WHAT BILLY'S CAMERA REVEALED
As it was now getting well along in the afternoon, and as the way back
was a difficult one, Percival and Jack decided that they would better
return without making any further explorations.
"We have found out a lot that we did not know, anyhow," said Percival,
"and we can come here again."
"Certainly I never knew about that cave," remarked Arthur, "although I
have been here two years."
"That is not so much to be wondered at," declared Harry. "The place is
hard to get at and out of the way, and I don't believe you could get
many of the boys to come here even if you told them there was a cave to
be seen. I don't think I would care to come again."
"I would," said Sawyer, "but it is not an easy job all the same."
"Bother the thing!" sputtered Billy Manners. "It is nothing but a hiding
place for burglars and thieves. Pity you did not find some more of the
stolen property, Jack."
"It has probably been taken out. They could afford to leave their tools
behind, but they would take everything else."
The boys talked about the place as they made their way back to the
Academy, which they reached shortly before supper, and all agreed that
it was rather too great an undertaking to visit the cave again, all
being tired and glad to rest after their tramp.
"I want to see how my picture turned out, Jack," said Billy Manners
after supper when it was quite dark. "Then I want to get the laugh on
those fellows that said my makeshift was no good. I know it is."
"All right, Billy," laughed Jack. "I can fix you up a dark room in the
cottage. I have developers and all that, though I suppose you have
also."
"Yes, I have everything. Have you a camera, Jack? You never said
anything about it."
"Well, I have not had much occasion to say anything or to use it, but I
have one. Come ahead, get your plate and we will develop it."
On the way to the cottage they met Dick Percival, who was greatly
interested when he heard what they were going to do and said:
"I'd like to see you develop that plate, for, to tell the truth, I don't
have much faith in these photographic freaks. Do you think there will be
anything on the plate, Jack?"
"Yes," said Jack shortly.
"All right, then. If you have faith in it I have nothing to say."
Reaching the room in the cottage, Jack locked the door to keep out all
possible intruders, got out his ruby lamp and developers, and set to
work.
Billy had faith in his pinhole camera, because it was his. Jack was
certain that he would get a picture, because he knew about such things,
and Dick was interested because Jack was, and therefore the three
watched the process of developing with considerable interest.
Jack had running water and all the facilities for doing good work, and
it was also apparent that he had done a good deal of it.
"By Jove! you are a wonder, Jack," laughed Percival. "I am all the time
finding out new things that you can do. If we were not with you so much
we would not know how much you can do. You never tell about it."
"What is the use?" said Jack quietly. "If I can accomplish anything it
is bound to be found out some time."
"Of course, but most fellows would tell you ahead that they were going
to do so and so and make a lot of talk about it. You just go ahead and
do it without making any fuss."
"Why, no, of course not, but it is so different from the ordinary
fellow's way of doing things."
The boys watched the picture appear on Billy's plate, and the funny
fellow said with a grin of great satisfaction:
"There is something there all right, Jack. It is good and sharp, too, if
I know anything. Why, you can see each individual leaf and the rocks
stand out fine."
"Yes, I think the boys are going to be surprised," declared Jack, as he
watched the developing, and removed the plate from the bath just at the
right time and put it in another tray.
After fixing the image and washing the plate well with several waters,
having everything convenient to his hand, he examined the plate
carefully by the white light, which could do it no harm, and suddenly
said in a tone of the greatest astonishment:
"My word, Billy, we are going to surprise somebody and no mistake. You
don't know everything that is on this plate."
"Well, what is it?" Billy and Percival both asked, being greatly excited
by Jack's impressive tone.
"I'll show you shortly. I am going to make an enlargement of this so
that you will have no trouble in seeing just what I see."
"Yes, but Jack, can't you show us?" asked Percival with some impatience.
"Must you make a secret of it?"
"For a little while, Dick," laughed Jack; "but you won't say anything
when I show you the enlargement. You will be perfectly satisfied at
having waited a little."
"All right," muttered both boys.
Jack had all the appliances for making an enlargement, and he could do
it as well by night as in daylight, having flash powders which would
give an instant's light or be continued for as long as he chose,
together with plates, paper and everything convenient.
The boys watched him at work and were greatly interested, now and then
catching the sound of the Hilltop boys singing outside, but generally
paying little attention to anything except what was going on just around
them.
In the course of something more than an hour Jack had completed his work
and showed a much larger print of Billy's pinhole photograph than was
possible from the original plate, and also a print from the latter.
"Now look at these two, first the little one and then the big," he said,
"and tell me what is the difference."
"You've got an eight by ten, and mine is less than a four by five,"
answered Billy. "The figures are naturally four times as large. By
Jinks! you have a handsome picture, Jack."
"Yes, but tell me what you see on one that you don't see on the other.
You should see it on both, of course, but it stands out stronger in the
enlargement, as it naturally would."
Percival looked at the larger picture and said:
"Hello! there is a man looking out from among the rocks on the ledge.
Did you know he was there, Billy?"
"No, I did not. He must have kept pretty still, for that was a long time
exposure. He is not as strong as the objects around him, however. How is
that, Jack? H'm! I know. He came in after I had started to take the
scene."
"That's it, and he kept still because he wanted to hear what you boys
were talking about, and did not wish to be discovered himself. Do you
see him on the smaller print, Billy?"
"Yes, now, but I did not at first. Golly! but you have eyes, Jack! You
saw this on the plate?"
"Yes, and that is why I wished to get the enlargement. Do you recognize
the man, boys?"
"I never saw him," said Percival, "but if that is not the man with the
white mustache and the black eyebrows I am very much mistaken. My! but
how he glares!"
"It is the man with the white mustache," said Jack. "I have reason to
recognize him. That is the bank robber. He is glaring, as you say, Dick.
There was something on his mind. What do you suppose it was?"
"I am sure I don't know. Do you suppose he was afraid we might find his
hiding place. By Jove! we found the burglars' tools, Jack, and now you
have found the burglar himself on Billy's plate."
"Yes, and you said there would not be anything on it," laughed the
good-natured fellow.
"Why, no, Billy, I did not altogether say----"
"No, you didn't say it, but you intimated it just the same. Well, my
pinhole camera has turned out all right, hasn't it?"
"Yes, and I must say that I am surprised."
"The rock fell down shortly after we had gone inside the cave, Billy?"
asked Jack.
"Yes. None of us had any suspicion that such a thing would happen, and
we were very anxious about you. I don't see now why it should have
happened. We have not had any rains to loosen things."
"I will tell you how it happened," said Jack earnestly. "Your man here,
with his fierce eyes, like those of a hunted wild beast, was plotting
our death when he shoved down that boulder, for it was he who shoved it
down I am certain. He probably did not know of the other exit and
imagined that we would be imprisoned with no way of getting out."
"He looks as if he wished you and everybody else dead," said Billy. "He
has a face to make you have bad dreams. Well, we have proved two things
to-day."
"That your pinhole camera is all right," said Percival, "and that this
mysterious man with the white mustache is still in the neighborhood.
H'm! I should think he would avoid it."
"I hoped he might," said Jack musingly. "It is clear enough from this
print that he did not mean any good to you and me, Dick."
"Yes, and as Billy says, his face is one to haunt you. Well, if he is
hanging around these woods we don't care to make any more exploring
trips until we are sure he is out of them. What are you going to do with
the big print, Jack?"
"Keep it if the man makes any more trouble," said Jack shortly. "It will
be of use to detectives in identifying him."
"I suppose I had better not show my print?" said Billy questioningly.
"You would rather I would not? I don't know what you are to this fellow,
Jack, and I don't want to know. You say he is not your father, and that
is enough for me."
"No, he is not," said Jack, "and just now I don't care to say any more
about it. Show your plate if you want to convince the boys that your odd
sort of camera can do something. They may not notice the man on it. They
will probably simply notice the trees and rocks, which are very sharp
and distinct."
"All right," said Billy. "I would like to show it to those wiseacres
just to convince them that the thing was all right, and to get the laugh
on them."
"Revenge is sweet," laughed Percival.
"Of course it is," said Billy, "but I guess we fellows had better get to
bed or the doctor will be giving us fits. Is there time to show this
picture to the fellows?"
"I should think so," replied Jack. "I will keep the enlargement in case
I need it, and I would rather you did not say anything about it to the
boys."
"Of course not!" said Billy promptly.
Billy and Percival now took their leave and Jack put away his developing
outfit, locked the enlargement in his bureau drawer and turned on the
lights and threw aside the curtains, so that any one in any of the other
cottages or in the Academy could see him.
"Still in the neighborhood," he muttered, as he sat by the window and
looked out on the calm Autumn night. "I wish he would leave it. I am not
safe as long as he remains. At any rate, I shall do my duty as I have
always done it, no matter what happens."
An hour later Jack went to bed, and no one who saw him at that time
would have imagined that anything was on his mind, his face was so calm
and tranquil.