ay.

How it happened no one could tell. But suddenly Petro stumbled, and
though Estelle tried to keep him on his feet she could not.

"Oh--oh!" gasped Ruth. "Look!" and then she turned her head away so as
not to see.

Alice had a flash of Estelle flying over the head of her falling horse,
and then, unable to stop, the rushing soldiers on their horses rode over
the very place where Estelle had fallen.

CHAPTER XXIV

A DENIAL OF IDENTITY

Confused shouts, cries, and orders echoed over the field, Mr. Pertell,
dropping his megaphone, rushed toward the scene of the accident, calling
on Russ to follow and yelling back an order to have the stretcher men
and the doctor follow him.

Dr. Wherry was even then waiting in readiness, for it had been feared
that this big scene might result painfully, if not dangerously, for more
than one. Some men had also been detailed as stretcher bearers and were
in waiting.

"Shall we film this?" asked one of Russ's helpers, as the former dashed
past on his way to help Estelle.

"No. Don't take that accident. It won't fit in with the rest of the
film. It's all right up to that point, though. We can make a retake of
the last few feet if we have to."

Even in this time of danger and suspense it was necessary to think of
the play. That must go on, no matter what happened to the players.

"Go on with the cavalry charge--farther over!" directed Mr. Pertell,
when he arrived on the scene and found a group of men about the fallen
girl. "You can't do any good here. We'll look after her. I can't delay
any longer on this scene. Go on with the charge, and carry out the
program as it was outlined to you. Russ, you look after the camera men."

"What about Estelle?"

"Dr. Wherry and I will see to her."

The girl's golden hair was tumbled about her head, having come loose and
fallen from under her hat in her fall. She lay in a senseless heap at
one side of her horse. The animal had not gotten up, and at first it was
thought he had been killed. But it developed that Estelle had trained
him to play "dead" after a fall of this kind, and the intelligent
creature must have thought this was one of those occasions.

"Easy with her, boys," cautioned the director, as the stretcher men
tenderly picked up the limp form. "She may have some broken bones."

They placed her carefully on the stretcher and bore her to the hospital.
Mrs. Maguire was ready to assist the trained nurse, who was kept ready