how does that hit you? You boys are all on a straight board-and-salary basis — thirty dollars a week, and it's up to me to make you earn it! ' He grinned and beckoned to Jean Douglas Avery and her companions in the next room.
' Mrs. Avery, here, is our leading woman — keeping the name of Jean Douglas, since she made it valuable in that Lazy A serial she did a year or so ago. Lite is on the same footing as the rest of you boys. Her father will be my assistant in choosing locations and so on. Tommy Johnson, as I said, is another assistant in another capacity, that of scenic artist and stage carpenter. Pete Lowry, here, is camera man and Bill Holmes will be his assistant. The rest of you work wherever I need you — a good deal the way we did last winter. Annie-Many-Ponies stays with us as charac-
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tor lead and is in general stock. Rosemary —' he •topped and smiled at her understandingly— ' Rosemary draws fifteen a week —- oh, don't get scared! I won't give you any foreground stuff! just atmosphere when I need it, and general comforter and mascot of the company! '
Luck may have stretched a point there, but if he did it was merely a technical one. Rosemary Green was hopelessly camera-shy, but he could use her in background atmosphere, and when it came to looking after the physical and mental welfare of the bunch she was worth her weight in any precious metal you may choose to name.
' You better put me down as camp cook and dishwasher, Luck Lindsay,' Rosemary protested, blushing.
' No — thank the Lord you won't have to cook for this hungry bunch any longer. I've got a Mexican hired and headed this way. There'll be no more of that kind of thing for you, lady — not while you're with us.
' Now, boys, let's get organized for action. Weather's perfect — Lowry's been raving over the light, all the way out from town. I've got a range
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picture all blocked out — did it while I was waiting in Los for Jean to show up. Done anything ahout roundup yet, Applehead ? '—
Poor old Applehead, with his guilty conscience and his soft-hearted affection for Luck so deeply stirred by the money laid in his big-knuckled hand, shuffled his feet and cleared his throat and did not get one intelligible word past his dry tongue.
' If you haven't,' Luck hurried on, spurred by his inpatient energy, ' I want to organize and get out right away with a regular roundup outfit — chuck-wagon, remuda and all — see what I mean ? While I'm getting the picture of the stuff I want, we can gather and brand your calves. That way, all my range scenes will be of the real thing. I may want to throw the Chavez outfit in with ours, too, so as to get bigger stuff. I'll try and locate Ramon Chavez and see what I can do. But any-w r ay, I want the roundup outfit ready to start just as soon as possible — tomorrow, if we could get it together in time. How about that cracked tongue on the chuck-wagon? Anybody ixed that?'
' We-ell, I wired it up so'st it's as aolid as the 45
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rest uh the runnin' gear,' Applehead confessed shamefacedly, rolling his eyes apprehensively at the flushed faces of his fellow traitors.
'Yuh did? Good! Tires need setting, if I recollect —'
' Er — I had the boys set the tires, V—'
' Fine! I might have known you fellows would put things in shape while I was gone! How about the horses ? I thought I saw a bunch in the big corral —'
' I rustled enough saddle horses to give us all two apiece,' Applehead admitted, perspiring coldly. ' 'Tain't much of a string, but —'
' You did ? Sounds like you've been reading my mind, Applehead. Now we'll grubstake the outfit —'
' Er — well, I took the chuck-wagon in yest'day and loaded 'er up with grub fer two weeks,' blurted Applehead heroically. ' I was figurin'—'
' Good! Couldn't ask better. Applehead, you sure are there when it comes to backing a man's play. If I haven't said much about how I stand toward you fellows it isn't because I don't appreciate every durned one of you.'
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The Happy Family squirmed guiltily and made way for Applehead, who was sidling toward the open door, his face showing alarming symptoms of apoplexy. Their confusion Luck set down to a becoming modesty. He went on planning and perfecting details. Standing as he did on the threshold of a career to which his one big success had opened the door, he was wholly absorbed in making good.
There was nothing now to balk his progress, he told himself. He had his company, he had the location for his big range stuff, he had all the financial backing any reasonable man could want. He had a salary that in itself gauged the prestige he had gained among producers, and as an added incentive to do the biggest work of his life he had a contract giving him a royalty on all prints of his pictures in excess of a fixed number. Better than all this, he had big ideals and an enthusiasm for the work that knew no limitations.
Perhaps he was inclined to dream too big; perhaps he assumed too great an enthusiasm on the part of those who worked with him — I don't know just where he did place the boundary line. I do
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know that he never once suspected the Happy Family of any meditated truancy from the ranch and his parting instructions to ' sit tight.' I also know that the Happy Family was not at all likely to rolunteer information of their lapse. And as for Applehead, the money burned his soul deep with remorse; so deep that he went around with an abject eagerness to serve Luck that touched that young man as a rare example of a bone-deep loyalty that knows no deceit. Which proves once more how fortunate it is that we cannot always see too deeply into the thoughts and motives of our friends.
IXXVE WOKDS FOB ANNIE
I'N Tijeras Arroyo the moon made black shadows where stood the tiny knolls here and there, marking
