THE COASTING RACE
"Oh, I'm so frightened!" cried Ruth.
"Don't be alarmed!" Russ called to her, while he continued to grind away
at the camera. "He won't hurt you. This will make a dandy picture! I'm
going to film the deer."
"Oh, but suppose he jabs me with his horns?" wailed Ruth, who was not
quite so alarmed now. "They are terribly sharp."
"Don't worry!" Russ answered. "This is coming out great. The deer was
just the one thing needed to make this film a success."
"Then I won't spoil it by coming in now!" called Paul, who was keeping
out of the focus of the camera by crouching down behind some bushes. He
had heard what Russ said, and had given up his plan of rushing to rescue
Ruth. Evidently there was no need.
The deer, strange to say, did not seem at all alarmed, and stood gazing
at Ruth with great brown eyes. She too, realizing that she was not to
be harmed, acted more naturally now, and with an appreciation of what
was needed to make the film a proper one.
She first "registered" fear, and then delighted surprise, at seeing the
animal.
I might explain that in making moving pictures certain directions are
given to the actors. As they can not depend on speaking words to let the
audiences know what is going on, they must intimate, by appropriate
gesture, or facial expression, the action of the play. This is called
"registering," and when in the directions, or scenario, an actor or
actress is told to "register" fear, surprise, anger, love, jealousy--in
fact any of the emotions--he or she knows what is meant.
In this case Ruth was without specific directions save those called out
by Russ. And often, in an emergency a good moving picture camera
operator can save a film from being spoiled by improvising some "stage
directions," if I may call them such.
"Shall I approach him, Russ?" Ruth asked, as she saw that the deer
showed no intentions of fleeing.
"Yes, if he'll let you. It will make a dandy scene."
"Not too close," cautioned Paul, who was still out of sight behind the
bushes, waiting until he could properly come into the scene. "He might
accidentally hit you with a sweep of his horns."
"I'll be careful," answered Ruth. "I believe the poor thing is hungry."
"If we only had something to feed him!" exclaimed Russ. "That would work
in fine."
"I have some lumps of sugar," said Ruth, speaking with her head turned
aside. The reason for this was that she did not want the movement of her
lips to show on the film, and the camera will catch and fix even that
slight motion.
The reason Ruth spoke aside was because the little scene was being
improvised, and she had no proper lines to speak. And, as I have already
explained, often persons in the audience of a moving picture theatre are
able to understand what is said, merely by watching the lips of the
performers on the screen.
"Sugar! Good!" cried Russ. "See if he'll take it. I don't know what deer
like best, but if they're anything like horses they'll revel in sugar.
Go ahead!"
Ruth had in her pocket some lumps she had intended giving to the horses
attached to the sleds in which they had come to the woods. She now took
out some of these and held them out to the timid deer.
The beautiful creature, made bold, perhaps, by hunger, came a step
nearer.
"Oh, that's fine!" cried Russ, squinting through the focusing tube to
get clear, sharp impressions on the film. "Keep at it, Ruth."
The deer came nearer, thrusting forth its velvet nose. It sniffed at the
sugar Ruth held, and then put out its lips and tongue and picked up the
lumps.
"Fine!" cried Russ. "Maybe he'd like salt better, for I've read of
salt-licks that animals visit, but sugar will do on a pinch; won't it,
old fellow?"
Perhaps it was the loud, laughing voice that Russ used, or it may have
been because there was no more sugar, but, at any rate, the deer, after
taking the sweet lumps gave a sudden turn, and rushed off through the
bushes, going rather slowly because of the deep snow.
Russ caught every motion of the graceful creature, however, and called
out to Ruth to pose with her hand shaded over her eyes, as though she
were looking after the deer. She did this, and that ended the little
scene with the timid woodland creature, who, if he ever saw moving
pictures, would doubtless be very much surprised to perceive a
presentment of himself on the screen.
"Come on now, Paul!" called Russ, indicating to the young actor to show
himself so that he would get into the picture.
The other players who had come up on hearing Ruth call out were now
ready for their parts in the play. They had kept out of sight of the
camera, however, so as not to spoil the picture.
"Very well done!" declared Mr. Pertell, when Ruth had finished her part
in the play. "That deer will make a very effective picture, I think."
"It was a dear deer!" punned Alice, and the others laughed.
On the way back to Elk Lodge the manager made an announcement that
interested all in the company, the young people especially.
"I have a drama," he said, "that calls for a coasting race in one scene.
I wonder if we couldn't do that to-morrow."
"Oh, riding down hill!" cried Alice, with girlish enthusiasm. "What fun!
May I steer a bob?"
"Alice, you never could!" cried Ruth.
"Pooh! I've done it lots of times!" her sister answered.
"Yes, when you were a little girl, perhaps, with two sleds held
together," laughed Mr. Pertell. "This will be different. Mr. Macksey
tells me he has two big, old-fashioned bobsleds in one of the barns.
Now I think we can get up two parties and have a big coasting race. The
play calls for it, and the young men who steer the bobs are rivals for
the hand of the same girl. She has made a condition that whoever gets
first to the bottom of the big hill may marry her. So you see the plan
of the play."
"Me for a bob!" cried Paul.
"I wish I didn't have to film the play--I'd steer one, too!" exclaimed
Russ, with a look at Ruth that made her blush.
"Must I get into this silly coasting play?" asked Mr. Bunn.
"You surely must," answered Mr. Pertell. "And I want to warn you of one
thing--you are not to wear a high hat--it would only blow off and
embarrass you."
"Not wear my high hat? Then I refuse to take part!" cried the tragic
actor.
But Mr. Pertell paid no attention to him, for he had heard the same
thing before.
The details of the coasting race were discussed on the way to Elk Lodge,
and it was arranged that a partial rehearsal should be held next day.
That night, as Alice and Ruth were going to bed rather early, on account
of the wearying work of the day, they heard voices out in the hall near
their room.
"Listen!" warned Alice, raising her finger, for Ruth was talking.
"It's Mr. and Mrs. Macksey," said Ruth.
"I know. But what are they saying? It's something about those strange
hunters who were seen about here once before."
Mr. Macksey, who had been summoned to the upper hall by his wife to fix
a broken window, was speaking in his deep voice.
"So those fellows were around again; eh?" he asked.
"Yes, and I don't like it, Jake," Mrs. Macksey replied. "You know what
it means if they kill any of the club deer. It may cost you your place
here. The members of the club may say you were not careful enough."
"That's so, wife. I reckon I'd better look after those chaps. If they're
trespassing on Elk Lodge I can have them arrested anyhow."
The next day was clear and calm, just right for taking pictures, and
after breakfast the entire company went out on the hill where the
bobsled race was to take place.
The hill had been prepared in advance by men from Elk Lodge, so that the
sleds would attain good speed. The snow had been packed down, and a
place made for Russ to set up his camera.
"Paul, you will steer one bob," said Mr. Pertell, as he was arranging
the affair, "and Mr. Sneed will take the other."
"What, me steer a bobsled down that hill?" cried the grouchy actor, as
he looked at the steep slope.
"Of course," said the manager.
"Something is sure to happen," declared Mr. Sneed.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Mr. Pertell. "All you have to do is to keep the
wheel steady."
The company of players, with a number of men from Elk Lodge, added to
fill the bobs, now divided themselves into two parties. Ruth was to go
on the sled with Mr. Sneed, and sit directly behind him so as to show
well in the camera. Alice was to ride next to Paul on the other sled.
The bobs were long ones, with bells and large steering wheels in front.
"All ready?" called Mr. Pertell, when the players were seated.
"All ready!" cried Russ, indicating that the camera was prepared.
"Go!" ordered the manager, and the men detailed to push the bobs shoved
them ahead. The moving picture coasting race was on.