"All right Wonota can't leave Joe to work for you, eh? But the paleface
law-man say to me that that talking paper good only In that county. You
see? I not in that county now."

"Oh, Jerry!" gasped Jennie Stone. "Isn't that cute? She is outside the
jurisdiction of the court."

"Sho!" exclaimed Jabez Potter, much amused by this outcome of the
matter. "It is a fact. Go on back to your show, mister. The gal's here,
and she's with friends, and that's all there is to it."

Dakota Joe had already realized this situation. He climbed slowly into
his saddle and eyed them all--especially Ruth and Wonota--with a savage
glare.

"Wait!" he growled. "Wait--that's all. I'll fix you movie people
yet--the whole of you! It's the sorriest day's job you ever done to get
Wonota away from me. Wait!"

He rode away. When he was some rods up the road, down which he had
galloped, he set spurs to his horse again and dashed on and out of
sight. For a little while nobody spoke. It was Jennie who, as usual,
light-hearted and unafraid, broke the silence.

"Well, all right, we'll wait," she said. "But we needn't do it right
here, I suppose. We can sit down and wait just as easily."

Helen laughed. But Ruth and Wonota were sober, and even Uncle Jabez
Potter saw something to take note of in the threat of the proprietor of
the Wild West Show.