can bank on them bein' your
enemies, if you'll excuse my slang," he said in firm tones.

"Do you really mean it?" asked Mr. Pertell, in amazement.

"I sure do, friend. I'm not sayin' they started it to hurt any of you;
but they wanted to spoil your picture, I'm sure of it."

There was a moment of silence, and then Bow Backus cried out in loud
tones:

"Fellers, there's only one thing to do: Let's take after them scamps
and get 'em with the goods! Let's prove that they did this mischief.
Come on, boys! Our horses are fresh enough now."

The tired cow ponies, almost worn out after their race to escape with
their masters from the on-rushing flames, had been allowed to rest and
now they were ready for hard work again.

In an instant, half a score of the sturdy cowboys were in the saddle,
whooping and yelling in sheer delight at the prospective chase.

"I've got to get in on this!" cried R