But it seemed that a little man sitting on a campchair off to one side and talking to a man who had a lot of papers in his hands was the most important person in view. It was to this man that Cowboy Jack led the way.
"That is Mr. Habback, the director," Russ heard the ranchman tell daddy. "We must get him to let us have Black Bear, or somebody."
The next moment he hailed the moving picture director.
"Can you spare some of your Injuns for an hour?" asked Cowboy Jack. "There's a little girl lost, and I reckon an Injun can find her trail better than any of my cholos or punchers. How about Black Bear?"
The young Indian whose name he had mentioned came towards the group at once. Mr. Habback looked up at Chief Black Bear.
"Hear what this Texas longhorn says, Chief?" he said to the Indian. "A little girl lost somewhere."
"I can show you about where she left the trail," explained the ranchman earnestly.
"Was she over at my wikiup the other evening?" asked Black Bear, with interest.
"She--she's my sister," broke in Russ anxiously. "And she was scared by your Indian play, and the pony must have run away with her."
"Hullo!" said Chief Black Bear. "I remember you, too, youngster. So your sister is lost?"
"Well, we can't find her," said Russ Bunker.
"I will go along with them, Mr. Habback," said the Indian chief, glancing down at the director. "I'll take Little Elk with me. You won't need us for a couple of hours, will you?"
"It's all right," said the director. "Go ahead. We can't afford to lose a little girl around here, that is sure."
"You bet we can't," put in Cowboy Jack. "Little girls are scarce in this part of the country."
Black Bear spoke to one of his men, who hurried to get two ponies. The Indians leaped upon the bare backs of the ponies and rode them just as safely as the white people rode in their saddles. This interested Russ a great deal, and he wondered if Black Bear would teach him how to ride Indian style.
But this was not the time to speak of such a thing. Rose must be found. For all they knew the little girl might be in serious trouble--she might be needing them right then!
The two Indians and the ranchman and Daddy Bunker started back through the ravine. None of them was more worried over Rose's disappearance than was Russ. He urged his pinto pony after the older people at the very fastest pace he could ride.