DONE WITH A CLICK
“What’s the matter, fellows?” propounded Randy, as he noticed Pep
arising to his feet and, also, the evident perturbation of Vic.
Pep gave him a nudge and a look which told his quick-witted comrade
that something was up. The trio crowded past the others in the seat
and started for the door. Pep shot a glance backward. He caught sight
of the man who had sat directly behind them and whom they had every
reason to believe was a spy on their movements, staring after them in a
wondering and undecided manner.
Pep led the way to the sidewalk, out of the way of passing pedestrians
and possible watchers from the playhouse.
“Now then, Vic,” he challenged--“what’s new and strange?”
“That film!” gulped Vic, his face pale and his frame in a quiver of
excitement.
“You mean that camel reel?” inquired Pep.
“Just that. Say, I thought I’d holler right out! That camel was mine!”
“You mean to say it is a picture of one of your stolen camels,” asked
Pep.
“Sure--don’t I tell you so?” retorted Vic. “Why, I’d know him anywhere.”
“Camels are a good deal alike--” began Randy, but Vic interrupted him
with the words:
“That’s so, but there’s only one marked as he is marked.”
“Marked--how do you mean?” questioned Pep, tremendously worked up now.
“On his right forefoot,” explained Vic. “Bolivar is branded there,
plain as day. It’s what they call a monogram. This one is ‘G. B.,’ the
initials of my uncle’s name. Bill told me about it--Bill Purvis, you
know?”
“Yes,” nodded Pep assentingly.
“That’s the clew we gave the people down at Wardham who went hunting
for the camels when they were stolen. It’s in the picture, too--that
mark.”
“What picture?” demanded Randy.
“Oh, didn’t I ever show it to you--the one Bill gave me? Here, get
nearer to the electric light--see?” and Vic drew from his pocket a fair
sized card photograph.
At this both Pep and Randy gazed closely. Sure enough, as Vic had
told, on the right forefoot of the leading animal pictured the mark Vic
had described was clearly to be seen.
“I didn’t notice that mark on the camel in the film,” said Pep, “but of
course I wasn’t looking for it. There’s something to this, Vic, sure.”
Pep was always ready to jump at a speedy conclusion, especially if
something new and exciting was involved in the subject in hand. He
pushed his cap back in his impulsive way, as if here was a new mystery
to solve.
“It looks as if that camel in the film was yours,” said Randy. “If
that’s so----”
“It is so,” declared Vic confidently. “That being true, you can see
what it means. That camel is alive, and he’s being used as an actor, or
a model, or whatever you call it--”
“In motion picture scenarios!” burst out Pep, seeing the light in a
flash. “You’ve hit it. Just that.”
“Well, well, isn’t it strange to get a trace of the camel this way
now?” cried Randy. “All you’ve got to do is to find out where these
New Idea people get their films, and you’ve got the starting point to
running down the whole four camels.”
“Hold on,” directed Pep at once. “Maybe that isn’t so easy. Say,
there’s some thinking to do here,” and his brow wrinkled in a
dreadfully wise way. He wriggled about as if his mind was acting at
lightning speed. “If anybody but this especial New Idea crowd was
running those films, I’d say you could get on the track of the people
who made that film right away. Where that rascal Slavin has a hand
in anything, though, look out, I say. Didn’t you tell me, Vic, that
you heard Slavin say something about the poor stock films in the
educational line?”
“Yes, I did,” assented Vic, “and that they must get some special
features to keep up with the procession.”
“Then you just make up your mind that this is one of them, and I’ll
bet that it doesn’t come from any of the regular exchanges,” declared
Pep. “A real live camel isn’t so common. A real clever scenario man
with a central feature like that could keep on getting out a whole
lot of real taking stuff. Slavin would steal a whole menagerie if he
had the chance. I can’t see how he might have come across your camel.
Maybe he didn’t. A bad crowd did, though, of course, or they wouldn’t
have stolen him. It’s just such people Slavin trains with. You can
figure it out your own way,” concluded Pep sapiently, “but Slavin is
clever enough to hide his evil work, if he really has any hand in this
business, and you’re not going to catch him napping.”
“I think as Pep does, Vic,” put in Randy. “Some pirate movies have
got hold of your camel. They’re a kind decent folks in the line
won’t usually trade with. Slavin would. He must know the whole four
camels are being hunted and that they might be traced down by someone
interested accidentally seeing that film, so he has probably fixed it
so the crowd using the camel can’t be easily traced.”
“I’ve got it!” exclaimed Pep, suddenly. “I’ve thought it all out! Say,
fellows, you wait here till I come back; will you? I’ll be gone only a
few minutes. Come farther away from here, too.”
“What for?” inquired Vic blankly.
“So if that spy of Slavin gets sight of us, he won’t guess what we’re
plotting and suspect us and head us off.”
“What’s your idea anyway, Pep?” asked the curious Randy.
“I’ll tell you when I get back. It’s only as far as the hotel. I want
to get to the New Idea in time for the second camel film.”
Pep bounded away, leaving his comrades puzzled but hopeful. He was not
gone five minutes and came back with sparkling eyes.
“I’ve got it,” he said, and tapped a side pocket of his coat which
bulged out considerably.
“What have you got, Pep?” asked Randy, straining his eyes to guess
from the object in his pocket its identity and purpose. Pep drew into
view a flat book-shaped case.
“Hello! your camera,” exclaimed Randy.
“That’s it,” nodded Pep. “I am going to take a photo of that camel
film.”
“Why, say, what’s the good?” inquired Vic, “I’ve got a bigger and
better picture of that camel than you can get.”
“It isn’t the camel so much I’m after,” explained Pep.
“What, then?” inquired Vic.
“His surroundings. There may be some figure, or building, or view that
might give a hint as to where the picture was taken. Now, see here, you
two had better go to the hotel. The three of us going back to the New
Idea might excite suspicion. I’ll slip in quietly, watching out for the
fellow who sat behind us there. Leave it to me to get what I’m after.”
“All right,” assented Vic, only somewhat dubiously. “The main thing,
though, is to find out where the film was made. If you’ll let me, I’d
hang around and run up against a couple of the boy ushers there. We
worked together carrying in the chairs, you see. Maybe it’s generally
known around the New Idea where the reels came from.”
“It’s not, that I know,” declared Pep.
“How do you know it, Pep?” asked Randy.
“From the fact that the name of the film maker wasn’t shown in
announcing the reel. It’s an independent, in the first place--under
cover, I’ll wager. Say, fellows, don’t waste my time. Let me try out my
idea. There’ll be plenty to do after that to keep us thinking.”
Rather reluctantly Randy and Vic started in the direction of their
hotel. Pep proceeded straight back to the Slavin playhouse. He knew a
good deal about photo work and he had an excellent small camera. Once
inside he waited in a rear seat until the third film ended. Then, the
dispersing crowd out of the way, he selected a seat near the center
aisle close to the front of the house, securing just the right focus on
the stage.
Pep was so absorbed in his plans that he noticed little of those
around as the first film played on the screen. When the camel film was
announced. His eyes were in full use. Again he noticed that no credit
was given to the maker of the film. What he was looking for was the
introduction of some object, surroundings or person likely to give him
a hint that could be followed down.
Pep kept the camera in his lap ready to raise, focus it and snap it at
the right moment. He had kept it out of view when the lights were on.
All of the time he held the camera in an unobtrusive way. He did not
wish to excite suspicion or even attention.
From all that Pep could judge, the training scene in which half a dozen
characters appeared had been enacted in some kind of an enclosure.
He was disappointed in it. He did not like to let the slides pass
by without catching the faces of the actors, which might count for
something.
“There’s something!” almost aloud in his excitement Pep soliloquized.
A large box had been carried into the scene by two men. It was upside
down, but Pep could make out the words, a name made by a marking brush.
“That is probably an address--maybe a shipment box to the scenario
camp,” mused Pep. “It’s a good time, too, for the actors and the camel
are nearly stationary.”
Pep lifted the camera even with his chest.
Click! the shutter closed back. The operation was over and Pep felt
that he had accomplished something.
Just at that moment a hand shot out at his side. His neighbor, whom he
had not particularly noticed, grasped him suddenly by one wrist.
“Give that up!” he ordered hoarsely, snatching out for the camera,
which Pep instantly thrust behind him.