k their direction. They all
had guns, and I'm sure they were after deer."

"And you never saw them before?"

"No, I never did."

"And you have no idea where they came from?"

"I couldn't tell--no. I heard one of them ask the other if he thought it
was safe."

"If what was safe?"

"He didn't say. Maybe he meant to hunt deer around here."

"It won't be safe if I catch them!" declared Mr. Macksey, as he went
out. Alice wondered who the men could be.

It was so quiet and peaceful at Elk Lodge that Mr. DeVere soon forgot
all about the annoyance caused by the demand of Dan Merley for the five
hundred dollars. At first he had expected some sort of legal summons in
a suit, but when none came he breathed easier.

Several days passed, and a few snow scenes were filmed to be used later,
and worked into dramas. Mr. Sneed suffered a little cold from his
unexpected bath, but that was all.

Meanwhile the weather had remained about the same. There was plenty of
snow, but no more storms. Elk Lodge was voted the finest place in the
world, and even Miss Pennington and Miss Dixon condescended to say that
they liked it.

Then, one day, plans were made for filming a little drama in the snowy
woods, and thither many members of the company went to act.

Ruth was supposed to be lost in a dense thicket, and Paul was soon on
his way to find her, in the guise of a woodman. He had sighted Ruth,
over a clump of bushes, and was making his way to her, when he heard her
scream. This was not in the play and he wondered what could have
happened.

"Quick!" he heard her cry. "He's going to jump at me!"

Paul broke into a run, and the next moment saw a deer, with large,
branching antlers, spring through the underbrush directly in front of
Ruth, while Russ, at the camera, yelled to drive away the curious
animal.

CHAPTER XIII

THE COASTING RACE

"Oh, I'm so frightened!" cried Ruth.

"Don't be alarmed!" Russ called to her, while he continued to grind away
at the camera. "He won't hurt you. This will make a dandy picture! I'm
going to film the deer."

"Oh, but suppose he jabs me with his horns?" wailed Ruth, who was not
quite so alarmed now. "They are terribly sharp."

"Don't worry!" Russ answered. "This is coming out great. The deer was
just the one thing needed to make this film a success."

"Then I won't spoil it by coming in now!" called Paul, who was keeping
out of the focus of the camera by crouching down behind some