THE LOST FILMS--CONCLUSION
It was not the easiest thing in the world to handle and turn over the
heavy bodies of the Germans as they took off their clothes, and the
dense darkness added to the difficulty, but it was accomplished at last.
The boys handled the garments with distaste. They had learned to
associate their wearers with the countless atrocities that the Germans
had committed and it went against the grain to put on those hated
uniforms.
“It sure comes hard to put on these things,” growled Joe, as he
struggled into the lieutenant’s uniform which proved a tight fit.
“I know just how you feel,” said Blake. “But this is a matter of life
or death and we can’t be squeamish. Hustle now, for every minute is
worth gold.”
Their prisoners, under the rough handling that they had undergone,
began to show signs of returning consciousness and moaned and moved
about restlessly.
“A little more of that chloroform,” counseled Blake. “We can’t afford
to let them wake up yet. Just let’s get these uniforms buttoned up and
then we’ll tie their hands and feet and gag them. Then it won’t matter
how soon they wake up, if we make a good job of it.”
“We’re letting them off easy at that,” said Joe. “I know mighty well
what the Germans would do to us if they had us in the same fix. A
couple of bullets from that automatic and it would be all over with us.
They go on the principle that a dead man tells no tales.”
“That’s not only their principle but their practice,” replied Blake.
“But it isn’t in the American blood to kill an unarmed and helpless
man. I sure would like, though, to take these fellows in as prisoners.
We might be able then to get out of them what they have done with our
films.”
“Nothing doing,” said Joe. “We’ll have all we can do to get back
ourselves, let alone lugging these Heinies along as captives. And as
for their telling us anything about the films, get that out of your
mind. You know how stubborn Petz was, even when we held the revolver to
his head. I’m afraid we’ll never see those films again.”
By this time they were fully dressed and they set about securing their
prisoners. They tied their hands and feet so securely that they felt
sure they could not get free from the bonds.
“A magician would find his work cut out for him to wriggle out of these
knots,” remarked Joe with satisfaction, when they had finished. “And
now for the gags.”
“We’d better leave that till the last minute,” said Blake with some
hesitation. “They’re finding it hard to breathe now and I don’t want to
choke them to death. But we’ll make the gags and have them ready. In
the meantime, we’ll hunt through this wagon and see if we can rustle
some grub. We’re likely enough to need some before we get back to our
lines. And hand me that rug there under the seat. I’ll throw it over
these fellows to make up for their lack of clothes.”
Joe climbed into the wagon and pulled out the rug which he threw out to
his comrade. Then he felt around under the seats.
“Any grub?” questioned Blake.
“Don’t know yet,” replied Joe. “There seem to be some boxes here----
Jumping Jehoshaphat!” he cried, his voice rising to a shout. “It’s the
films, Blake! The films!”
“What?” cried Blake, his voice trembling with excitement.
“It’s the films!” repeated Joe in a slightly lower tone, caution
coming to his aid to restrain his jubilation. “I can tell by the feel
of the boxes, the weight, the size, everything! We’ve got them, Blake,
we’ve got them! Jump in and handle them yourself.”
Blake Stewart was at his chum’s side in an instant, and his sense of
touch told him at once that Joe was right.
“Both lots of them!” he exulted. “Those of the battle and those taken
from the airplane! Petz had them both! Say, he must be the one that
specially handles those things and everything that is captured goes to
him. Say, Joe, old boy, maybe we aren’t in luck!”
The two boys fairly hugged each other in their delight.
“But don’t let’s forget our prisoners!” suddenly exclaimed Blake, when
their first excitement had spent itself.
They jumped down, and they found that they were none too soon, for
Captain Petz had come from under the influence of the drug and was
trying to rise to his feet. His companion, too, the lieutenant, was
evidently awakening. There was need for quick action.
The boys easily forced the Germans down again, and adjusted the gags so
that they could not make a sound. Then they got the precious films and
were starting to leave the woods when a sudden uproar arose not far
down the road. There was the sharp crack of rifles and the rattle of
machine guns. Then, after a while, the noise seemed to come nearer and
nearer.
“They’re fighting!” cried Blake. “We must be a good deal closer to the
battle lines than ever we thought.”
“It’s a night attack!” fairly shouted Joe. “And our boys are driving
the Huns back, for the noise is coming closer! Hurry, Blake, hurry!
Let’s get close to them and we’ll be able to slip across and join our
boys.”
Blake complied. But they had not gone far before they met a company of
Germans coming back over the road in retreat, while behind them came
with a rush part of an American regiment, and in the flashes from the
rifles the boys saw the glorious uniforms that they loved.
With a welcoming shout the moving picture boys rushed toward them,
forgetting for a moment the clothing that they wore. But they were
quickly brought up standing, when one of the Americans leveled a rifle
at them and cried to them to surrender.
Up went their hands.
“_Kamerad!_” they shouted.
“Lucky you said that quick,” growled the soldier, and he motioned to
Blake Stewart and Joe Duncan to walk before him.
Just at that moment, a star shell arose and in its radiance the moving
picture boys recognized Tom Wentworth.
“Hello Tom!” said Blake, restraining his impulse to laugh.
Tom Wentworth’s face was the very picture of amazement.
“The movie boys!” he exclaimed joyously. “We all thought you were
killed or in a German prison. And here I was nearly putting a brace of
bullets in you. But how did you manage to get those uniforms?”
In a few words Blake, with many interruptions by Joe, explained the
situation.
“Well, maybe everyone won’t be glad to see you,” said Wentworth.
“They’ll fairly wring your hands off. That pal of yours has been
grieving himself to death. And here I was patting myself on the back,
thinking I had captured two German officers all by my lonesome,” he
added, with a happy grin. “But I’m gladder to have you fellows back
than I would be to capture and march into headquarters the whole German
army.”
“Well, you can have your officers all the same, though there won’t
be much glory in it,” laughed Blake, as he gave Wentworth directions
for finding the Germans in the woods, where he and Joe had left them
gagged and bound.
The attack had been on a limited scale, but had resulted in a brilliant
success, and many more prisoners than Captain Petz and his comrade were
taken back by the victorious American troops.
Wentworth had not exaggerated the welcome waiting for the boys.
Macaroni went almost crazy with delight. Mr. Hadley and the men of the
picture company mauled and pounded them until they were sore, and the
girls cried with relief and pleasure. Even C. C., for once, was all
smiles, though he could not forbear remarking that influenza was raging
in the German army and that he thought the boys would get it from the
uniforms they were wearing.
Their commander, too, was more than cordial, and everywhere they went
they met with congratulations from the soldier boys, with whom they
were great favorites.
And to their great delight, the films, which they had feared might
have been light-struck or had sustained some other damage in their
wanderings, proved to be in perfect condition and developed wonderfully.
The moving picture boys were dead tired but unspeakably happy when at
last they were in their old familiar quarters and prepared to retire
for the night. “I guess we can call it a day,” remarked Joe. “Glad to,”
responded Blake.
And now the World War is a thing of the past and many of those who were
Uncle Sam’s bitterest enemies are his warmest friends.
The Movie Boys were glad to do their duty even under fire, but they
were likewise glad when the time came to go home. And how glad they
were to see their native land again and meet a host of old friends!
And among those friends were three boys new to these pages, Frank
Durham, Randy Powell and Pep Smith. These three were in the movie
game also, but in a different way. They were running a motion picture
theatre, and what stirring times they had doing this will be told in
another volume, called “The Movie Boys’ First Showhouse”; or “Fighting
for a Foothold in Fairlands.”
And now, for the time being, let us take leave of Joe and Blake,
wishing them well.
THE END
The Movie Boys Series
_By_ VICTOR APPLETON
THE MOVIE BOYS ON CALL,
or Filming the Perils of A Great City. _Published January 2, 1926_
THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE WILD WEST,
or Stirring Days Among the Cowboys and Indians.
_Published January 28, 1926_
THE MOVIE BOYS AND THE WRECKERS,
or Facing the Perils of the Deep. _Published February 28, 1926_
THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE JUNGLE,
or Lively Times Among the Wild Beasts. _Published March 28, 1926_
THE MOVIE BOYS IN EARTHQUAKE LAND,
or Filming Pictures and Strange Perils. _Published April 28, 1926_
THE MOVIE BOYS AND THE FLOOD,
or Perilous Days on the Mighty Mississippi. _Published May 28, 1926_
THE MOVIE BOYS IN PERIL,
or Strenuous Days Along the Panama Canal. _Published June 28, 1926_
THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER THE SEA,
or The Treasure of the Lost Ship. _Published July 28, 1926_
THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER FIRE,
or The Search for the Stolen Film. _Published August 28, 1926_
THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER UNCLE SAM,
or Taking Pictures for the Army. _Published September 28, 1926_
THE MOVIE BOYS’ FIRST SHOWHOUSE,
or Fighting for a Foothold in Fairlands. _Published October 28, 1926_
THE MOVIE BOYS AT SEASIDE PARK,
or The Rival Photo Houses of the Boardwalk.
_Published November 28, 1926_
THE MOVIE BOYS ON BROADWAY,
or The Mystery of the Missing Cash Box. _Published December 28, 1926_
THE MOVIE BOYS’ OUTDOOR EXHIBITION,
or the Film that Solved the Mystery. _Published January 28, 1927_
THE MOVIE BOYS’ NEW IDEA,
or Getting the Best of Their Enemies. _Published February 28, 1927_
THE MOVIE BOYS AT THE BIG FAIR,
or The Greatest Film Ever Exhibited. _Published March 28, 1927_
THE MOVIE BOYS’ WAR SPECTACLE,
or The Film that Won the Prize. _Published April 28, 1927_
Garden City Publishing Co., _Inc._
Garden City New York
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.
Perceived typographical errors have been corrected.
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.
Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.
The original text did not contain a Table of Contents; one has been
created by the transcriber for this eBook.