THE PROOF ON THE FILM
Enthusiastic over his new idea, Russ gazed triumphantly at Mr. DeVere
and the two girls. They did not seem to comprehend.
"What--what was that you said?" asked Mr. DeVere.
"I said I was going to make a moving picture of that faker," repeated
Russ. "Excuse that word, but it's the only one that fits."
"Yes, he really is a faker and cheat," agreed the actor. "And, Russ,
your idea is most excellent. It will be the best kind of evidence
against the scoundrel, and evidence that can not be controverted."
"That's my idea," went on the young operator. "Some of these accident
fakers are so clever that they fool the doctors."
"Do they really make a business of it?" asked Ruth.
"Indeed they do," Russ answered. "Sometimes a gang of men, who don't
like to work for a living, plan to have a series of accidents. They
decide on who shall be 'hurt,' and where. Then they get their witnesses,
who will testify to anything as long as they get paid for it. They hire
rascally lawyers, too. Sometimes they have fake accidents happen to
their wagons or automobiles instead of themselves. And more than once
conductors or motormen of cars have been in with the rascals."
"It doesn't seem possible!" protested Alice.
"It is though," her father assured her. "I read in a newspaper the other
day how two fakers were found out and arrested. But they had secured a
large sum in damages, so I presume they figured that it paid them. I
knew Dan Merley was an unprincipled man, but I did not believe he was an
accident swindler. But you can stop him, Russ."
"I don't see how you are going to do it," remarked Alice. "I mean, I
don't see that Dan Merley will let you take a moving picture of him, to
show to the court, proving that he is a swindler."
"I don't suppose he would--if he knew it," laughed Russ. "But I don't
propose to let him see me filming him. I've got to do it on the sly,
and it isn't going to be very easy. But I think I can manage it."
"I wish we could help you," said Ruth.
"Perhaps you can," the young moving picture operator answered. "I'll
have to make some plans. But we've got a big day ahead of us to-morrow,
and I can't do it then. I'll have to wait."
"Do you think I had better write to the court, and to the lawyers of the
street car company?" asked Mr. DeVere. "Your plan might fail, Russ."
"Well, of course it might, that's a fact. But there is time enough. I'd
like to try my way first, though, for it would be conclusive proof. If
you sent word to the lawyers, and they sent a witness up here to get his
evidence by eyesight, Merley might hear of it in some way and fool them.
He might pretend to be lame again, if he knew he was being watched.
"Then, too, he could bring his own witnesses to prove that he was lame
and unable to walk. It would be a case of which witnesses the court and
jury would believe.
"But if I get the proof on the film--you can't go back of that. Just
imagine, working a moving picture machine in one of the courts!" and he
laughed at the idea.
"Perhaps you won't have to go to that end," suggested Ruth.
"No, we may be able to give Merley a hint that he had better not keep on
with the suit," Mr. DeVere said. "Well, Russ, I wish you luck."
A little later all the members of the company had heard of Russ's plan
and Mr. Pertell said that as soon as the big drama was finished Russ
could have as much time as he wanted to try and get a moving picture
film of Merley.
"I'll have to go over to that cabin, and sort of size up the situation,"
Russ decided. "I want to get the lay of the land, and pick out the best
spot to plant my camera. I suppose it will have to be behind a clump of
bushes."
"Oh, no! I know the very place for you!" cried Ruth.
"Where?" he asked.
"In the second, or small cabin. You can hide yourself there and focus
your camera through the window. Then you can film him without him seeing
you."
"Good!" cried Russ. "That will be the very thing!"
As Russ had said, the next day was a very busy one for him, and all the
members of the company. Several important scenes in the big drama were
made. A few of them were interiors, in the barn or in the living room
of Elk Lodge, and for this the players were thankful, for the weather
had turned cold, and it was disagreeable outdoors.
Still, some snow scenes were needed, and the work had to go on. Russ had
one of his hands slightly frost-bitten using it without a glove to make
some adjustments to his camera, and the tips of Mr. Sneed's ears were
nipped with the cold.
This happened when the actor was doing a little bit which called for him
to shovel a supposedly lost and frozen person out of a snow bank. Of
course a "dummy" was put under the snow, and the real person, (in this
case Mr. Bunn,) acted up to the time of the snow burial. Then a clever
substitution was made and the film was exposed again. This is often done
to get trick pictures.
Mr. Sneed was shoveling away at the snow bank. His ears had been very
cold, but suddenly seemed to have lost all feeling. He was rather
surprised, then, when the act was over, to have Mr. Switzer rush up to
him with a handful of snow and hold some over each ear.
"Here! Quit that! What do you mean?" cried the grouchy actor.
"I got to do it alretty yet!" exclaimed the German.
"Quit it! Stop it!"
"No, I stops not until I haf der cold drawed out of your ears. They are
frosted, mine dear chap, und dis is der only vay to make dem proper. I
know, I have been in der Far North."
"That's right--it's the best way. Hold snow on your frosted ears or
nose, whatever it happens to be," declared Mr. Pertell. "You can thank
Mr. Switzer for saving you a lot of trouble, Mr. Sneed."
"Humph! It's a funny thing to be thankful for--because someone washes
your face with snow," declared the grouchy actor.
It was two days later before Russ had time to carry out his plan of
"filming the faker," as he referred to it. Then he and Paul, with Ruth
and Alice, went to the two cabins. Russ took along a special moving
picture camera made for fast work, and one with a lens that admitted of
a long focus.
"For Merley may not come very near the small cabin," the young moving
picture operator said. "I may have to get him a long way off. But I
don't want to miss him."
When the four were in the vicinity of the place they proceeded
cautiously, for they did not want to expose themselves. From a screen of
bushes Russ took an observation, and announced that the coast was clear.
"We'll slip into the cabin, and stay there as long as we can," Russ
said, and they ran across an open space. As far as they could tell they
were not observed.
Two hours passed, and Russ was beginning to be afraid his plan would be
a failure, for that day at least.
"But I'll come back again to-morrow, and the next day--until I film that
faker!" he exclaimed. "I'm going to expose him!"
"Look!" exclaimed Paul, who was standing near a window. "There are two
men over near that other cabin. Is one of them Merley?"
Russ and Alice reached the window at the same time.
"There he is!" Alice cried.
"And walking as well as any man," Russ exclaimed. "Here's where I get
him!"
The moving picture camera was brought to the casement, and a moment
later Russ began clicking away at it. He had it focused on Merley who,
with Fripp, was walking about the other cabin. Merley walked without the
suspicion of a limp, and a little later he took a shovel, and began
clearing snow away from some of the walks.
"Good!" cried Russ. "Better and better! If he can do such strenuous work
as that he isn't hurt. This cooks your goose, Dan Merley!"
He continued to grind away, getting the proof of the fellow's
criminality on the sensitive film.
"Oh, they're coming over this way!" exclaimed Ruth. "What shall we do?"
"Nothing," declared Russ, calmly. "The nearer he comes the better
pictures I can get. Don't be afraid. Paul and I are here."
Merley had indeed started toward the smaller cabin. He was walking
rapidly and well, and Russ got some excellent pictures. Then Fripp, who
remained at the larger cabin, called to his companion, who turned back
for some reason.
"Good!" cried Russ. "I've got him going and coming! Oh, this will be
great!"
He continued to grind away at the film, and soon had sufficient
pictures.
"But how are we going to get away without them seeing us?" asked Alice.
"We can wait until dark," Russ said.
But there was no need. A little later the two men went into the large
cabin, and presently came out with their guns. There was no sign of
Jagle. But Merley and Fripp started for the woods, and as soon as they
were out of sight the four emerged from the small cabin, Russ carrying
his camera that now contained the proof on the film. They hurried back
to Elk Lodge.