E-text prepared by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Emmy, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net/c/) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustration. See 20349-h.htm or 20349-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/3/4/20349/20349-h/20349-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/3/4/20349/20349-h.zip) THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT ROCKY RANCH Or Great Days Among the Cowboys by LAURA LEE HOPE Author of "The Moving Picture Girls," "The Moving Picture Girls Under the Palms," "The Outdoor Girls Series," "The Bobbsey Twins Series," Etc. Illustrated The Goldsmith Publishing Co. Cleveland Made in U. S. A. Copyright, 1914, by Grosset & Dunlap Press of The Commercial Bookbinding Co. Cleveland [Illustration: "WE ARE HEMMED IN BY THE PRAIRIE FIRE!" _Moving Picture Girls at Rocky Ranch._--_Page 192._] CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I THE SPY 1 II WESTERN PLANS 13 III A DARING FEAT 23 IV A CLOUD OF SMOKE 32 V A MIX-UP 42 VI THE AUTO SMASH 49 VII OFF FOR THE WEST 56 VIII THE OIL WELL 66 IX THE RIVALS 72 X THE CYCLONE 78 XI AT ROCKY RANCH 90 XII SUSPICIONS 96 XIII AT THE BRANDING 109 XIV A WARNING 117 XV THE INDIAN RITES 125 XVI PRISONERS 134 XVII THE RESCUE 143 XVIII A RUSH OF STEERS 156 XIX TOO MUCH REALISM 163 XX IN THE OPEN 168 XXI THE BURNING GRASS 178 XXII HEMMED IN 186 XXIII THE ESCAPE 193 XXIV A DISCLOSURE 201 XXV THE ROUND-UP 208 THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT ROCKY RANCH CHAPTER I THE SPY "Well, Ruth, aren't you almost ready?" "Just a moment, Alice. I can't seem to get my collar fastened in the back. I wish I'd used the old-fashioned hooks and eyes instead of those new snaps." "Oh, I think those snaps are just adorable!" "Oh, Alice DeVere! Using such an extreme expression!" "What expression, Ruth?" "'Adorable!' You sometimes accuse me of using slang, and there you go----" "'Adorable' isn't slang," retorted Alice. "Oh, isn't it though? Since when?" "There you go yourself! You're as bad as I am." "Well, it must be associating with you, then," sighed Ruth.