WHAT APPEARED ON BILLY'S PLATES
The statement of Jim Jenkins that a boy wearing the uniform of the
Hilltop boys had told him and others that the building of the branch
line would injure them had already caused considerable excitement
among the young students, and Jim's second statement to the effect
that the boy had been there that very day only served to increase it.
The doctor did not seem to care about pressing this point, however,
and said somewhat impatiently:
"Well, whoever it was who gave you this information, it was false,
and I will prove to you that we have every authority for going on
with this work and that it will not injure you in the least."
Dr. Wise then produced maps, letters and other documents and proceeded
to enforce his point.
The men seemed little interested, however, and several of them went
away while the doctor was stating his case, the big man at length
saying in a surly tone as he turned away:
"That's all right, go on with yer old road, but I'd just like-----"
and he went away muttering, followed by the greater part of the men
still remaining, some having already left.
"Ha! very strange, quite incomprehensible, yes, yes," said the
doctor. "Well, well! I really can't---well, never mind. Go on
with your work, young gentlemen. I do not think it will again be
interfered with."
Percival had not waited for the word to go ahead, but had already
set up his theodolite while the doctor was explaining matters to
the men, and had taken a number of sights, set his first bench mark
and was getting his boys to work, Jack being ready to follow behind
with his levelers as soon as the work ahead was far enough advanced.
The greater part of the men went away with Calthorpe, but a few of
them remained behind to watch the boys at work, showing considerable
interest.
Percival took his sights, fixed his direction and went ahead rapidly,
setting his stakes and running his line roughly, Jack coming on
later and settling the level.
After supper, when it was quite dark and the boys were sitting around
the camp fires, enjoying the warmth fully as much as the light,
Billy Manners came quietly to Jack, who was sitting with Percival,
the latter playing softly on a guitar, and whispered in his ear:
"Come with me, Jack. I've got something to show you that will give
you a surprise and set you to thinking."
"What is it, Billy?" asked Jack.
"Come and see!" was the mysterious answer, and Jack arose and followed
Billy to a little tent in a bit of thick woods outside the camp.
"What is it, Billy?" asked Jack as Billy opened the flap of his
little tent where the light of a small red lantern shone upon a bench
where there were hard rubber trays, a few big bottles and a pail
of water.
"I have been developing," said Billy. "I can take out the plates
I have already exposed and leave the others in the camera. It's
a magazine, you understand."
"Yes, I know all about them. Well, what are you going to show me?"
"There are developments which we did not expect," laughed Billy.
"Never mind your puns, Billy, but get to business. I know you have
developments, but what are they?"
"Here is one," said the other, holding up a developed plate between
his friend and the light of the ruby lamp. "What do you see on it?"
Jack examined the plate a few moments, and said:
"It is the station in the woods. Some one has just jumped aside. You
can see a bit of a blur on the edge like a man's arm and hand."
"Yes, and what do you see behind where the man was?"
"Two persons talking. Why, one of them is Herring."
"That's all right. Now look at this one," and Billy held up another
plate which was still wet.
Jack took it in his fingers and held it to the light.
"This is in the woods," he said.
"Yes. It was the first one I took when we came up and found that the
men were making trouble for Percival. What do you see on it, Jack?"
"I see some men making a disturbance, gesticulating and talking
excitedly to Dick and his boys."
"Yes, that's all right. What else?"
"Ah, here are two persons, almost out of focus and talking very
interestedly together at one side. They are down in front at one
side and their figures are larger than---why, Billy, they are
Jenkins and Herring."
"Exactly!" said Billy with a deal of satisfaction. "I thought you'd
see them if I said nothing and I'm glad you found them yourself.
I am going to have a print of that plate as soon as it gets dry
enough. I can dry it by a little stove I have and then take a
bromide print of it in soft grays. That will fetch it up all right."
"But, Billy, what are Herring and Jim Jenkins doing together and
what are they so interested about?"
"Didn't Jenkins say that a boy wearing the uniform of the Hilltops
had told him and the rest that running the branch would hurt them?"
"This picture shows that Herring had something to do with Jenkins
and yet everybody supposed he was in Saratoga."
"That's Herring all right and that's Jenkins," said Billy. "I'll
dry the plate and take a print of it. It won't hurt anything
to have a light now as I have no undeveloped plates about."
Billy then raised the red glass of the lantern to the top and
shoved a plain one under it, and then, lighting a little oil stove,
proceeded to carefully dry his plates, presently standing them
up not too near the stove and getting out his printing frames
and a package of photographic paper done up in a thick sheet of
heavy black paper which excluded the light.
The little tent was lined with tar paper which had no glaze and
was of an intense black, expelling all white rays which might
be injurious to his exposed plates, the red rays not doing this.
When his plates were dry Billy put one of them in his frame, which
contained a sheet of plain glass, and slipped one of his sensitized
sheets under it, closing the frame with a cleat under the back.
Passing this in front of the lamp for a few moments, he removed the
paper and placed it in a tray containing a developing fluid, when
at once the print began to show very plain.
When it was dark enough he removed it from the tray and put it in
another which contained a fixing fluid which prevented further
development, and presently washed it thoroughly in clear water.
"What do you think of that?" he asked Jack, with a tone of triumph.
"It is convincing, isn't it?"
"It shows Herring talking to Jenkins, but you cannot tell what he
says," remarked Jack with a smile.
"No, I have not got to taking talking pictures yet," laughed Billy,
"but the very fact that he was with Jenkins at all means something."