A Romance of the Forest Reserve
Directed by William DuncanElmer Benson, a ranger, while riding his division in the National Forest, chances upon the camp of David Fletcher, his wife and their adopted daughter, Barbara. They have a big herd of goats, and he warns Fletcher not to let them feed in the National Reserve. At the same time he becomes interested in the stepdaughter, who, he feels, is being ill-treated. One day he finds Fletcher's men have disobeyed him and driven the goats into the reserve. He orders them to leave, and during the argument that follows, the foreman covers Benson with a gun, but the latter exhibits his authority, places the foreman under arrest, and takes him to his cabin, deciding to wait until morning before taking him to town. The other herders form a desperate plan to rescue their foreman, which is overheard by Barbara. The men accomplish the rescue, and leave Benson bound and helpless in the cabin. Fletcher then gives his foreman some money and tells him to get out of the state quick. He agrees to do so, but subsequently changes his mind and decides to get even with the ranger. With this in view, he climbs up the top of a cliff which overhangs the cabin in which Benson is lying securely tied. He places a dynamite cartridge in the crevice of a rock so that the explosion will send tons of granite directly upon the cabin. Just as he has lit the fuse, Barbara rides in, runs into the cabin and frees Benson. Both rush out as an avalanche of rock from above smashes the heavy structure to pieces. Benson captures the foreman, and together with Barbara, starts to take the prisoner to town. With the aid of field glasses he sees that the Fletchers are hurriedly breaking camp. Barbara begs Benson to let them depart, and he agrees, that if she will marry him, he will let them go. So they deliver their prisoner and hunt up a preacher.
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