een ean set The Movie Boys Under Uncle Sam Taking Pictures for the Army BY VICTOR APPLETON Author of “The Movie Boys in the Jungle,’ “The Movie Boys Under Fire,” “The Movie Boys and the Flood,” ete. GarRDEN CITY New York GARDEN CITY PUBLISHING COMPANY, Inc. 1926 THE FAMOUS MOVIE BOYS. SERIES BY VICTOR APPLETON See back of book for list of titles COPYRIGHT, 1919, 1926, BY GARDEN CITY PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC. 5 THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER UNCLE SAM CHAPTER I DANGEROUS WORK “Tus sure is hot work!” exclaimed Blake Stew- art, as he rose to his feet and brushed off his clothes. “That's what,” agreed his friend and partner, Joe Dunean, who likewise had thrown himself to the ground when a shell had landed and burst within a few yards of him. “I’ve barked my shins so often that I’ll have a case of housemaid’s knee if this keeps up.” “My eardrums got a dose when that last shell ex- ploded,” remarked their lanky understudy and as- sistant, Charlie Anderson. “But we're still alive and kicking and that’s something.” “Especially kicking,” grinned Blake, as he turned once more to the faithful camera with which the group were taking moving pictures of a German bombardment. “Lucky that some of that shrapnel didn’t smash this.” I 2 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS “Tt might be good dope to get into a little safer position,” suggested Joe. ‘Those Huns are switch- ing their fire over this way, and we’ve had more shells drop around here in the last five minutes than we had before all the morning. Let’s shift to that shell hole over to the left.” Blake cast an eye in the direction indicated. | “It might be a little safer,’ he admitted, “but I’m afraid that part of the action would be shut off by that clump of trees. Better stick it out here a little while longer. We haven’t had such a chance for a long time and I hate to lose it.” “All right,’ agreed Joe cheerfully, for, like his partner, he was game, and would have gone through fire and water to get a good picture. “A fellow ought to have as many lives as a cat when he sets out to do this kind of work,” grumbled Charlie. “Quit your grouching,” laughed Blake. “You know you wouldn’t miss this for a farm. Think of the sensation this picture will make when it’s shown. Seme day you'll be sitting in a darkened theater seeing this thing unreeled, and you'll pat yourself on the back and say proudly: ‘I helped to take that picture.’ ” | “Maybe,” assented Charlie grudgingly. “And them again when these are shown, I may be lying in a nice little box six feet under ground.” DANGEROUS WORK 3 “Well, you'll be over all your troubles then,” Blake was beginning to say, when Joe Duncan in- terrupted. “Look at that!’ he cried excitedly. “I could see the shell leaving the gun that time!” “Easy there,’ returned Blake. “Your eyesight isn’t quite as good as all that, Joe. What you saw was the bunch of wadding that followed the shell. The film got it anyway, and it looks enough like a shell to make most people believe it is one. But we'll put the right caption on it, for there isn’t go- ing to be any fake in this series of films. It’s going to be the real thing.” “Right you are,” agreed Joe. “We sure don’t need any faking in pictures like these. All the reels have to do is to tell the story just as it is, and they'll make a tremendous hit.” It was a hot day in early September, and the posi- tion of the sun indicated that it was almost noon. Ordinarily the boys would have had some shelter from the fierce rays that beat down upon them, for they were standing just within the edge of what nature had meant to be a forest, and at this early stage of autumn the trees would have been in full foliage. But it was a forest no longer. Shot and shell had ploughed through it until every vestige of twig and leaf had been torn away. Even the bark had 4 . PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS been stripped from the trunks, and the trees stood there in ghastly whiteness, like so many ghosts watching over a valley of the dead. And there were plenty of dead to watch over, for all that morning there had been fierce fighting and the ground was thickly covered with motionless figures. | The American forces for some days past had been in hot pursuit of the Germans, who were making their way back to the Rhine. But that day the enemy had made a stand and put up a bitter resistance. They had taken up their position at the top of a hill, and there they had planted their artillery, which all the morning had been searching the American lines in a tremendous can- nonade. The Yankee guns had replied with a fire equally intense, and it was this spirited artillery duel that the young moving-picture operators had been fixing on their films. Suddenly there was a lull in the action and the boys looked at each other inquiringly. “Seems to be a slowing down,’ commented Joe. “And about time,’ grunted Charlie. “I didn’t know there were as many shells in the world as they’ve been firing this morning.” “Tt isn’t because they’re out of ammunition, you can bet,”’ remarked Blake. “Not. on our side, any- DANGEROUS WORK fn way. Trust Uncle Sam to keep his boys well sup- plied. We do things in millions in this war.” “Right you are in that!” ejaculated Charlie An- derson vehemently. “Perhaps they've slowed down to cool off the guns,” suggested Joe. “I should think they’d be red hot by this time,” Charlie observed. “And maybe those gunners aren't doing some sweating! They’re stripped to the waist.” “T think the real reason is that there’s something else in the wind,” said Blake. “Perhaps our boys are going to charge. They may figure out that by this time the artillery fire has beaten down the enemy's wires so that our men can go up and clean out the trenches.” “Good guess, old man!” cried Joe, as a long file of khaki-clad soldiers emerged from the American lines and started up the hill. “There they go now. Great! Bully boys! Oh, how I wish I were with them !” “Now the guns are opening up again!” exclaimed Blake. “They’re laying down a barrage in front of the boys.” It was a sight that might well have stirred the pulse of anyone not dead to all emotion. Up the hill, wave upon wave, went the American boys, over the shell-ploughed ground, clambering over 6 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS the trunks of fallen trees, skirting the edge of open craters, sometimes stumbling, but al- ways advancing. Before them went a wall of fire laid down by their own gunners to screen their advance. | But now the enemy’s guns opened up again with redoubled fury. Lanes were made in the charging lines.. Men threw up their hands and fell until the ground was dotted with crumpled figures. Their places were taken at once by others, and the long lines went on and on until they burst like a storm upon the enemy’s trenches at the crest of the hill. Then there was fighting such as the boys had not yet seen in the war. The Germans, forced from their trenches, came out into the open in swarms, and their gray uniforms mingled in a terrific strug- gle with the khaki of the American troops. The — guns stopped, as each side was afraid of firing into its own men. It became a fierce, hand-to-hand con- test. There was little rifle fire also, for the men had resorted to the bayonet, jabbing, hacking, stabbing, at times using the gun butt as well as the point. Against the sky line on the ridge the view from be- low was perfect, and the boys were fairly dancing with excitement as the film clicked off the story of the fight. DANGEROUS WORK 7 “Our fellows will win!’ cried Blake. “The Huns can’t stand before our bayonets. When it comes to hand-to-hand fighting it’s all over with Fritz.” “That's right,” agreed Joe. ‘“‘There’s no one in the world that can stand before our boys at close quarters.” “The Boches are bringing up reinforcements though,” said Charlie anxiously. ‘‘Look at’ that bunch in gray coming down on their flank.” “But there goes a new wave of our fellows up the hill,” put in Joe excitedly. ‘They'll even it up all right.” It was not to be an easy victory, however, for the Germans fought with the fury of desperation. It was a critical point in their line of defence, and they had been ordered to hold it at any cost. Crack troops that had been held in reserve were hurried up to meet the American onslaught. But the Yan- kee boys’ blood was up and they were not to be denied. For half an hour the fight continued, and then a rousing cheer ran along the American lines. The ridge was taken, the trenches were cleared, and the beaten enemy had fallen back to his second line of defense. | “Hurrah!” yelled Blake wildly. “I knew they'd do it.” 8 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS “They’re the stuff!’ shouted Joe. “Oh, boy, how they did put it over them!” “And these are the greenhorns they said were going to break and run as soon as they caught sight of a Prussian uniform,” exulted Charlie. “They run all right,” grinned Blake, “but you'll notice they run toward the Huns instead of away from them. It’s Fritz who’s getting exercise in running toward the Rhine.” ‘We hear a lot of German arms, But, oh, those German legs!” chanted Joe. “There go the guns again!’ exclaimed Blake. Now that the hand-to-hand fighting was over, the - German artillery had again opened up, and a perfect hail of shot and shell tore over the ridge that the Americans had captured and down the slope into the further lines. “Look there!’ exclaimed Joe suddenly, as he pointed to a spot half-way up the hill. The others looked in the direction he indicated and saw a wounded soldier trying to crawl back to- ward them. “Poor fellow,” broke out Charlie sympathetically. “He seems to be pretty badly hurt, and the shells are falling all around him. But the ambulances will be along pretty soon.” DANGEROUS WORK 9 “Ambulances nothing!” cried Blake. ‘Charlie, you stay here and take care of this film. I’m going out to bring that fellow in. What do you say, Joe? Are you game?” “Am 1?” replied Joe. “That’s my middle name. I’m with you, old man. Come along.” A moment later, with their blood on fire, the chums were on their way up that hill of death. CHAPTER If TO THE RESCUE It was a perilous adventure on which the moy-. ing-picture boys had entered. | The German fire had increased in intensity, and now was sweeping the woods with a perfect hail of destruction. Great shells were exploding with thunderous roars, digging deep craters in the ground and sending their missiles of death far and wide. The boys knew that they were taking their lives in their hands by venturing over that ground, but the appeal made to them by that wounded figure was too strong for them to resist. Moving swiftly, yet taking advantage of every shattered stump and protecting rock as they ad- vanced, they soon reached the injured soldier. He saw them coming, and his face lighted up with gratitude as he attempted to smile. “Go back!” he gasped. “I guess they've done for me, but what’s the use of you boys getting killed?” “That’s all right, old fellow,’ answered Blake, 10 SO THE RESCUE II as he deftly slipped his arms around the man’s shoulders. “Here, Joe, you take his feet and we'll try to get him into that nearest shell hole. We can give him first aid there, and every minute counts.” Joe did as his comrade directed, and they hurried the man to a deep crater a little way down the hill. The shell that made it had heaped up the dirt in the direction of the enemy, so that the edge over- hung and formed something like a shallow cave. . Under this projecting edge they laid their bur- den. There they were comparatively safe unless a shell should chance to drop right into the hole it- self. Blake quickly got out the surgical kit he always carried and brought forth a roll of bandage. Joe, in the meantime, had been going over the wounded man with his hands to see how badly he was hurt. A bullet had ploughed through his scalp and blood had flowed freely from the gash, but the boys, who in their various adventures had become fairly ex- pert, recognized that this was not a serious injury. It was only when Joe felt the man’s left leg that he detected at once that it was broken. “That’s where the Huns got me,” groaned the sufferer. “I guess I’ll go on one leg now for the Yest of my life.” “Nothing like that,’ said Blake cheerfully, for to him it seemed like a simple fracture. “You'll be 12 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS trotting around as well as ever in six weeks from now. Hand me some of those pistes of wood over there, Joe, and we'll make a splint.” The bottom of the shell hole was covered ae twigs and branches which had been torn from the near-by trees by the bombardment, and they soon improvised a rough splint, creditable enough for amateurs, that held the broken bone in place. The man’s face went white during the operation. Blake unstrapped his water bottle and. washed out the ragged wound in the scalp. Then he bound — it up with a surgical bandage. “There you are,’ he said briskly, when his task was finished and they had placed the patient in as comfortable a position as the narrow limits of the space permitted. “Now, just as soon as the ambu- lance comes down the line, we'll get you off to ae hospital and they’ll finish the job.” “It must have been mighty tough, dragging that broken leg along,’ said Joe sympathetically. “It wasn’t any fun,” agreed the soldier. “It was all-fired good of you fellows to come after me. An- other shell would likely have got me by this time if you hadn’t. But you boys were taking an awful chance. What regiment do you belong to?” “We just don’t belong,” replied Blake with a smile. “We're doing special work for the War De- partment in taking moving pictures of the fighting. TO THE RESCUE 13 ' My friend here is named Joe Duncan. My name is Blake Stewart.” “And mine is Tom Wentworth,” said _ the wounded man. “So you're the moving-picture boys,’ he continued, his eyes brightening with in- terest. “I’ve heard about you from some of the others. They said you were as plucky as they make ’em, and I’ve found out that’s true.” “Oh, everybody here is taking risks,” said Blake modestly. “Look at yourself, for instance. You got closer to the line of fire than we did.” “Tt was pretty hot,” admitted Wentworth, “‘but I don’t know that it was any worse than it was at » Belleau Wood and Chateau-Thierry.” 5 “Were you there?” asked Joe eagerly, for he al- ways felt a special thrill when he heard the names of those places where the American troops had cov- ered themselves with glory. “Very much there,” replied Wentworth with a faint smile. ‘So much there that I thought Pd always stay there, under the ground if not on top of it.” “That was some scrap!” exclaimed Blake en- thusiastically. “Two green American regiments fighting six crack Prussian divisions and putting it all over them.” “Tt was lively work,” grinned Wentworth. “TI remember when we first went in. We met the 14 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS French coming back and their officers told ours that orders had been given to retreat. ‘Go back,’ they said, ‘the enemy’s too strong.’ Our old colonel looked at them. ‘Go back?’ he blurted out. ‘Thun- der! We've just got here.’ ” The boys laughed. That's real American talk,” chuckled Blake. “American as she is spoke,” added Joe. “You must have got some mighty good pictures this morning,’ went on Wentworth with interest, though a twinge in his broken leg contorted his fea- tures as he spoke. “You bet we did,’ answered Blake enthusiastic- ally. “Wasn't it great the way that bunch of dough- boys went up the hill? Say, we'll have the people holding on to the arms of their seats when they see that film in the States.” “T knew the boys would take that crest if they could only get to the top before the shells swept them away,’ said Wentworth. ‘When it comes to hack and stab, the Heinies aren’t in it with our boys. The cold steel makes them squeal. They’re all right in a crowd, but we've got their goat when it's man to man.” The shelling had died down somewhat whtie they were talking, and Joe, who had thrust his head cautiously above the edge of the crater, gave a sudden exclamation. TO THE RESCUE Is “Hullo!” he cried. “The whole regiment’s on the move! They’re swarming out of the trenches like bees out of a hive. They must have ordered a gen- eral advance.” “We mustn’t miss that!” exclaimed Blake. “We've got to go along with them. But first we'll have to see that this man gets to the hospital.” “Don’t bother about me,” said the wounded sol- dier. “You've done plenty for me as it is. Our ambulances will be along soon and pick me up. You boys just go along.” “Not on your life, we won’t,” replied Blake. “The pictures can wait.” “Here come some stretcher-bearers now,” ob- served Joe. He jumped out of the hole, waving his hands to attract attention. A group of men with er came hurriedly toward him. “Tend a hand here, fellows!’ cried Joe. ‘We've got one of the boys here with a messed-up head and a broken leg.” It was but the work of a moment for willing hands to lift Tom Wentworth out of the hole and arrange him comfortably. “T’ll never forget the way you boys risked your life to save mine,” he said gratefully, as the men grasped the handles of the stretcher and prepared to start off with him. 16 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS “Nothing at all, old man,” answered Blake heart- ily. “All in the day’s work,” smiled Joe. ‘And now for a quick sneak back to the camera,” Blake remarked, when the bearers with their bur- den had gone. “I hope that Charlie has been right on the job. It'll be too bad if he’s missed any of this fighting.” “Let’s hope a bullet hasn’t keeled him over while we've been away,” said Joe with some anxiety. “Nothing like that,” answered Blake, as his quick eye caught sight of their assistant. “But he’s turning the crank with his left hand,” cried Joe in alarm. “I wonder if amything could have happened to his right.” They broke into a run. Charlie saw them coming and a ook of relief came into his eyes. 3 “So you're back again safe and EN ) he cried. “T was afraid that perhaps a shell had dropped into the hole and knocked you out.” “We're all right,” ejaculated Joe. “But how about yourself? Why are yen working left-handed : p ‘Did you get hurt?” For answer, Charlie held up his right hand that was smeared with blood. f “Only a scratch,” he said. ‘A bullet grazed the back of my hand. Didn’t break any bones, but I TO THE RESCUE 17 bled like a stuck pig. Didn’t have time to bind it up or I’d have missed some of the picture, so I just _ kept plugging along with the good old left.” “Give me the crank,” commanded Blake, at the same time taking it from his associate. ‘Joe, bind that hand up for him. Your nerve is all right, Char- lie, but I’d rather lose the picture than have you neglect yourself. How about it, Joe? Is it a bad wound 2?” “No, I guess not,” replied Joe, as he fixed a ban- dage around the injured hand while Charlie invol- untarily winced. “But it must hurt a lot. Charlie will have to be a southpaw for a while, but that’s all?’ “Tm mighty glad it’s no worse,” said Blake in a tone of relief. “I’d have felt partly responsible if it were, since I skipped the job and left it to Charlie.” “Say, it was the best thing you ever did,” broke in Charlie enthusiastically. “I caught the whole ac- tion while you were making your way toward that fellow and believe me it’s some sweet film. It'll make the chills go up and down the people’s spines when they get a squint at it.’ “Well, now let’s be hiking along,” remarked Blake, as Joe completed his work. “The regiment’s on the move and all the rest of the fighting will be done on the other side of the hill. We'll have a splendid view of it there, too, so get a move on.” 18 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS They gathered up the camera and the tripod and hurried along in a line parallel with the advancing troops. The long slope was dotted now with stretcher parties hunting out the wounded, in order that they might be taken to the first-aid dressing stations, which were established in bomb-proof shelters a lit- tle way back of the lines. Prisoners, too, were met coming back in swarms, sullen and dejected for the most part, though on the faces of some there was a look of relief that the ordeal of battle was over. Some of the more slightly wounded had their arms about the necks of their comrades for support as they staggered along. ‘Most of them seemed to be holding onto their trousers with both hands, and Joe remarked on the strangeness of this. “There’s a reason,” grinned Blake. “One of the fellows was telling me about it last night. It seems that when they take a big raft of prisoners like this the first thing they do when they round them up is to cut their suspenders. Then they can’t run away, for their trousers would slip down and trip them up. They’re so busy holding them up that they don’t have time to think of anything else and it only takes a few men to guard them.” “Good idea,” laughed Joe. . “It takes away from their dignity, but it does the trick.” TO THE RESCUE 19 The boys soon reached the top of the hill, and as they surmounted the crest a simultaneous gasp came from all three at the sight that met their eyes. And while they are standing there, with their eyes shining and their hearts beating like trip-hammers, it may be well for the sake of those who have not read the preceding volumes of this series to tell who the boys were, and sketch something of their lives and exploits up to the time this story opens. Blake Stewart and Joe Duncan were bright, stal- wart American youths, whose early years had been spent in the country. They were working on ad- jacent farms when they came in contact with a mov- ing picture company that was staging some film scenes in the vicinity. They became fascinated with the work, for which they seemed to be peculiarly adapted, and the manager of the company, a Mr. Hadley, took a great liking to the boys and gave them a place in his organization. They were quick and ambitious and eager to learn, and it was not long before they developed into skilled operators. Their experiences in New York while they were learning the ins and outs of the business are told in the first volume of the series, entitled: ‘‘The Movie Boys on Call”; or ‘Filming the Perils of a Great City.” Mr. Hadley soon learned that there was no danger so great as to daunt the boys while in pursuit of described in the eighth volume of the series. While they had been having these experiences, th United States had been goaded into war with many because of the intolerable outrages on her zens. Blake and Joe were ardent patriots, and since aay, a Prepostig to visit the b titled: “The Movie Boys Under Fire” zi me ~ Search for the Stolen F Te Ber a cane familiarly as “Mac,” a Hane i his nickname “Macaroni,” because of bee TO THE RESCUE 2r the American army which had started on its victor- ious drive against the Germans. As the boys reached the top of the hill, they saw coming toward them a tremendous mass of gray- clad figures on the double quick. The Germans, desperate at the loss of the hill, had hurried up re- inforcements and organized a fierce counter-attack in the resolve to sweep the Americans from the hill. On came the ranks, wave upon wave, from as far back as the boys could see. “Gee whiz!’ cried Joe. “It looks as though we were going to be attacked by the whole German army !’? “Quick !’ exclaimed Blake. “Set up that tripod and get the machine going. We never had a chance like this, and we may never have it again. Hustle now.” — On came the ranks as relentless as fate. The American guns had been signaled, and they opened up a devastating fire that tore great holes in the close-formed lines. But they closed up at once like water in the wake of a ship and kept coming. The camera now had been set up, and Joe was turning the crank with apparent calm, although he had never been the prey to such #mtense excitement. Then, like a tidal wave, the Germans struck the American lines! The impact was tremendous, but the Americans 22 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS_ were ready for them and the attack beat against granite. Back and forth the lines swayed like two great anacondas in mortal combat. Men went down in heaps and the survivors fought over their bodies. The lines broke up into struggling groups where re- sort was had to the bayonet and gun butt. It was - a battle to the death. The boys had found a position a little to the right of the line, where they commanded a view of the greater part of the fighting, and Blake had just re- lieved Joe at the crank, when suddenly there was a tremendous explosion, the earth beneath them opened, and tons of earth and rock went hurtling toward the sky. A great blackness came down on the moving pic- ‘ture boys like a blow and for a time they knew ne more. CHAPTER III A NARROW ESCAPE How long his unconsciousness lasted Blake never knew. When at last he came to himself, there was a roar- ing in his ears and a shimmer of dancing green lights before his eyes. His brain was reeling and his . head ached horribly. For a few moments he lay perfectly still, trying to figure out where he was and what had happened to him. Gradually he pieced events together. First he remembered that he had been at the foot of the long slope that the Americans had stormed. Then he thought of Wentworth and the broken leg that he had helped to bandage. There his recollection stopped for a time, while his dizzy brain tried to recall the rest that tantalizingly eluded him. “Wentworth, Wentworth,” he kept repeating to himself, fearful that if he lost that clue he could go no further. Then it all came back to him like a flash—the of doom and the end of the world. Ce He tried to rise, but felt as though a ton - were resting on his legs. He felt of his arms and chest, ; and was relieved to find that though they wert bruised and sore no bones seemed to be broken.) ks He raised his voice in a shout, but the sound was s muffled and there was no answering echo. He tried e ‘ again with the same result. Then a great fear came f to him that made the sweat start eee every po re of his body. He was buried alive! blessed light streaming through the wane realized that it was only a hideous dream. But he was not baie now. It was call toc _ vise in what might prove to abe ie tomb. a But it would not do to give way to gloomy inings. While there was life there was. h a mighty effort he took a grip. on himself Q to control his dizzy brain : ‘so that h he could t A NARROW ESCAPE 25 How had this thing come about? Had the ex- plosion of a monster shell dug a crater and engulfed him in the thrown-up earth? Had an ammunition dump blown up? He turned these thoughts over in his mind, only to dismiss them as inadequate. No, it was some- thing far more formidable than either of these that had caused that tremendous upheaval of the earth. Could it have been a mine? This seemed more probable. The Germans might have mined the hill with the idea of blowing it up if the Americans should gain possession of it. But if this was so, why had they waited until their own men were on it, engaged in deadly struggle with the enemy? Still that might have been due to a mistake in the timing. But from these conjectures he brought himself up with a jerk. How this had happened did not after all matter in the least. The dreadful fact was that he was somewhere under ground and face to face with death. His hand came in contact with his water bottle and he was rejoiced to find that it was nearly full. He took a long draught and cooled his hot lips and parched throat. Although his legs were pinioned, he was able to move his arms and body without much difficulty. Loose dirt in plenty was lying on him, but not in a solid mass. Some timbers must have arched over * cleared somewhat, again began. to whirl. who knew at what moment fhe might giv and let tons of earth and rock down ne him sae 7 Toba cy i He held his breath, and his heart almost see ed to. stop beating while he listened. Again the sound came and this time it aia . A gleam of hope shot into Blake’ S tortured Somebody, perhaps, was taking steps towar _ cue. He knew that if Joe and Charlie were : the land of the living they would work their if _ off to get to him. 2 HES His ai were laboring and his iene es U It ui) not be nis a matter of minute at the He half faiste® his sod aes so a his face closer to the earth where what remained was cooler and fresher than jh A NARROW ESCAPE - 27 He had been close to death more than once in his adventurous career, but that had been for the most part in the open where he could fight and have a chance for his life. But to die helpless and alone in this coffin of earth where all he could do was to hope and wait was too horrible for words. He was gasping now, opening his mouth as widely as possible to draw the vitiated air that tasted like copper into his starved lungs. There was a choking feeling in his throat. He felt that consciousness was leaving him and he fought desperately to retain it. Then suddenly a pick was thrust through the roof of his living grave, and there came an inrush of cool, sweet air that Blake drank in with great gulps as though it were so much nectar. He could hear a confused murmur of voices now, growing more and more distinct as the vigorous and repeated strokes of the pick enlarged the hole and light as well as air rushed in. | He thought he could distinguish Joe’s voice, but he was not sure. He tried to shout himself, but it was only after a third effort that he could force his voice to utter a sound. Then a face appeared at the hole. “Hello!” shouted a voice that he now knew was Joe’s. “Is anyone there? Are you there, Blake?’ “T’m here,” Blake managed to get out in little ba) PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BAT Lb more thede whisper. But Joe’s melee ear Tes “Glory hallelujah!” he shouted. “Charlie, come : here, quick! I’ve found him.” : yk hin Then he turned again to the eachane and asked _ anxiously : ees us “Are you hurt, old man?” Ce eh “T guess not,” replied Blake. ‘No bones broken as far as I can find out. Can’t speak for my legs, though, for they’re pinned down by something that ee feels as though it weighs a ton.” “We'll get you out in a jiffy,” cried Joe hae fully, and reinforced by Charlie and a number of soldiers who ran to help, the hole was soon enlarged so that Joe could drop down beside his friend. Great care was necessary to avoid dislodging rocks or timbers that might come crashing down with se- rious results. But at last the work was done, the weight that rested on Blake’s legs was removed, an a score of willing hands were at his service to lift — him out of the hole and lay him on a stretcher that | had been brought. — ane f | ae hank God that you re alive! ‘ad -exclaimet A NARROW ESCAPE 29 They rubbed his legs vigorously until gradually feeling returned to them, and he was able, with their support, to rise to his feet and lean against the side of a gun. “And now tell me about yourselves,” he said to his friends when in answer to their eager questions he had narrated his own experience. “Oh, we had luck,” replied Joe. “We went flying into a heap of bushes and got off with only a few scratches. But the shock made us woozy for a while, and all we could do was to sit looking at each other like a pair of boobs. Then we got to hunting round for you and J tell you what, old boy, we went nearly crazy when we couldn’t see anything of you. We were like a couple of wild men. A bunch of the soldiers helped us dig and, as luck would have it, we hit upon the right place.” “It was bully of you,” said Blake gratefully, “and you sure did come just in the nick of time. I knew you'd be moving heaven and earth to get at me if you could, but, of course, I didn’t know but what you might be in the same fix as I was. How did the whole thing happen, anyway? Was it a mine?” “That’s what,” replied Joe. “The Heinies had mined the hill, but by seme mistake on their part they didn’t set it off as soon as they meant to. The consequence was that they killed more of their own men than they did of ours, though a aie many at our poor ae, wen West, But it didn’t do the Huns any good, for our boys | licked cae vee and Props and ie cane them now.’ “That’s fine and ae ae enctiien Blake, as te looked down the hill where he could see the Germans — in disorderly retreat. “I wish mena chase them of - the map.” ee “They'll chase them back to the Rhine, anyway, before they get through,’ pie Joey do pretty well for a gc we develop the film. I hope that film hasn’ t heir: i ae I’ q ‘hate like oe aes to lose to-day's ae battle at close range.’ “Well, the only way to Aid out is to test it,” Blake. “Let’s get back to headquarters and sie film through its bath and see how it comes out.’ | “Are you sure you’ re rested enough?” asked - golicitously. — “Sure thing,” ~ ic “Tm a 2 Tittle shak: vectied Blake: | TM CRIA ef Pepe : Be es LF cis ti, [4 f Tie we) ’ said Blake, as he “This water’s been stand- Pe t need ; a. an of eee or hesitant se! ‘ ted Blake. “It’s just what the doctor 32 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS ordered. Now we'll give it the fixing bath, wash it off, dry it, and wind it up.” “Well,” observed Joe with a sigh of relief, when everything was done and the precious film safely stowed away, “it’s been a pretty tough day, espe- cially for you, Blake, but we've got something mighty good to show for it. The best film yet taken.” CHAPTER IV DECEIVING THE ENEMY THE moving picture boys slept well that night after the tremendous strain and excitement of the day, and awoke the next morning none the worse for their adventure, except that they were feeling a certain soreness that vanished, however, as the morn- ing progressed. Blake found himself the object of congratulations from many of the officers and men, for the news of his close call had spread rapidly. “You just escaped by the skin of your teeth,” ob- served Lieutenant Baker, a young officer with whom they had struck up a warm friendship. “I sure did,” agreed Blake. “A few minutes more and everything would have been all up with me.” “Well, you were lucky to escape with your life,” said the lieutenant. ‘““That’s more than many of the poor fellows did.” “Yes,” replied Blake regretfully, “Joe was telling 33 NG 34 "PICTURE 1 BOYS on FR i the explosion. But he aa too, ‘that. oe - got it a good deal worse than we did.” — yp “That’s true,’’ confirmed Baker. Te was ¢ of boomerang for the Huns. They slipped ae some way and set the mine offa fev mi one be.”’ ; “It’s getting to be o efiteney, - guess,” ty Joe. “Our boys sure gave pal an awful y lea Bh yh hie | RUE ead good 1 many ies we Sp more. ae re Sid easier to take than to be.” | ee Hae to stop.” “Impossible is right,” | Be | eve Nec them on the run | OW ‘and it’s allt with them. ‘to the aoa DECEIVING THE ENEMY 35 cred Rhine of theirs and then they’il throw up their hands. If they don’t we'll just have to finish up the job and go straight through to Berlin.” “That's just what I’m hoping for,” said Blake grimly. “I don’t want them to quit too soon. That would make it too easy for them. I’d like to see the war pushed on German soil. I want them to taste a little of what they’ve given to France and Belgium. I want them to hear the roar of cannon and the screaming of shells in their own cities and villages. I want to see their roads choked with refugees flee- ing for their lives. Of course, we wouldn’t do to them what they’ve done to the French and Belgians. We simply couldn’t. It isn’t in our nature. We couldn’t stand up old men and little boys and shoot them down. We couldn’t kill helpless women and babies, but I would like to see some of their cities go up in flames and their villages turned into piles of rubbish.” , He stopped, almost breathless with the intensity of his feeling. “Blake is getting eloquent this morning,” laughed Joe. “Ves,” assented the lieutenant with a smile, “but he doesn’t put it a bit too strongly. He’s only say- ing what civilized people all over the world are feel- ing. But-there isn’t a chance of anything of the kind happening. Those fellows bluster a lot, but “ hoa it comes ies a ae oa they’ uit like lot of yellow dogs. They'll make door-mats at themselves before they’ll take a chance of He their IHS and towns Poa | | Did they quit? Nota Hit of it. _ whine or yelp out of them. But the Heinies. < i} quit soon enough when they yi rigs bee kind of a prophet I am.’ | . | me _ “T think you're ig” said the Feutenat, we'll see. j back of the Seen ‘Divisaae “Sure we would,” replied Blake, and. — echoed by the others heartily. | A few minutes’ walk beotigte ee iy DECEIVING THE ENEMY 37 ‘sixty of them, of all calibers from the lighter field- pieces to the heavier monsters of tremendous range and power. “So these are the fellows that were barking at us yesterday,” remarked Blake with exultation in his tones. “Mighty big bunch of them,’ observed Joe. “And look at the way they’re painted,’ said Charlie. | “All the colors of the rainbow. They actually make your eyes ache when you look at them,” added Joe. “But they make your heart glad to count them,” chuckled Blake. “Hard to keep your eyes on ’em long enough to count ’em, though, fixed up like that,’ observed Charlie Anderson. | “What's the idea of all this gaudy stuff?” asked Joe. “We've been keeping the Germans so busy that I shouldn’t think they’d have much time for art.” “That isn’t art,” said the lieutenant dryly. “That's business. It’s camouflage.” “Oh, that’s it!’ exclaimed Blake with interest. “I knew that they camouflaged almost everything else on earth and I knew they camouflage the posi- tion of the guns, but I didn’t know they used it on the guns themselves.” 38 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH { BATTL EFIEL DS ‘ “They don’ t as a rule,” explained the eaten ; i “When they’re holding a position on a certain front - for any length of time, they content themselves with _ , hiding the pins so that the aviators can’t spot them, but since we’ve forced them out into the open they’ve _ had to camouflage the guns themselves. And it — does pretty well as a makeshift, too, for it’s mighty _ hard to locate them, with all these spots and stripes — to deceive the eye. Now, for instance, if this": ‘pointing to one of the big guns near him, “were pet fectly black, you could stand a hundred feet off ce with a rifle and hit it without half trying. It would be no trick at all because it would be a plain target. “a But if you tried to get a bead on this gun now with — ali its colors, it would make your eyes water, and ten to ene you wouldn’t come within several Bite evar bee “Big time stuff,” Pe Bhalces, si) 8) view “Tt certainly is,” acquiesced the lieutenant. “Bat this is nothing to some of the stunts these camou- . flage artists pull off. You moving picture fellows y are no slouches wken it comes to faking things, Pi admit. You can make an audience think that Gt, “That camouflage is a great idea,” said Joe ad- x miringly. BE ict, ee sees a man jump from the ground to the top of the . Woolworth Building. © ‘But if you eon see some: ber DECEIVING THE ENEMY 39 ing camps it would make you sit up and take no- Cee “They'd have to be pretty good if they put any- thing over on us,” said Joe, coming to the defense of his profession. “Tm from Missouri,” remarked Blake. incredu- lously. “You'll have to show me.” “Til show you all right,” laughed Baker. “Tl tell you what I'll do. There’s a camouflage camp of ours only a few miles from here in a village back of the lines. We'll be busy here for the next day or two, consolidating our positions and bringing up our artillery in preparation for another advance. If I can arrange it this afternoon, I’ll get one of the army autos and whirl you fellows over. It’s likely enough there’ll be some orders to be sent over there and I’ll ask.our colonel to let me take them. Would . you like to go?” “What a question,’ laughed Blake Stewart, eager: for the trip. “You don’t have to ask us twice,” grinned Joe. “Don’t leave me behind, Lieutenant Baker,” pleaded Charlie. “All right,’ concluded the lieutenant. “It’s a go then. I think I can arrange it.” His supposition was correct, for shortly after mess he sent an orderly to the boys asking them to come to his quarters. 40 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS They complied promptly and found him sitting in an army auto waiting for them. “Ready, eh?” he greeted them. “Pile in then and we'll break all the speed laws between here and Hoboken.” In a twinkling they were in beside him. He took the wheel, and the big machine at once sprang for- ward. CHAPTER V CHEATING THE EYE “DANDY car you've got there,’ commented Blake, as the big machine purred along with scarcely a jar, yet so swiftly that the miles were fairly eaten up. “Tt runs like a dream,” observed Joe. “It’s a lallapalooza,’’ added Macaroni. “The old girl does move along rather lively,” agreed the lieutenant with a touch of pride in his voice. “Everything that Uncle Sam sends over is mighty good stuff. There’s nothing too good for the army boys.” _ “Maybe the Germans wouldn’t like to get hold of a few of these,” chuckled Blake. “TI hear they’re so short of rubber now that they’ve stopped using tires, and their old machines go clanking along like so much scrap iron over the pavement.” “They'll be short of more things than rubber be- 4l on hs 42 ‘PICTURE Boys ON FRENCH fore we get Heodett with i ay a - tenant. “ty Sel nag “Short of breath if they ee on running as t th have for the last few days,” laughed Blake. . “They'll be good Marathon runners before 0 z | boys finish the job,” grinned Joe. - rote “Look out for that shell hole, Lieutenant Pe tioned Mac. | ‘ meee 1g responded the officer, as fe deft y ee guided his car past the edge of a deep crater in center of the road. “Lucky it’s SN ae instead of night, or we might have had a Batu ne acter. te nN coming to, Lieutenant. Does the road He prauey rane foe think’ rt foe sued carina “In what way?” queried - Blake. ey there does ii seem to be CHEATING THE EVE 43 replied Joe, “and yet there’s a pretty good hreeze blowing down here.” Nearer and nearer the car sped towards the woods. “Look out, Lieutenant,” cried Mac as.he reached forward to clutch the officer’s arm. “You're going to run right into that tree.” Baker paid no attention and a shout of alarm rose from ali three as the machine made straight for a mighty oak. Then suddenly the oak seemed to split apart, two sentries stood one on either side of where the tree had been standing, and, as though by magic, the car elided into a vast rectangular space that the boys saw at once was one of Uncle Sam’s army training camps. They looked at each other sheepishly, while the lieutenant broke into a roar of laughter. “Stung!” exclaimed Blake. “One on us,” admitted Joe. “T sure thought we were goners that time,” mut- tered Mac, a little shamefacedly, yet with unmis- takable relief for escape from what had seemed to be imminent peril. “You movie boys were from Missouri and wanted to be shown,” chaffed the lieutenant good-naturedly. “Well, I’ve shown you, haven’t I?” “We acknowledge the corn,” admitted Blake with. he's ar a gay deceiver.” | Pome es “he; 1's thes corrected the officer. tain. Ne glasses they couldn’t see any one a ie and. the . wouldn't waste any shells on it.” Ray a “And you don’t even have to knock to ae in 4 here,” laughed Blake. “Those sentries seemed O- spring from the ground.” | SOR Sik saw us coming,’ " explained the feutena t | ~~ about them sith interest. : | ae “T see you're protected from the sky, too,” a served Oe as he looked A at great nese of cal vas ‘i Bi ¥ ” murmured Joe Duncan, sym- % ag old brute, Wk in ba great ee ‘Tt was an sett repro- : ba é re i i i ate Dy i x \ * isn the NE aw oe A neee vies a fy 5 # into the air. framework of bamboo. | : ‘See how light it is, ”? said the officer. : + it easily into the air. | | ‘ “That makes it easy to Pe Too) cose Baker. “The camouflage corps can rig up one bf these 1 in a few minutes. then it can be slipped o at at most of what the enemy’s doing or planning: t do. To the Germans it’s only one dead horse | among many, and they don’t tumble to it. “Get. inside, Larkin,” he directed, turning to the young | soldier, “and show us just. how the ie is” worked.” With a grin the man | obeyed, lepine into a large cavity and arranging himself ona upon his side. “Now come around to this side of the horse,” said the lieutenant to the boys. | RTS They did as directed and saw the wicked tobe muzzle of Larkin’s rifle pointed toward them through a hole inthe hide | . hee | fis ‘ i Phere he ts, said Baker 7“ a laugh, he CHEATING THE EYE 47 for business. As snug and comfortable as you please.” “Pretty cramped though,” remarked Blake. “He hasn’t room enough to change his mind.” “No,” admitted the lieutenant, “he hasn’t all the comforts of home, but still he does well enough, and that repeating rifle of his would certainly give the Huns a surprise party if they came prowling around too near. Only the other day, one of our boys in a contraption like this wiped out an entire German patrol of half a dozen men. The Heinies didn’t know where the bullets were coming from. But come along now and we'll see some things these fakirs are doing. “Look at that tree,” he said, after they had walk- ed a little further. “Do you see anything strange about it?’ “T don’t know about trees,” said Blake sus- piciously. “Since you fooled us when you were running into that fake oak tree back there I’ve grown distrustful.” “Oh, this is a real tree,” laughed the lieutenant. “T give you my word for that. _ But look at it close- ly. Anyone in it?” “Not a soul,” declared Joe promptly., “Wouldn't want to bet on it, would you?” asked Baker. , “T wouldn’t bet on anything in this:dump,” said my vo PICTURE p BOYS on v PRENCH sATTL FI Joe emphatically ot wonidate even bet that. nd alive ou MESSE isk “Well,” said the Heutenenk: here G is a man : there ) just as big and tall a man as any of us four, and Ht he isn’t hiding behind the trunk or any branch of it either. You're looking at him right now and ye 3 don’t see him.” : “ a The boys rubbed their eyes and looked more ‘ closely. It was not a ee branched tree, hee them. And Tieucenans Baker had assured hone o h: that the man was not on the ees side of the ice: “Well. Tl prt you out of your Bice fused the lieutenant. Pf astc fine Your eyes on the crue unusual up vetlel gy “Seems to me it’s a little thicker there,” " pro- ~ nounced Blake. “Bulges out a bit,” observed Joe. ed the officer. 3 Bay at between the markings of the tree and the wi the man wore, The tree had gray and white on 1 60) PICTURE BOYS On PRENCH BATTLEP EL tify the enemy. — tion. Even their rifles are striped in Vie same way _ so as to make no contrast against the background of the tree. The men are crack shots and they've saved many a Heinie the trouble of taking the load hike back to the Rhine.” : “Well,” remarked Blake, taking a long ee “this would be no an for a man with delirium tremens.” “Vd be a candidate for a padded cell myself if I e stayed here long enough,” affirmed Joe. — mie “l’m going to hold tight onto my plate at chow | to-night,” said Mac, “or I'll expect to see it vanish — out of my hand. I’ve lost confidence in everything. — Is this solid ground I’m basic on, or is see camouflaged, too?” “We haven’t got quite as far as that yet,” % plied Lieutenant Baker with a laugh. | For the next hour the moving picture boys saun- on tered about the camp, finding new marvels at every _ step. Concrete observation posts that seemed to be _ mere inequalities in the ground, waving ferns eis } grasses from which protruded the muzzles of four- teen-inch guns, innocent-looking roadways that “ really were yawning pits covered lightly with rushes — and sods that gave way at the slightest pressure, — : wooden guns, dummy tanks and a host of other cunning appliances costes to bewilder and my CHEATING THE EVE SI “Well,” said Blake, when at length they had re- luctantly torn themselves away and were seated once more in the army car, “I have a new respect for the art of camouflage. I didn’t dream that they'd carried it to such an extent.” “Yes,” put in Mac, “it isn’t only the doughboys with bullets that are winning this war. The artists, too, are doing their bit in beating the Huns.” “For my part,” said Joe, as the lieutenant threw in the clutch and the car started, “it seems to me like a page from the Arabian Nights. All we need now is a genii coming out of the neck of a bottle and the thing would be complete.” CHAPTER VI DEATH FROM THE SKY A FEw nights later, Blake was aroused from sleep by an unusual commotion. Noise was common enough on that active section of the front, where the artillery seldom ceased its growling even through the night. His first impulse was to turn over and go to sleep again, for he had had an unusually trying day. But there was something insistent, ominous, strange about this tumult that finally forced its way fully into his consciousness. He opened his eyes and looked toward the little window of the room in the cottage where he and his friends were billeted. A red glare streamed through the pane, and he was wide awake at once. Springing from his bed, he rushed to the window and looked out. Flames were leaping high into the air from the direction in which the Red Cross hos- pital lay. Great billows of smoke rose skyward, and as his eyes followed them he saw a descending 52 DEATH FROM THE SKY 53 object which a moment later was followed by a tre- mendous explosion. He rushed to where his friends lay sleeping. “Get up, fellows,” he shouted. “Joe! Charlie! get up, quick!” They sat up in bed, looking at him stupidly, as they rubbed their eyes. “What's the matter?’ mumbled Joe. Blake seized him by the shoulder and gave him a vigorous shake. “Wake up!” he cried. “Come out of your trance! The hospital’s'on fire! The Huns are raid- ing it!” Both Joe and Charlie were awake enough now. They leaped out of bed and tumbled into their clothes. “The hospital!’ exclaimed Joe, as he slipped on his coat. “But that’s marked with the Red Cross and it’s lighted up at night. I don’t see how the Huns could make any mistake about that.”’ | Blake laughed bitterly. “You poor innocent,” he cried. “As if that wasn't simply an invitation to those fellows. ‘There’s nothing sacred to that breed. But hustle now. We may be able to do something to help. And Charlie, you bring the camera along and come after us. I don’t know that we'll have any time to take pictures, but if we do Id like to be able to show the ae of the United States ioe wie kind of people it is that they’re fighting.” 4 ~ The two darted out of the room, leaving Charlie : to follow, and ran as fast as they could in the direc- § tion of the hospital, about half a mile away. a A faint hope still lingered that it might be some — other building. But this was dissipated, as, at a turn of the road, they came in full view of the blaz-_ ing structure. The hospital base consisted of a large number of ir one-story buildings, spread out over a space of sev- eral acres. Some were open-air pavilions where convalescents had their quarters, others were de- signed for serious cases, while those of a central). group were used for surgical operations. Upon the roofs of these had been painted gigantic red crosses, - plainly visible to aviators by day and still more ; visible at night, when brilliantly illuminated. ‘A The night was clear, the stars were out and. a mistake by aviators was absolutely impossible. The Allies had acted on the theory that they - were th dealing with a civilized nation, although every month that the war progressed was teaching them — how utterly they had been mistaken. Pn iM The central building, that of the surgical opera- | tions, was in flames, while some of the other build- fi ings near by had also caught fire. It was les at a j glance that the main, beating was Hoee | DEA TH FROM THE SKY 55 Ee gasp of ies went up from the boys. “There were hundreds of poor wounded fellows in that oe !” panted Joe as he ran. _ “Yes,” gritted Blake through his teeth. “Oh, § hose beasts!” he muttered, as he shook his fist to- g ward the sky. : The whole camp had been roused by this time and _ thousands had rushed to the rescue. So many there were that were eager to help that they would have j Potten in each other’s way, had not the officers Poke command of the situation and drawn a cor- _don around the place, while a sufficient force of men os detailed to do the rescue work. | _ The scene was heart-rending. Men without legs band: arms, utterly helpless, were brought out on - stretchers. Some had been actually on the oper- _ating table when the raid took place, and doctors and Red Cross nurses ran along beside them, trying to ‘staunch the blood from their wounds that had ‘not yet been sewn up. The bombs were still ‘raining down, and even as the boys looked, a bomb te a a exploded in the midst of a party of doctors and. nurses, blowimg them and their helpless burdens to Bess _ Joe was white to the lips and Blake was trembling Bide rage and pity. They wanted to rush in and help, but were prevented by the military guards. _ Just then, Blake felt a touch on his arm. He turned and found Chavtic standing panting beside a, an | Y — “T tried to get here sooner,” Charlie oe as. hel laid down the camera and tripod, “but these things: were pretty heavy and you beat me to it.” MD “Quick!” said Blake. “Set it up, Charlie. If we can’t do anything else we can put on record this picture of a hideous way the Germans are cc ing on war.’ ; That's Heth ” said a voice, and they fl looked up. to find Lieutenant Baker close beside them. = “These flames will give you light enough,” said the lieutenant. “Get the whole thing.in your film, the wounded men, the slaughtered agai and nurses, everything.” : The tripod was hastily planted, the camera placed and the film began to register. a The American commanders were not content with merely rescuing the victims of this barbarity. AL lied planes were hastily manned and winged their way upward in pursuit of the raiders. Searchlights. swung great arcs across the sky, seeking out the lore cation of the attacking planes. Anti-aircraft guns" from batteries all over the camp were sending their - missiles upward on the aan of Seance some of : the unseen foes. : 4 WANN Fen a Nea a t rie ae soaring i eohilé the Cee of. their motors and the pelins of their machine pee could be faintly heard from below. ‘ Dik some minutes this continued, and then one ic “When half the fiatiace had been covered, the 7 lot” regained some measure of control and at- tempted to attain a higher altitude. But the plane was too badly crippled and the attempt was useless. came lower and lower in great sweeping spirals, ‘man markings. The crowd scattered to give it space for landing, but the moment it touched the ground they rushed oward it. It wasa German bombing machine and had carried a crew of four men. Two of these had already paid the penalty, having been killed by some the stream of machine-gun bullets rained upon em. The commander and his observer seemed to t hed i in upon them dozen hands reached in and tore them roughly and a shout went up as it was seen that it bore Ger- (i: unwounded, but their faces whitened as the crowd. 38 PICTURE Boys ON FRE! . B Rich them fois) “Kill the beasts!’ Sea Pn) “Put a bullet into them!” are yc) ia. “Throw them into the flames!” _ a “Tear them to pieces!” It would have gone hard with them, but. just at that moment a captain with a detachment of men forced himself through the crowd and took se & sion of the prisoners. The crowd fell back reluctantly, still orrehee ominously, but they were soldiers first of all ee military discipline prevailed. hee Unmeasured relief came int the captives’ eyes, together with something of defiance and arrogance as they saw themselves rescued from the wrath of the throng. | 4 _ The captain looked them over r grimly. From head to foot and foot to head again his eyes traveled with an unutterable contempt that would have blistered anyone susceptible of shame. Even the Huns fid- geted and reddened at last as that relentless Bags bored through them. ie “Why did you ke your bane on this hospital in’t you pee the Red et ee marked plainly ” pursued his interrogator. No? ’ answered the prisoner sullenly. © “Any- ,” he continued, with a flaring up of his habitual way, rrogance, “St had no right to be located so close : +”? wh. ta) Again the captain’s look of biting contempt. _ “I knew you were a brute,” said the captain. ee I know ipa you are a liar, too. Take them if pot is i a sr 4 view. | "The hounds! i be Pica Joe. “They exght eu -: "Tho easy, > muttered Blake. “They ought to bs ade to die by inches.” | : “And ' we treat those fellows as prisoners of war,” d ae bitterly. ‘“They’re simply pirates and itc To bomb a hospital, killing helpless a 7 nded men, women nurses!” he concluded sav- — hey'r re ine the same thing on the sea,’ ” said . = ate oe ec delight i in sinking hos- ; 2 60 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS pital ships. Only the other day, a hundred and twenty-three wounded men strapped to cots were drowned. Think of the Warilda, the Llandovery Castle, the long list of them, all plainly marked and lighted so that their character couldn’t possibly be mistaken.” “They think they’re getting away with it and that when the war is over it will all be forgotten,” said Joe, “but that’s where they make their mistake. The Allies are keeping tab on the men who order these things to be done, and when Germany is beaten to her knees they’re going to demand that these men be given up to be tried and executed if convicted. They'll find that there’s a God in heaven yet.” “Well, let’s hope so,” said Blake. “And if the fellows who engineered this raid are ever hung, I’d give ten years of my life to be able to give the signal.” ) Minar Vil CHARGING WITH THE TANKS “Wat's that you’re fooling with?” asked Blake, as he came one morning shortly afterward to where Joe and Charlie were examining with great curi- osity a weapon that they had picked out from a number that had been captured from the Germans. For answer, Joe turned it in his friend’s direc- tion and the latter jumped hastily aside as he saw a wicked-looking muzzle threatening him. “For the love of Pete! be careful with that thing,” Blake expostulated. “I don’t want any of that ‘didn’t know it was loaded’ business in mine. What name does that murderous thing go by, anyway?” “T don’t wonder it gives you a shock,” laughed Joe, as he obeyed his friend’s injunction. “It’s what they call an anti-tank gun. It’s a new thing the Heinies have conjured up to get the better of the tanks. Come and take'a look at it.” Blake did so. The weapon was after the rifle type, but very much larger and heavier, so much so 61 in fact that it was more ny a man 1 eouts: caste ing handle and had to be operated on a swivel that enabled it to be turned in any direction. _ ak _ “They say it can send a bullet through a tank at ee _ the distance of a mile,” explained Joe. Het “T can readily believe it,” answered Blake. “Gee, ‘it’s more like a piece of artillery than a rifle.” | “l’'d hate to be standing in front of the muzzle when it was fired,” observed Macaroni. hy “The result would be something like that the darky spoke of when he was looking at the death -. chair in a State prison in company with a friend,” __ laughed Blake. ‘The friend looked at the chair and said: | he a ““*Am dat where de prisoner sits?” ey iis y “Tt sho’ am,’ replied the other. BE sc —““An’ den de sain turns on de ’lectricity” mV es.! . | “*“An’ what happens den?’ ‘Ruin,’ replied the other, “jess ruin.’ a The boys laughed. BAW oh: _ “The tanks have sure got the Germans’ goat,’ sf remarked Blake. “Ever since the English started _ using them, the Heinies have been figuring up some way to stop them. First they got up some tanks of _ their own, but they were so big and unwieldy that they didn’t do any good. The British tanks ran ak circles areund them. Then Fritz built inchs: concrete . a "CHARGING WITH THE TANKS 63 flats i in all the ae where he thought the tanks | would be.coming along, but that didn’t bother the tanks at all. They just left the roads and mean- ered through the woods. If a tree was in their way it was so much the worse for the tree. The - tanks ‘didn’t mind a little thing like that. Oh, I tell you, they’re great stuff.” | _ “I don’t wonder the Heinies ran like sheep when Bicy first saw them used,” commented Charlie, “and _Idon’t blame them much either. To be wakened out of your sleep and run out of your tent and then to "see those great monsters coming at you through the “mists would be enough to make any man beat it while the going was good.” a “The old car of Juggernaut wasn’t in it Weare tanks,” observed Joe. _ “By the way,” said Blake, a think we'll ae a chance to see the tanks in action very soon and get | “some great pictures, too.” _ “What makes you think so?” asked ie caren. _ “Well,” said Blake, “you must have noticed what _ a lot of them are gathering on this part of the front. For the last few days I’ve been seeing them where- ever I looked. Then, too, the fellows in charge of them have been working like beavers getting them n shape. And only yesterday I heard some officers te ee about, the strong entrenchments the Germans have oe eueine back of the present lines. So, ae taking everything boeertieel ae Have? a eae ‘that they’re getting ready to send the tanks in advance to clear a way for the artillery.” | | “There’s a big Jumbo of a tank in that little side road,” suggested Joe. “Let’s walk mais that BAe | and take a look at it.” | ie His friends were perfectly willing, and they w were soon standing beside one of the gray monsters that was having some slight repairs done to it by one of its crew. He was a bright, merry-eyed fellow. and was perfectly willing to talk about his eigantic pet, in which he evidently took great pride. _ showed them the machine guns mounted on all ma sides of the tank in Addins to one three-inch field- : piece. ae: “Regular cave you Have in there,” remarked) Blake, as he looked into the yawning: interior. “How big a crew do you carry?? pane ; “From six to eight men besides the operator,” 4 replied the man. ‘Sometimes we have as many a : : aR he bated with a shade of sadness in his tome “B the Heinies lost a ce caret more,” he — . DrSAieens up. Be | ‘rier pigeons,” Pinevercd Me man. — iy tn eee oS arrier pigeons!” echoed Joe in surprise. : “What | use do you find for then! in a tank?” “Lots,” was the answer. “Once in a while we t stuck in the mire or in a trench and at times we t upset. Then we’ve got to have other tanks come help us out of the fix. Perhaps the Boches are all around us and we'd sure get potted if one of ees out. In such a case, we send one of the $ too late. But the mice detect it instantly and a to. ea Then we uit on our masks in a Aes PICTURE : BOYS ON FRENCH B Tf one of the pipes springs a ‘eat the a mice ce give: warning and the crew gets busy right away.” “Well,” said Joe, “Pm learning a lot about this. war that I never knew before.” “We were just saying a little while ago that it looked as though the tanks were going into action soon,” remarked Blake. “What about it?” | The man looked mysterious. “It’s against orders for me to say anything,” he: replied, “but I shouldn’t be surprised if there would be something doing before long. You said you were taking one pictures, didn't you lat “Yes,” said Blake. “Well then, you just get your films ready and stick around,” advised their new acquaintance. _ ‘Two days later, Blake and Joe were summoned to the quarters of their commanding officer, “There’s going to be an advance by our troops to- morrow morning,” he announced. “The tanks are. going ahead of them, and as you haven't had much chance to see them in action it may be a good op- portunity to get some pictures of them for the War aha ay You can make arrangements to be ‘up in the front and close beside them. It will be ticklish and dangerous work, but I’ve learned by this time that that doesn’t worry you much "ov iia ae a “We've been pretty lucky so far, sir,” “answered Blake, “and I ae our luck will Scan 2 A nae ‘CHARGI! ¢ wire THE TANKS (03408 Gly Me to Bae) 2s , Dante . ext. morning before dawn, they had been A ened their place up in the front ranks. Through = he gloom they could see a multitude of dark shapes : lined up at intervals that they knew were the tanks. — ; E Silence reigned in the ranks of the men who were he a standing i in their trenches awaiting the command to ie go over the top, for it was hoped that-the aftack 7) a" would take the enemy by surprise. i ae i Slowly the darkness grew:less dense as the dawn ak! crept up the sky. Then, at a given signal, the artil- ery opened up with a tremendous roar that shook the earth, a barrage of fire was laid down and the ponderous tanks plunged forward. On they went, ., followed -by the men who scrambled. out of the | _ trenches. On, still on, gathering momentum as they went, until with a terrific grinding and crashing hey struck the barbed-wire entanglements of the Via a; ‘or the enemy was Bina: now, and a storm of shoe ag shell tore its way as the American ranks. ea "PICTURE BOYS on PRENCH BA TTLEFIELDS Run Pit) RUA Pe ek shy wate Bae it was oie Basher Seer meee ad they 3 worked away feverishly. They had had a good view of that first great onset of the tanks crashing — through, but after that the infantry had got in the © way and the tanks were lost sight of. But they — knew that the breaking through was only the first step in the activities of the tanks, and they were desperately anxious to see them in the actual fight ing. “Come along, fellows,” said Blake. “Let’s fous low them up. We've had plenty of pictures of in) fantry actions, but per ¥ s the tanks we want t tos see. Let’s get a move on.” — o | They pickea up the camera and tripod and tok ee lowed in the wake of the charging troops. They stumbled over dead bodies and skirted the edge of — shell holes, while bullets whistled past them and shells exploded so near them as to cover them with | dirt. But they were so on fire with excitement that . they paid no attention to these messengers of — -wounds and death, and in a little while had worked — | their way through the lines to a point HE they ~ could once more have the tanks i in full view. | ny breathlessly, as they dropped o a shell hole. oe offered them some slight 1 measure Poe preteen: ue CHARGING WITH THE TANKS 69 The tanks were dashing here, there and every- where, scattering enemy groups, smashing pill boxes, straddling trenches, which they raked throughout their length with a withering fire from their machine guns, charging batteries whose crews scattered in consternation as the monsters bore down upon the guns. “Quick!” panted Blake in mad excitement, as with trembling fingers they started the film to register- ing. “Don’t let’s lose a bit of this. It’s the greatest chance of our lives. It will make the finest film we've yet secured.” CHAPTER VIII AY CLOSE CALL ‘ LiKe two gigantic cath tee locted EE ee : _ two armies HH from side to bn eth with | e . lied too much on size and they had overdone it. | Ny Pe CLOSEMCALL 8 ar _ “There goes one of ours though!” exclaimed Mac. “See, it’s tumbling into that trench.” “It’s going in of its own accord. It means to clean Bel io aaa ie abe ne ot _ out of it already and running like rabbits.” grimly. “Listen to the rattle of the tank’s machine guns! I have a hunch that Soe is an unhealthy place for Heinies just about now.’ “Let’s creep forward and take a look at it,” said Joe. “What do you say, Blake? Are you game?” “T don’t take a, dare,’ answered Blake. “Sure, Pll go. Mac, you keep at that crank till we get : back. ee Macaroni es See a little under his breath, but _ obeyed, and the moving picture boys, taking advan- Sane en, SO Ree he ae ete eae pees ace Fe ied sins aX eS ey BOR ge = : a ral Siete Te ae the trench which was only a few yards away. ae SS eee Pes ea a) x » ‘ S they saw the tank, having fulfilled its errand, go 4 the slope of the farther side. Right in front of it lay a wounded German ofc whom the boys could see by his uniform was a - major. He saw the tank approaching him and tried —to-crawl out of its way, but was unable to and fell “Tt isn’t falling in, you boob!” exclaimed Joe. out the trench. See, the Germans are scrambling» “They show good judgment,” remarked Blake tage of what shelter they could find, hurried’ toward — , Through the smoke that hung like a cloud over it, : AF ae becay roe 7 PICTURE BOYS ONT FRENCH 1 PTL ue boys were horror-stricken, for they expected to see him crushed to death beneath the tank. But someone in the tank had observed the wound- ed man and the tank suddenly stopped, the door ‘ at the side opened and two men sprang out, lifted up the wounded officer and handed him in. The door closed and the tank resumed its oe climb. ay ~The boys breathed a sigh of relief. ae _“There’s the American of it!” ingens Blake. | “Our boys don’t war against wounded men.” “Yes,” agreed Joe. “Do you think a German a tank commander would have done the same? Pe haps he would, but I wouldn’t bet on it.” ao “T think you’re right,” said Blake. Pe ty let’s get back to Mac.” | Leases J They crept back and reached the crater in com- Lah parative safety, much to the relief of Charlie, who — had faithfully kept the crank turning, whenever a ‘worth-while scene was enacted. And it had not iene . the easiest matter in the world, for it had to be — _ turned at just a certain rate of speed and Mac was ’ - boiling like the others with the excitement of the fighting. . pees - The battle in that part of the field was now neatly over. The first lines had been captured by the Americans and the ous was Pra a: — <——Teee eS caf think we ’d better get on further bean ” judged © Blake, as the tide of battle receded. “We want to. be vision Pint the Reeietis had eee ate a fight Bie and which was advancing i in close ranks for a coun- ter-attack. But the Americans nia not await the shock of | hem < onset. ‘Their bload was up and de started — guess, a Blake, as they hastily ae up'the cam- ‘era. “Those Germans haven't learned their lesson 2 it abd they’re coming after more. ee re a : is for punishment. BAe 5 / Ay r pet ay oes Hebe they’ re Tooking for,” said Joe. ae a focus on the tanks, Mac. There a they go now.’ m3 i They seem to ‘bé on are ctitined Mac i in mn sudden alarm. “Look at the smoke coming from a them.” | a) tS “Fire nothing!’ snorted Blake. “They’re just a throwing out smoke screens. That hides our boys — . : behind them from being seen by the sinha and the Heinie batteries don’t know where to aim.’ bah Great billows-of black smoke were coming from — ae : the tanks as they ploughed their way forward. It — Mg hy! spread out behind them until the whole conta seemed to be enveloped in the gloom of a forest fire. And the illusion was heightened by the a _ of flame that began now to shoot through the smoke — as the machine guns of the tanks again came in ac- _ : tion against the gray-clad ik Sees yin sae were advancing. | a “That means death to the Huns, and it ‘means _ death to the pictures, too,” said Blake, his profes . : sional instinct coming to the fore. a “We can’t see very much through that rote i admitted Joe. “But it means the saving of lots oft _ American lives, and that's S Wana! all the seta in : the world.” ¢ La th bo is you z are,’ Ahgret soe Lae feos Cee ee fee ie ae eZ SD A. aed S af ied ee ea ee ed ee AO A PISS UUM ce MLE RS Seat Alc eur cai Ge BEE wie oa as Ye nts th SER CL Se Ue Ee de oe eR A: lay Oe ra ies ' ’ id 3 ; lad a | i) : soldier where before that time they'd lost thirty- six. There’s many a-bullet rattling against the sides of the tanks that would find a doughboy’s heart if the tank wasn’t there. See the way the boys are following behind the tanks! They’re like so many uits of armor.” : ye “Well, how about the pictures?” put in Charlie. “T might as well stop if we’re going to stay here. ’'m not registering much élse than smoke.” - “On we go then,” said Blake. “Come sone We'll be in Berlin soon if we keep on the move.” _ Once more they moved forward, but now on ae" are ‘ol count of the smoke the going was more difficult ioe than before. ‘There was hardly any breeze stir- Be: ring, and the smoke, instead of drifting away, hung come heavy on the field. Before them they could see a: groups of men engaged in desperate combats, while a the tanks, like great bulls, plunged here and there, ‘their machine guns working rapidly and doing tre- > ae mendous execution. Lee Stumbling along over the shell-torn ground, ‘the = sought a ony where they could command a Hee sudden oath or a German bHeee loomed up before! ; their startled eyes... | Pin Blake looked about him a inieciod” af “Here comes a tank! he yelled. “Let’s run to meet it!” They set off in its direc while bullets feu the pursuing Germans whistled about their ears. The tank was coming toward them as fast as the. ponderous machine could travel, although to the boys it seemed to be crawling. But its bullets were swift, if its pace was comparatively slow, and it. soon opened fire on the boys’ pursuers, who were beginning to waver as they saw the nuees monster bearing down upon them. © one The moving picture boys were almost brenthleae from running, but they just managed to get on the further side of the tank as a volley of Mae rat- : tled against the side of it. | ae “Safe for the time, anyway,’ ’ gasped Blake, as he ~ sank down on the ground, still holding in his arms” the box of precious films that in all the excitement he had not forgotten to bring along. gare ie: ». SNo, we're not!” cried fie) > Here comes a Ger- z man aeroplane with its guns all going like mad. . : They looked in the direction he indicated, and saw a big plane swooping down toward them with sheets t of flame spouting from the four ae ote the new=- Wa eat German Blanes carried. ey But just then the door in the side of the tank opened and a man leaped out, whom, though he was covered with sweat and grime, they recognized as ‘their tank acquaintance of a few days before. _ “Come in,” he cried. “Quick!” _ They needed no urging. They bundled inside in a confused heap and the closing of that door was the sweetest music they had ever heard. ; It was not a comfortable place. They were hor- bi. cramped for room, for almost every foot of Brace was occupied by machinery or the sweating bodies. of the crew, who were busy in controlling the machine and operating the guns. The rattling of “bullets against the metal sides sounded like a boiler factory i in full blast and the lurching of the tank | made them feel seasick. But it meant life and safety and freedom, and no haven of refuge was_ 4 ever more grateful. — be Gradually the tumult grew less, the bullets ceased crashing against the sides and the crew itself de- sisted from firing. The battle was evidently over, “or nearly so. Before long the tank stopped, and the | | 3 door was thrown open, letting in a draught of the cool September air that had never seemed so re- Pechidg The boys piled out, together with the rew, and their relief and delight, can be imagined fe ys as they saw ee Fendly uniforms all around them ands d743 ate . ae COP a but he waved off their shania! with a Sirideal grin. ” “AN in the day’s work,” he remarked, as he. stepped into the tank to drive it back to his quar- ters. “By the way, how do you think the old aie behaved to-day?” | i “Fine and dandy,” bape Blake enthusiastically. “It saved our lives,” declared Joe. | eo ie hat acrenate would have finished us if you hadn’t taken us in,” said Macaroni. “What bat ‘ of that aeroplane, anyway?” “I didn’t see,’ was the reply. “We might | haat) winged it ourselves if it had been flying a Titde: _ lower, but as it was we couldn’t elevate our guns: enough to reach it. Well, so long and good Tuck” “fi and the big tank lumbered away. Many San oo Ee Welve had many a close call,” cared Blake, after they had watched the tank out of sight, “but | if you ask me, the closest of big was the one we had )) to-day.” | TOC ae eh eran! CHAPTER IX _AN EXCITING STRUGGLE 4 On a sunny morning a few days later, Blake and Joe were watching the maneuvers of a small fight- ing plane high aloft in the clear sky. The machine was one of the newest and best of the recently delivered American planes, and great things were expected of it, although the little wasp-like flyers. - Z had had small chance as yet to demonstrate theres: ae with more than ordinary interest, saree the pa hans ou with Ua it mounted and its bac ied Blake iccitjeally. “Td He to see om ow i it would act in a brush with o one of those new fe no PICTURE Bors on W FRENCH Be TTLE Joe with sudden excitement. hook, Blake! isn’t that a Boche plane sneaking out of the cloud?” “Of course it is!” exclaimed Blake, catching his | friend’s excitement. “And he’s going to attack, sure | -as shooting! Just look at that!” and he jumped — from one foot to the other in his agitation. | As the moving picture boys strained their eyes upward in a fascinated gaze, they saw a large Fok- ker aeroplane emerge fully from a fleecy white ‘cloud, in which it had evidently been lurking. It _ appeared to be at a higher altitude than the small — American plane whose pilot was evidently still in | ignorance uf the peril that threatened him. aa In their excitement, the boys forgot the pilot was _ _ far beyond reach of their voices, and they gesticu- lated frantically and shouted words of advice and warning. 3 But now ‘the American seemed to have become — i aware of his danger, for the boys saw him take a sudden swoop and dive and then mount steadily — upward, evidently trying to climb above his enemy, _ and thus be in a superior attacking position. Even at that distance, the boys could faintly hear the 2 ‘ staccato voices of the machine guns of the two aero ‘ planes, as each one endeavored | to put his adversary _ out of the fight. | But the American ne had been conceielle . a canta built to outclimb any other macnn in GRISTEDCEs . and it well repaid the careful thought and skill that had been expended in its make-up. Swift and a straight it flew, pointing its nose almost directly up- _ ward. The German machine was also climbing at : the best speed of which it was capable, but it was _ no match for the American. Soon the boys were convinced that the little machine had gained a su- ee altitude, although they knew that a person on the ground could not judge this with any degree of accuracy. . +om eg iy § va se _ Blake. He’s pointing downward now, and that "means that he’s higher than the Boche and giving A ‘AN EXCITING STRUGGLE histo > “T guess that Ay gnldes boy is all there,” shouted — p Jee, his voice higher than usual. ‘Just look at him, - 3 ‘ ; oh im a dose of machine-gun bullets. Ah-h!” he ended, and stood silent. A thin cloud of dark smoke arose from the Ger- - man aeroplane, was blown aside by the wind, and a then rose again, thick and black this time and shot : ‘through with angry tongues of de -red flame. a _ “He’s afire!’ breathed Blake, ‘and that means ae 5 ia that he’s done for.” _ : ; | Fi Indeed, it seemed that the German mist be» j a doomed as his machine shot earthward, a mass one pa id a BS - smoke and flame ‘Streaming out behind it. But suddenly a black speck was seen to distdoane itself — i Af y a ae e vibes } < a from: the eed peaee machine and throw him- ma with a good deal of a bump and the boys | : aici | “his nerve-shattering sei ihy: nee taken “That’s better than burning to’ dene anyway,” q muttered Blake. “It’s what I would do myself if — a { were caught that way. The poor fellow will be a unconscious, anyway, by the ‘time he touches the a | q | he ey ground and he’ll never know what killed him.” | Even as he spoke, however, a great white cloth swelled suddenly out a few feet above the falling — German’s head, and his descent lost something of its speed. He still descended rapidly, but not with the sickening rush of his former headlong flight. “A parachute!” exclaimed Joe. “He'll save him- self after all.” | | Bee: “Looks that way,” coneatas Blake. “But,” he - ‘continued grimly, “while he’ll probably save his life, - it’s up to us to see that he becomes a guest of Uncle - Sam, even if an unwilling one. I should judge that e he'll land about a quarter of a mile from here, and we want to be Johnny-on-the-spot bana ip comes vi down.” | Poh a Joe needed no argument to convince ‘nie of the: : \ advisability of this, and the two raced off at ia nie speed. The German was very near the ground now — ny ; and they redoubled their efforts, and to such ae purpose that they reached the Boche almost at the instant he struck the ground. He landed — 2h had no trouble in making him a prisoner, as) aM | i all Y “Now, my aviator friend, I guess that draws ay ci stings,” Fematked Blake, YAnd:now, forward’ ae Denae: the victorious American plane had 4 escended and now skimmed along close over their eads. It had been the intention of the airman to em, but he understood their meaning. He did not scend ioe further, but skimmed a ey uke apy he shrugged his shoulders and fll into 0 step with hi - aes captors. 1 “You're right we’re too much for you,’ said Blake, “and it won’t be long before all your pals and your dear old Kaiser will find it Ott, toda ioe _ The Boche scowled darkly but said nothing fur- ther, and the others marched on in silence, the boys’: otha minds still busy with the memory of that wnine > flashing duel in the clouds. 4 “That parachute stunt is pretty good at ‘that, though,” conceded Joe, voicing his thoughts. ee wouldn’ t have given a plugged nickel for the chances of our German friend when T saw that his Plane was on fire.” | ie “Nor I,” agreed his friend. “Buta as it has given Ws the pleasure of his congenial company I’m ee Se) he had it along.” q _ All attempts to overcome the sullen silence of their prisoner proved fruitless, and they reached. | their destination without having had a further word Lp from him. ea 4 M Once at headquarters, ney turned the ferme over to the officers in charge, at the same time giv- ing a brief account of the battle in the air and the circumstances attending the capture. — Tenses “Yes,” said one of the officers when they finished. “Almost all of them on Ly Ow. AN EXCITING STRUGGLE 85 recover the one this fellow had. They’re made of the finest kind of material and there may be some wrinkles about them that our people will like to study.” 3 He thanked the moving picture boys for the serv- ice that they had rendered and turned the prisoner over to guards who led him away. As the boys proceeded slowly to their quarters, they went over again the details of the exciting event in which they had been glad to take part. “Tf we'd only had the camera handy,” remarked Joe regretfully. “Yes,” agreed Blake, “it’s always the biggest fish that gets away. What acrackerjack that film would have been!’ CHAPTER X . CHRISTOPHER CUTLER PIPER TURNS UP “GEE, I’m worn to a rag!’ moaned Charlie, sink- ing to the ground during a lull in the work and mopping his brow. ‘“‘When it comes to actual fight-— ing it’s all right but this steady grind get’s a fel- low’s goat.” “Oh, stop your grouching,” sang out Blake cheer- fully, busying himself with the machine. “Wait till one of those playful little bombs bursts under your nose and scatters its cunning little splinters all over the place. Then you'll have something to worry about.” ‘On the contrary,” retorted Charlie, getting pain- fully to his feet, “it seems to me that under those cir- cumstances nothing would ever worry me more. Hey, look here,’ he added suddenly, pointing to where a small group of persons could be seen ap- proaching. “Isn’t there something familiar about — that whole party, especially the fellow in the — middle?” : | 86 | i “Middle of what?” queried Blake, still busy with his machine and somewhat impatient of the inter- _ “Oh, next week, of course,” Charlie was begin- ning scornfully, when Joe, who had come up behind them unnoticed, broke in with a yell. | _ “Well, if here isn’t the whole moving picture Scowd !’ he shouted joyfully. ‘And in their midst, “the well-beloved face of our old pal, a, OEE het “this j is luck!” “Luck,” repeated Macaroni dolefully, as they went to meet their friends. “Tf ‘you call meeting a wet-blanket like C. C. luck _ “Well, for the love o’ Mike!’ cried C. C. him- “self, catching sight of the boys. ‘What ill—I mean, - good—wind blew you hither?” “After that greeting we know it’s C. C.,” grinned Blake, amid a chorus of greetings and exclamations from Miss Lee, Miss Shay and other members of the moving picture company. After a moment or two more of friendly conversation, they passed on to meet Mr. Hadley, all, that is, except Christopher — Cutler Piper, alias C. C., who lingered to speak to _ the boys. “Going to cheer up the boys in the trenches ?” Joe _ demanded of the gloomy comedian. : “Say,” protested Charlie, “haven't the poor fel- lows enough to stand, what with liquid fire and - poison gas, without teeing Cc Have a heart!” | | b “Even Hun kultur couldn’t think up BA worse | torture than that,” agreed! {Oe, vse . C. C. turned a grieved and Protesting, eye upon them. | \ a 4 “Say, that’s a fine reputation you're giving me,’ the gloomy comedian protested. “Here I come in a spirit of self-sacrifice, to offer my services to the government, only to have my best enie turn upon 4 me like vipers in my bosom re Be “Gee, how does it feel?’ asked Blake in. mock awe, while even:C. C. grudgingly vouchsafed a gloomy grin. | oh: “But seriously,” added Blake, as they funiiet andl made their way slowly toward the deserted picture machine, “what did bring you to this neck of the woods, C. C.? Last I heard of you, you were shor ing off to admiring crowds on Fifth We LEAS “Ah, but duty called,” sighed C. C., “and I left -my homeland for the dangers of the trenches. You surmised correctly, Macaroni—I have come to cheer 7 up our pe mehene men.’ : hae ee Pen pee... interrupted him. “What's your line?’ He oe wath _ “Going to do a ballet, or imitations? at “Worse and worse and more of oe 4 iW HRISTOPHER CUTLER PIPER.) 1 80 af Blake, Bch. “Can't you see it—old C. C. n a spirited imitation of the dying codfish? Going to fet us tn-or it, C, C2’ “Yes, I can just see myself,” enanered Mr. Piper bitterly. “The soldiers appreciate my talents, anyway. I entertained a crowd of them at the Y. M. C. A. last night and you should have heard the applause. Ney, it shook the whole building.” | ~ “Don’t kid yourself, old man,” cried Joe airily, “That was a bomb that shook the building and as for the applause—well, I’ve heard that life in the trenches sometimes affects men that way—shell shock, you know, and such things.” | “All right,” sighed poor C. C. resignedly. “Scoff ae you will—I’m used to it. Only some time when a bomb alights upon my devoted head and there’s a large amount of nothingness left where I once stood, you may be sorry. But never mind, I never “expected to be appreciated.” 4 The comedian wandered off and then the boys lost no time in hunting up the girls who had acted “so. many parts in the dramas the company had re | . “Awfully glad to oe you!” cried Blake. “Best thing ever,” came from Joe. “We're glad, too,” cried the girls. Quite a talk followed. In the midst of this Mr. edie came aes up in ae a ling + way with both hands extended in hearty greeting to the boy 4 They grasped his hands with hearty liking, for thei: _telations with their employer had always been of _ the most cordial kind in the years they had been to gether. a “Well, well,” said Mr. Hadley, neauine upon’ | them both. “Pm cheneee to see you two boys - again and to find that you’re safe and sound, in spite of all you’ve been through.” 3 t “You're no more glad han we are to see » you, 2 replied Blake. “But this is a surprise. We hadn’t — , the least idea that you were coming to this side of | sa tes stne bis pomdsowi > , M “I made up my mind in a hurry,” replied Mr. 4 “ _ Hadley, “and when I had decided, I found that a 4 _--Ietter wouldn’t reach you any sooner than I would | get here myself. So here I am and most of the company with me. Got over without any trouble, 4 though one time we did get a GEOyS ofa perseeune and we had a few anxious minutes.” i‘ i “Did you get all the films we sent you! ” ast ; Blake, with whom the thouert of his Lata vi was y always present. ee ne “Most of them,” replied the protien “thotgt two lots you mentioned in your letters never arrived. ae “a “That s too ea ue Vat tee “How did 5 you like hose you did get?” “They were fine and dandy,” replied Mr. ae ke with enthusiasm. “They made a big hit with the _ public, and they were especially popular with the boys in the training camps. I had a letter from 4 the War Department, and they spoke in the warmest “4 ; way about them. But I mustn’t be giving you boys a swelled head or you'll be striking me for a raise in salary,” he concluded with a laugh. _“What’s the big idea in bringing the company 4 over ?” asked Blake. , ment. ness man, but hang it all! ve got some red blood in my veins just as you young cubs have, and I bring over some of the stars and go through the camps giving entertainments and cheering up the boys. We'll make a tour of the hospitals, 4 e i thought it would be the least that I could do to too. You know the girls and the comedians are 4 not only movie actors, but most of them have been on the regular stage, and they can sing and dance and give skits and imitations. They * : were all agi and Gee to come along to do their . Or cf Mr. Hadley showed a slight trace of embarrass- 4 “Well, ” he said rather hesitatingly, “I’m a busi- : “Ty will io the boys t more € good of ‘med added Blake. uN oh “We'll hope so,” said Mr. Hadley” «qf it does we'll be fully repaid. But now to business,” he con-— tinued, with a return of his usual brisk manner. q “I’ve just had a talk with your captain and he tells — me there’s something brewing. He’s got wind of a coming attack and he thinks it’s going to be a heavy one. It struck me that it will be a dandy — chance to get some very stirring films. Are you ua game?” : “You bet!” they replied in unison, the gleam of anticipation in their eyes. : *You’re like the war horse that sniffs the battle from afar,” laughed their employer. “You've rot q your nerve right with you. And it will take lots of — nerve. It’s one thing to stand up to a party of — -Boches with your bayonet in your hand, but yon fellows may have to stand up to them unarmed. It’s risky work,” he said hesitatingly, “but I know — you fellows won’t back out si uh a “Back out!’ exclaimed ie hotly. “The only thing I want to know is why we're wasting. time ‘ _ standing here.” ae Peay added Blake eagerly, “let? s get at them.” ‘ “AML right,” said Mr. Hadley with an aden : and satisfied glance. “That’s the answer I expected to hear. Now then remember that va re © going > ‘a a STOPHER CUTLER PIPER eon ake t the best, Bite we've had yet. We've gottoget = them, but what’s just as important we’ve got to keep them. Hang on to the films after you get them as though your lives depended on it. The Boches Nee _ would give a lot to get hold of them, but you fellows a are smart enough to double cross them. Go to it, _ boys, and good luck go \.ith you.” With a wave of the hand he left them, and the | - moving picture boys quickly got their equipment = _ ready and reported to their captains who directed = them to that part of the front where the fighting | _ was likely to be hot. Then with hearts aflame they a dropped into the trenches beside the grim fighting te Benet, ayers simply waiting,—waiting for ee Ae moment when their taut muscles would be ree leased, when they would burst in a trained, inspired — flood over the barrier of wood and dirt to meet and Ee the hordes of Huns approaching them. Past these rigid, dust-stained heroes the boys went to a vantage point from which they could take pic- ures of the coming battle. ea 7 Walking, stumbling, half-blinded He the cilakee nee. | from inne shells, half-deafened by the thunder of the guns, the boys hurried on to the appointed — spot. . | ’. Bere, ‘their fingers trembling with excitement, faces burning, eyes glowing, the boys set up the ma- es eres 5 Se ~~ Ss ana ath Si Re oO Bes ear 94 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS chine and made ready for the greatest moment of : their lives. . 4 Mr. Hadley had spoken truly. It was one thing © to await the onslaught of the enemy, bayonet in hand, and quite another to stand there unarmed, calmly taking pictures of the fight when any mo- ment a bursting shell might blow them into eternity. But they had been face to face with death before and had come through alive. Their jaws set hard and they looked calmly straight ahead. If need be they could die like men. CHAPTER XI THE STORM BREAKS “IT WONDER how long they’re going to keep up these fireworks?” Joe shouted close to Blake’s ear. “If one of those shells happens to come our way——" _ “Then there’d be a few less movie operators in the world,” remarked Blake, with an assumption of coolness and indifference that he was quite far from feeling. “YT wonder how the world would get along with- out such experts as we are,” grinned Joe. “Say, I bet the Huns are getting ready to charge,” interrupted Charlie. ‘The bombardment’s slacken- ing up. Listen!” Then suddenly, without warning, the deafening uproar stopped and in its place a silence so intense that the boys could hear the beating of their own hearts. It was the silence that precedes the storm. The 95 a Baniearcineds had we the work @ and no ~ boys waited. Then fiercely across the open space, the gray flood leaped at them. On, on they came, strain no longer. Then—the tension snapped. | demented. . fellows, I wish somebody’d give me a bayonet. I’ve it was up to the infantry to finish it. Hardly daring to breathe, the moving picture : while grim boys in khaki waited, bayonets poised, waited for the word of command that would hurl them, unleashed hounds, into the fray. Down upon them rushed the German hordes until 4 | it seemed that human nature could stand the terrific 4 Up over the sides of the trench, like an avenging fate, swarmed our boys, yelling, shouting, racing, — on, on to meet the helmeted figures in gray, the © fighting blood of their ancestors carrying them in- evitably to victory. a _ “Go it, you fellows, go it!” ” Blake was yelling, be- side himself with fierce joy—all the time ape ally taking pictures. q “They can’t stop you!” Joe was Lalas equally _ “Get to them, give it to ’em, wallop ’ em!” Maca | roni added, almost weeping in his excitement. “Gee, — got to stick one of those fat Heinie’ aR. look at ’em—they’ve got ’em on the run ae “They're doing it! They’re doing it!” "yale Blake. ities re pushing thea back- On Ao Berlin! !” shouted Joe, madly fae the As achine. “Only a few hundred miles, boys, and Pa only Germans to stop you. You can’t miss it——" = F _ “Now look at them,” Blake interrupted. “The = _ Huns are breaking han _ “They’re broke,” agreed Macaroni, ungrammatic- ally but joyfully. “Gee, fellows, these are going to f be some pictures we’re taking re Shee “But we've got to follow ’em up,” Blake inter- Be sited “We can’t let them get away from us, fel- lows. Think of the picture _ “But we don’t want to take any chances with the films we've already got,” cautioned i “Tf we - a should lose them——” a a f ‘va a ~ “Never mind _ that,” Bee ied Blake. “This is . too good a chance to lose. We'll make it a case of | ‘double or quits. We've started this job and let's © he put it through to a finish.” __ Nae a “There’s something in what Joe says,| though,” . put in Macaroni. “There’s no use ee what we've got ade ; But Blake and oe were already out in No Man’s Band and racing’ after the victorious army, aug Macaroni had nothing to do but follow. _ “Gee, I wish they’d leave well ee alone,” he grumbled as he ran. i It 1 was no easy progress that they made over that | ia shell-tortured earth, burdened with if 1 dhe Ome moving-picture varsoheeae and more tt once two of the boys had to stop to rescue a com= _ panion from a mud hole or extricate him from some barbed wire that had fastened upon his uniform. Tt was like the tugging of nameless things and shapes. 5 in a nightmare. But their blood was up and it would have taken much more than things like these “ to divert them from their purpose. oe “Gee, those Germans went fast when they went, had } muttered Joe, as they struggled on foot by foot. cies) by the ee we catch up to them the fun will all be over,” grumbled Macaroni. “And we se have collected a few hundred scratches and several | pounds of mud to wk for it | ee “Oh, brace up,” said Blake cheerily. “There's no use sounding like a funeral when we ought to be hanging out the flags. Gee, just ue till Mec Had- ley sees these films. The finest ever.” “Tf he ever does,’ gloomed Mac. i‘ “Say, what'll we do to it?” queried Joe, ine re- . turning good humor. “If you don’t slip your grouch in about two minutes, Mac, we'll put bene a shell hole and sit on you till you’re dead.” “Gee, I’ve been sat on all my | life and I’m not : yet, t,” grinned Mac. “Go as far a as you se: i THE STORM BREAKS 99 “Say, fellows, it looks to me as though there were a mighty big storm on the way,” he said, glancing up at the sky a little anxiously. “Of course it doesn’t make much difference to us, but I’d like to have these films stowed away in some safe place.” “Yes,” Joe agreed worriedly, “and we don’t seem to be any nearer our destination than when we started. I wish we could make out our position.” “Probably been traveling in circles,’ said Maca- roni, relapsing into his former gloom. “Now, we’re lost and anything may happen to the films before we get back in our lines again. We seem to have got into a blind alley some way. We've lost touch with the rest of the bunch.” For once the moving picture boys failed to rally him upon his gloomy misgivings, for they them- selves were a little uneasy. Evidently they had gone further than they meant and in their struggles with the bad going had gotten away from the direction of the main attack. What if they were really lost and a bad storm threatening? It would be a trying situation, and before they got through they might find that they were inside the German lines. Blake straightened up with sudden decision. “There’s only one thing to do now,” he said. “We've got to find some sort of shelter and wait | es, easy to find our way tothe Allied lines.” Mi _ “Maybe——” Mac was beginning, ahaa Tue in —terrupted him. i “T felt a drop,” he cried. “Whateger we do we ve got to do in a hurry. Forward mare Gs 9 ee —acry of triumph. “Here’s just the place!” ay yelled. “Come on ca fellows—it may not be exactly luxurious, but at Sie | it s dry.” My What he had found seemed to be a deceit joel out almost hidden in the foliage of the surrounding © woods. It was dirty and dark and not very sweet | smelling, but to the boys it seemed a sa haven refuge. patos hs “The storm can’t last; very caer oa Blake they settled themselves to wait with what patienc they could summon. ae at least a Ap nha hold of the films.” 3 aN Cees ing pessimism. “How den we know we haven't 1 wa dered around until we've gotten inside the Germ 4 lines? Then some Heinie comes: snosninn aroul n THE STORM BREAKS 10]; The two boys glared at the despondent Charlie. “I say, Macaroni, old thing,” said Joe, assuming an elaborate drawl. “You might not suppose it, but you are really wearing on my nerves; you act like a second edition of old C. C.” Blake chuckled, and in the darkness Macaroni al- lowed himself a feeble grin. Outside the rain came down in torrents, a slash- ing, drenching, ugly rain that tested their powers of cheerfulness and made sitting still a torture. After a rather long interval of silence, Blake broke out impatiently: “Gee, what an ending to a great fight like that!” “It’s all my fault, too,” he grumbled. “If I hadn’t wanted to follow up the thing and dragged you fel- lows along, we'd be eating chow now—big, juicy mouthfuls of it a “Hey, cut it out, will you?” groaned Joe miser- ably. “It’s like burying a man up to his neck and then putting chicken pie just beyond his reach. Gee, I'll eat those films if we don’t get out of this pretty soon. My, how it pours!” “I’m going to take a look,” added Macaroni, ris- ing groaningly from his cramped position. “This sort of thing can’t keep up forever.” “Tt doesn’t have to,’ put in Joe disconsolately. “They say it only takes four days for a man to die of starvation.” ai Man won't aS quite as ‘ae as” | hah Blake reminded him. “I guess. even Mr. ‘Haley - wouldn’t want us to go that far for the sake of the _ profession. How about it?” This to Charlie as he came slowly back from the dugout entrance. “ag “Not a thing in sight but rain,” he answered dis- mally. “And I’m getting emptier and emptier by the minute. If it wasn’t so black outside ’d make a dive for it and take a chance of being potted full of holes. Anything’ s better than this.” : “You're getting worse than Gr Oe Macaroni,” Joe protested. “You're taking it for granted that we have sallied within the German lines and will get our 9 _ pass to Kingdom Come if we stick our noses into the open. That pute us between the old Nick and -. the deep, deep sea.’ Di casten'! cried Blake suddenly, PH ae to his yy feet. “What's that?” Somewhere, close to them, came the deafening A) report of a cannon. Another and another mae wb he Germans!” cried Blake. a Aes ea rte Nailin | ” gasped Mae | ak “TI guess,” said Joe, slowly and grimly, “there c : : be no doubt but what—we' re in for, it! Po cee CHAPTER XII THE LOST FILMS here was no doubt about it. Charlie had been — ght. They had, indeed, wandered within the enemy - ;and now—they were trapped! Then simultaneously they remembered the pre- iou films and turned to reénter the dugout. They ould make one desperate effort to get themselves the films back to safety. ce ish! Involuntarily they staggered back. Be. ; their horrified eyes the dugout was caving in! _ With a ag they t turned and ran, out into ihe i WSiS _ sterity of heveee pieces of helt tearing up a 2, - ground before them in jagged, uneven rents, bullets fanning their foreheads with a ghostly breeze, never knowing what instant might be their last, they made _ their way—on, on in the direction of the Allied lines" and safety. eae They had covered about half the distance when a party of Huns saw them and vie shouts of delight started in pursuit. ft “Tt’s all up, I guess,’ ‘ene poor Macaroni, ‘as most at the end of his strength. “We might as well _ say—good-bye, fellows 2 “Save your. breath,” Blake sisted cures ‘at the same time slipping an arm through the Se s and dragging him on. “We re not dead EE ie On, on, through more eternities, while their breath came shorter and shorter, hundred pound weights seemed to drag at their limbs and even their splen~ : did courage felt the end was near. | Ais J Then came a sharp cadiamian from Joe andy : 1 ae they turned in time to catch him as he fell. ue “Let me go, fellows!” he cried, his face drawn cS with | eee “Pm done for. Save yoursel , Hurry: hay so oat ie a Fbel: ‘ rasped Blake, gathering al , oo) Saat nce one last, ae effort and ae ; THE LOST FILMS 105 ever his shoulder. “It’s going to hurt you, old man, but it—can’t—he helped. How about it, Mac?” “I’m all right,” panted Charlie, gallantly, finding new strength from the great emergency to fight on. “Come on,—we must be—pretty near fe The nightmare of that struggle! Blake, stagger- ing under his heavy burden, kept from falling again and again by Charlie’s arm—Joe, gritting his teeth to bear the agony in his leg and make no sound— the Germans coming nearer and nearer—almost upon them! “It’s no use,’ groaned Blake at last, the breath coming sobbingly through his teeth. “I—can’t—go on—Mac : Then suddenly Macaroni began yelling like a maniac. “Blake—they’re coming,” he panted, hysterically. “They re coming—the boys—in—kha-ki Three —cheers e Then, with eyes dimmed with exhaustion, Blake saw them, wave after wave of khaki-clad boys, springing from the mist like knights of deliverance. They were saved! Then, in the great reaction that followed, one thought struck Blake like a thunderbolt. They were safe—but the films were gone! “Well, you've done it now,’ commented Mac- -aroni, as, io ave Lee ‘the y “ed division Bie for his casket.” Blake laughed in spite be inte eden “Perhaps it was kind of thoughtless of me,’ Saat admitted. “But if I hadn’t told him, ee | ~ would. Say Mac,” he added, changing the subje Cae ‘we’ve got to ae those films back som way.” i “Pve heard that joke hetare ns responded Chart : crossly. “We've got about as much chance of rounding up those films as we have of capturing the Kaiser single-handed, and you know it. Besides, i they were probably ruined when the dugout “I suppose so,” sighed Blake. had i: ee se . : _ there's ie use crying over sre milk, Boek | only: “Yes, “I know,” Macaroni finished ‘ ee THE LOST FILMS 107° to see, The light was just right—which is nothing short of a miracle—and all that sort of thing. But what's the use of making our young lives miserable over it? Perhaps you remember the little ditty that runs something like this: ‘What can’t be cured, must be borne with’—or words to that effect?” Blake laughed at him and felt better. “You're hopeless, Macaroni,” he summed up. “Anyway, I suppose when all’s said and done, we ought to consider ourselves the most fortunate fellows in the world for getting out of that scrape — with whole necks and enough life left in us to make a mess of.” “You said it,” agreed Charlie with emphasis. “Do you know what I did? Don’t laugh, because it was really a solemn occasion. The first mirror I could get hold of after reaching civilization, I used to scan my classic brow for signs of greying locks. Yes, I knew you’d laugh at me,” he added, sadly, “but such things do happen you know, and that last stretch across No Man’s Land was enough to turn your hair green.” “And you have to hand it to Joe,” added Blake, the light of admiration in his eyes. “We know from the condition his leg was in what he must have suffered, and yet not a word out of him. IL call that nerve!’ “You said it,” commented Chaite” again. “I SA li guess he aun throupn more tha the Ne ment together. Say,” he interrupted himself to a ex : citedly, “didn’t I tell you old C. C. would be right ‘ on the job? Gee, it’s lucky we came, or poor old _ Joe wouldn’t have a chance for his life.” - “Here come the girls, too,” Blake added, as thell two pretty leading girls of the moving picture | | company rounded the corner. “Looks as if Joe 4 were going to have quite a reception.” a “Gee, now I know why he got all shot up,” Mac- | : aroni commented enviously. “It would be almost worth it, having pretty ladies bririging you bouquets and weeping on youn shoulder. Pardon mea mom f “Where are you sons queried Blake, grab ¥ bing him. 5 “Leggo of me,” the Aeolian seat lad patiently shaking off the hand. “I’m going to find | / some accommodating Boche to cut me up. Want ae | come? Then the girls will bring, us flowers too.” — “No, thanks,” grinned Blake. “T’d rather at and let events take their course. They'll tees Me have enough chances before we get through.” “Hello boys!” greeted Miss Shay, as. they came within hailing distance. “I suppose Joe’s the ob- ject of interest with you as well as with us.” — “Lucky dog,” grinned Macaroni. “Some. fe ey can’t help being fort ii are THE LOST FILMS 109 The girls laughed and Miss Lee added suddenly: “And here comes C. C.! Goodness, perhaps we'd better not go up just now. So much attention may make poor Joe worse.” “Please don’t leave us,” Blake implored. “We're counting on you to help keep C. C. in order. If he starts to tell Joe about all the poor doughboys who had to lose their legs for lots less hurts than the one he’s got, why it will be your cue to jump in with a spirited description of the latest dance step. — Don’t you get me?” “Perfectly,” laughed the girl; and a moment later they all entered the hospital together. Something about the smell of drugs and the thought of all the wounded boys who were enduring untold suffering for the sake of their country, sobered the young folks and they entered Joe’s ward in a rather serious frame of mind. But when the nurse led them to the white cot upon which their own particular patient was lying, they made a brave effort to regain their good spirits and greet him cheerfully. In this Joe helped them considerably. He favored them all with a cheerful grin, looking so altogether like himself in spite of all he had been through, that their hearts grew light again and they laughed and chatted with him merrily. me “So you went and made a Hei bt yourse _ Miss Shay, during a lull in the conversation. _ 9 "T wasn’t any: hero,” Joe disclaimed with since: 4 modesty. “I didn’t get my leg shot up on purpose and it was Blake who did all the hard work—and Mac, too, giving se a helping rane If it hadn’ ke been for them ‘ “Nonsense,” broke in Blake cael: ple wa you that had the nerve, beiae lugged se like that 4 with your leg dangling § “That reminds me,” C. C. broke i in Ingubriousy, “of a fellow ‘i “Oh, Joe, have you heard me latest ?”? Miss Sha broke in hastily, while C. C. looked astonished anc _ the others grinned appreciatively. “They say that after the war there’ s going to be a reaction, and? | | ts | “Say, what do you call this, anyway?” interrupte c C. in high dudgeon. “Breaking in on what a _ fellow is saying and never even saying ‘excuse me > his. coat deeve! coothinelne to play the good Samaritan cae ea ©. “And T,broke in, CC. on trig diana N Ra trying to telt about he fellow that had ty 9? THE LOST FILMS TIE “Say, cut it out, will you?” cried Macaroni indig- nantly. “Haven’t you got any sense, C. C.?” “Oh, let him rave,” interrupted Joe good-natur- edly. “The doc said my leg had been taken in time and Id be as good as ever in a couple of weeks, so I sha’n’t worry. The only thing that is worry- ing me,” he added, while a shadow crossed his face, “is losing those films. It was a shame.” “It sure was,” agreed Blake. “We'll never get any more like them. They were the best ever!” “Gee, they're at it again,’ sighed Macaroni. “Some way I’ll have to rescue those films—in self defense !” CHAPTER Xili A TEST OF PLUCK *T HEAR we're in for another big time.” It was three weeks after the unfortunate affair of the lost films and the moving picture boys were beginning to recover somewhat from their dis- — appointment, though the hope of ultimately recover- ing the films never for a moment left their minds. Joe, too, owing to his splendid constitution and the fact that his injury had not been as serious as they at first supposed, had recovered in a remarkably short time and was, as he expressed it, “once more game for anything.” " “What do you mean?” asked the latter in response to Blake’s statement. “More work at the front?” “Yes, if you want to call it work,’ answered Blake happily. “I call it the biggest kind of a lark.” “Come across, will you?” requested Joe some- what impatiently. “You have a habit of enjoying things all by yourself. What is it this time? More battle pictures?” 112 acs , A TEST OF PLUCK 113° “Yes,” answered Blake, thoughtfully chewing a _ piece of long grass. “Only this time our boys are going to do the attacking. Just small raiding par-- ties, I guess, more to get the lay of the land than anything else. Hello, whom have we here?” The exclamation was caused by the arrival upon the scene of Mr. Christopher Cutler Piper, gloom producer and disperser, and Charlie. “No one much,” said Joe disconsolately, in reply to Blake’s exclamation. ‘Gee, why does something always happen to take the joy out of life!” “T hope you don’t mean me,” said C. C., grinning with unusual good nature. “On the contrary, I have come for the express purpose of putting more joy into your young lives. Glad to see you up and around again so soon, Joe, old man,” he added, turning to the latter. “It was more than I ex- pected.” | “Or hoped?” added Joe, grinning. “There you go,” C. C. was protesting, when Charlie interrupted. “Do you know what was the main topic of con- versation on the way up?” he asked wickedly. “No. What?” they asked together while C. C. as- sumed an injured air. “How disappointed C. C. was in Joe for not doing what was expected of him and kicking off in a nice orderly manner,” replied Macaroni, enjoying C. C.’s oe eel to be considerate cree to legs.” _abashed. er y Seeing that a separate little war ose its own was - about to be started, Blake hastily intervened. ae © “See anything of Mr. Hadley: 2”? he asked of Mr.. _ Piper. “Said he’d be a in 1 half an hour and ground. [ Wonder what’s he idea.” Res “Captured by the Boches, maybe,” an a pe C., eg Ge “T told him he’d get his some ae , “There he is now,” ae Charlie; as Hie manage came hurrying toward them with a worried look on his face. “Gee, now I wonder what’ S dhe, He looks as if the war was lost.” he tance away he wade a megaphone of his hanids a n¢ shouted his question at them. oa “Are you fellows ready to start? a he wante l know. “We’ ve got just ten ‘minutes: to. get th before the party commences.’ ‘Well, I suppose he makes the mistake of leaving nething to your Sa Satta ” remarked Blake. What a mistake,” sighed Joe. | efore the badgered Macaroni had time to an- r to either of these insults the excited Mr. Had- as upon them and issuing orders with the ity of lightning, Got your machine fixed, Blake—all the stuff y? That’s right. Now for some pictures to qT place those others. Come on, a little speed, boys. your nerve with you?” s this was his usual question before they went action, and as the moving pitcure boys consid- they had answered it effectively more | ia 1 once, they made no reply now, only pre- d to follow the leader with all the Ce ible. | } feel like the babes i in the wood,” Charlie con- dina breathless undertone, as they hurried ‘one ee ae scene ior “T know not where “ Ee robably all end up in a hole in the Mie . he " eet ye Ged you fered 1 Sebiaee Macaroni ‘with. a palling candor. “I forgot all about you.” “Thanks,” said C. C. bitterly. “That’s all I g for trying 7 be a friend i in need.” attend the funeral.” ; “What’s the idea, oy queried Joe with j in terest. ai “Coming to catch a little Boche?” Blake added jocularly. ‘Put him in a cage and send him to bY some nice little French girl as a souvenir ?”’ ; “Well, say,” remarked C. C. with animation _ “That may not be aah a joke as it grea the ae _ turing part, anyway.” “Yes, better men: hay you have Re atts asec Charlie soberly. ek es say wonders nev cease.’ “How are you eoing to do it,C, C ” meet ve | with a grin. “Going to get a mouse hae and bait it 4 with limburger?”’ é Say, what do you think?” C C. was beginni Veen for them . come up. hee “This work is something like the other.” . “he them, et ‘only that wae time our t Oys earl OF PLUCK [t7 going to attack. It’s up to you to catch the start and then follow it up to the grand finish. I’m ex- pecting big results.” “But suppose our boys get the worst of it?” Charlie suggested. “Suppose they have to retreat?” “Then you fall back with them, of course,” said Mr. Hadley impatiently, “and take your chance with the rest. But they won’t retreat. Now, are you ready?” “All ready,” they responded promptly and once » more went forward with all caution toward the trenches. There was no chance for light badinage now, or conversation of any sort. Silent as ghosts, the boys stole forward through the woodland. Exactly as they had done upon that former occa- sion, they slipped into the trenches and took their appointed places. C. C.,,exhibiting unexpected cour- age, took up his stand beside them. | Then, in a silence that strained every nerve to the breaking point, they stood and waited. CHAPTER XIV SURPRISING THE ENEMY “BeTTER beat it while the going’s good, C. C.,” — muttered Blake in an undertone. “This is apt to be a pretty frisky scrap and not much chance for a — man without a gun.” | “How about yourself?’ C. C. growled in return. “IT don’t see much gun and powder in yours, yet © you're sticking.” a “But I don’t see your game,’ Blake insisted. “We're here. for a purpose. But you—I don’t see ~ any reason for just giving your life away.” | “I’m not giving it away,’ snapped the gloomy ~ comedian. “I’m willing to sell it though, if some- body will just give me a chance at one of those baby- killers.” Blake looked sharply at C. C., for there was 2 grimness about him that he had never seen before. But he ventured a last protest. “Remember you're a civilian, C. C.,” he warned. ~ “If you’re captured you're liable to be shot accord- — 118 i. SURPRISING THE ENEMY 119 ing to the laws of war. With us it’s different, for we're in a regular arm of the service. Why, even our lieutenant would chase you out of here if he noticed you.” “He’s too busy to notice,” said C. C. obstinately. “Anyway, I’m here now and I’m going to see what it’s like to go over the top with the boys. You just stick to your films and don’t waste your breath on me.” “All right,” replied Blake, and there was a new respect in his tone that the other had never heard before. Then it happened—the hoarse roar of the heavy guns laying down a barrage, Uncle Sam’s boys springing from the trenches and making their way through barbed wire and over yawning holes, call- ing to each other, urging on—ever on. The moving picture boys hurried hard on the heels of the fighting men, determined this time to get—and keep—the pictures, or die in the attempt. Suddenly, the headlong rush was halted. Almost at the first-line trenches the Germans had sprung out to meet the charge, and the deafening roar of hand-to-hand conflict swelled to a hideous clamor. The boys never retnembered afterward how they set up the machine and got the pictures, in fact, they were not at all sure that it had not been a hideous nightmare and they had dreamed it all. ‘eine the worst of it, and our Beet: were anata } ready to fall back with the rest. Then the tide sud- denly turned and the Allied troops surged forward irresistibly, capturing the first-line trenches and sweeping on. ‘With a glad shout, Blake and Joe and Charlie picked up the machine and films and started in pasy | suit. “Gee, this is the life!” cried Joe i ina voice hoarse ; from shouting. 4 “You bet!” yelled Blake. | “These films ought to be great.” Na) 4 “If we don’t lose them,” added Macau pessi- mistically. ae a “Guess the Rhine’s the limit now,” Joe was. ex as = —ulting, when they were halted once more by a des- perate counter-attack from the enemy. i Once more it seemed that the attackers must wre 1 ‘back beneath the fierce onslaught, but once more sheer nerve and grit carried them on and over tale most insurmountable obstacles. _ Step by step, inch by inch, the soldiers aneat th way forward, while behind them the moving picture — boys were writing down Harel the ae ) achievement. “Gee, if uky come give, me a os 4 SURPRISING THE ENEMY 12! “I bet I could kill two Heinies while those fellows are killing one.” “Where’s C. C.?” yelled Blake, close in Joe’s ear. “Don’t know,” the other answered in the same “manner. “Haven’t seen him lately. Hope the old boy hasn’t got his.” ; They had not much time for conversation, for once more the boys were sweeping forward, faster and faster as the enemy lost its grip. “Gee!” shouted Charlie, “guess maybe you knew what you were talking about, Joe, old man. It sure does look like the Rhine this time. Say, wouldn’t I like to be in on the finish!” ‘But the Rhine was still several hundred miles away when the victorious army was finally halted. Five miles had been covered in that brilliant dash and everyone was hilarious. Of course, there were many who had dropped along the way, many who would never smile again, but they had died gaily, gloriously, for the cause of justice and of right. Looking on their calm, young faces, who would not rather envy than pity them? “It’s pretty tough, just the same,” Charlie was saying soberly, as some time later the three friends made their way toward the mess kitchen to receive their very much needed portion of food. “If a fellow’s got to die, I suppose that way’s as good as any. But—this world’s a pretty interesting place ; a P PICTURE BOYS ON FRE s , a Nee after all, and I woueat t faneke ‘ad spending ny threescore and ten on board the old Sas T sa _ what have we here?” eye ee | His exclamation was causea by their tidarh cor ing upon an excited group of doughboys, the cau of whose excitement ai could not immediate? discover. ae They elbowed their way Hi seen to an inside po- sition, however, and there, face almost purple with, indignation, hands wildly gesticulating, who should they see but Christopher Cutler Piper, late angent. 1 for the picture company. {? “Jumping Jehoshophat! _ ishment. murmured Joe, in aston. rently, while Blake spire apaieal behie 6: oF _ to where two soldiers in ragged ‘German uniforms | stood sullenly waiting, = “So you kept your word, did Pha o or : shouted Blake. - | C. C., who had turned with a ete at the: int ruption, seeing the cause of it, broke into | a broac delighted grin. Uh ou bet did! phe ree in answer to >the eh tion. Bir one of the doughboys inoalenen ' “You were telling us s how ne ‘ SURPRISING THE ENEMY 123 low dogs,’ suggested another, scowling blackly upon the sullen prisoners, “Yes,” agreed C. C., his face once more assum- ing the furious purple of indignation. “TI was tell- ing you how these skunks—say, what do you sup- pose they were doing, fellows?” he interrupted him- self to glare savagely around at his audience. ‘““They were prowling around, sticking their bayonets—into —wounded men—some of them so near dead they couldn’t lift a—finger to—save themselves——” A murmur of rage passed round the group and the boys made an ominous movement forward, but C. C. once more claimed their attention. “Vd found an old broken gun,” he was saying, “and I gave one Hun a whack over tlie hardest part of him that made him stagger and then I wrestled with the other till I got his dirty knife away from him and—and here we are,” he finished rather lamely. There were shouts of: “Bully for old C. C.!” “T should say that’s pretty good—landing two at once !” “Keep it up, old man—maybe next time you'll land a jolly little quartette, you know!” C. C.’s face beamed like a huge, round moon and he looked happier than the boys had ever seen him. As the crowd dispersed, the three chums sur- mina later: Besuded rhe feed ofthe occasion a neatly shoo his hand off. “Great work, C. C.!” cried Blake hei | thought you were only pas back there, but, Tve sure learned my mistake.” Ss “How about some chow, eh?” Joe seo | yearningly, when the congratulations were over. “Yeah,” added Charlie hopefully. “Even hero have to eat, don’t they, C.C.?” ‘ “Shouldn’t wonder,” responded the latter, snifing: the air hungrily. “But I’ve got to dispose of these Heinies first,” this last with a disdainful glance toward the prisoners that made them scowl sullen “Tere comes Captain ware now—guess I can a hana’ them over to him.” | ee Captain Mayo seemed more than silting’ to deve the comedian of his charges, and after a few words of real praise and a hearty grip of the hand that made Mr. Piper beam anew, the captain left them 1 to their fate—and chow—hurrying the Germa 1s | “Get some good pictures ?” Huenied CAC): ase , wi Sone plates, they settled themselves*comfortabt. Yes, they ought to be ae goo id Blake u ; vi sponded, his mouth full’ “7 “We're not Bone | to lose them this time, SURPRISING THE ENEMY 125 Joe added, patting the box beside him affectionately. “The Heinie that gets this gets it over my dead body, as the villain would say.” “But they can’t be as good as those others we lost,’ gloomed Blake, while Charlie looked around for something to throw at him. “Somebody’s always taking the joy out of life,” he sighed. “We can’t even forget our troubles while we're eating.” “Well,” said C. C., warmed to rare enthusiasm by the day’s success and the appetizing chow, “I have a hunch that those films aren’t gone for good. I “bet you that before long they’ll be turning up, large as life and twice as natural.” The boys stared and Charlie threw up his hands in dismay. “Now I know the world is coming to an end,” he cried. “C.C. said something cheerful!” CHAPTER XV A NIGHT OF JOLLITY “We ought to be able to pull off a pretty good © time for the fellows to-night,” Blake remarked ~ thoughtfully, as he and Joe, with Charlie and C. C. + bringing up the rear, sauntered slowly along the de- 7 serted country road. “It’s a good idea, too, to give ‘ the fellows something to laugh at and get them as © far away from the trenches as we can—for one night © at least. Don’t you think so?” a “Er—what did you say?” stuttered Joe, disen- © gaging himself with difficulty from his somewhat ~ gloomy thoughts and looking dazedly at his friend. ~ “Say, what’s the matter with you these days?” ~ Blake demanded indignantly. “I think you must be © in love or something.” i “Or something is right,” chuckled Joe. ‘‘No, old « man, French girls don’t hold a candle to the girls ‘ in the good old U. S. A., to my way of thinking. ~ Better guess again. But what were you saying?” ~ 126 ; 7 a dded, Pages iting that Blake had been | ng something about something or other. was just remarking,” Blake replied stiffly, “that Hadley had the fait idea when he suggested edy stuff instead of high ot for to-night.” Oh, for the picture show we’re going to give in Y,” said Joe, waxing intelligent and interested 1e same time. “Well, of course, he’s right. The ys have enough bloody stuff without having it rubbed into their amusements.” ‘We are going to give them one high-class, five- picture though,” continued Blake, waxing warm n his enthusiasm, “with the classiest little cast go- My, don’t we hate ourselves,” Joe put in with a kle. “Tt ought to make quite an effect, though,” dded, “to have the actors and actresses in the e come out to the footlights in person and make little speeches. It will be some surprise to find on this side of the water.”, ; Quite spectacular,” agreed Blake. “It will all fine if only C. C. can be persuaded to postpone ~ ; famous imitation of the dying codfish t this moment C. C. himself hailed them from ng wero. x started ae fox a eee Bp Chey ee little stroll among the Iovely. “woodland er tures——" | “Gee, does he mean us?” Bhurtied Charen but beyond one withering glance, C. C. declined to no- tice the interruption. A “And instead of a mile or So, we wander miles x “Youre the only one whole wandering, C. Cc." put in Joe, with a grin. hes sh feet aren't doing it either.” ; 4 soothing hand p on the irate comedian’s arm. é doesn’t mean anything by it—the heat always does S that to him. We were just wondering,” he contin- ued, with apparent sincerity and deep guile, “what kind of a speech you were going to hand the bog to-night.” ; | Ves" added: jose ae the dying codfish dead, C. C., or is he to be revivified for the occasion?” “Gee, if he’s dead somebody ought to get ye and bury him,” murmured Macaroni, at which they Dall See eee CyG a “JT regret to see,” the latter declaimed sine “that you are willing to waste time and breath on what you must know to be a purely imaginary ject. The only time I ever saw an animal of th _ kind,” he continued reminiscently, “was on a fishing trip with my aged and now r defunct Uncle Abne : ming innocence. “No, the fish,” C. C. explained pa nenehy, “Tell us about it,” said Joe and Blake together, | eir faces unnaturally g orave. “Well, it was on a beautiful summer day,” C. C. began thoughtfully, his eyes on the far horizon, “when my Uncle Abner suggested that I accompany him upon a fishing trip.” _ “Methinks I heard something of the sort before,” murmured Macaroni, but both Joe and Blake silenced him with a look. | *T must have been about ten years old at the time,” the narrator continued thoughtfully, “and all the angling I had ever done had been by the somewhat crude method of string and bent pin.’ a. ‘Did you ever catch Neate with it?” queried. Cc Charlie with real interest. “Sometimes,” C. C. answered with a twinkle, yes, a real twinkle. “But it never did me much good “because I had a little sister with a very tender heart who cried so hard whenever I happened to catch ar ane that i had to throw it back to be peace (: au 130 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BAT BI | Charlie indignantly, but aaa a glance from others silenced him. 7 “Well, to continue,’ went on C. C., igdleie am though he were really enjoying himself. “Caal Abner, being an experienced fisherman, sniffe ed scornfully at my prehistoric tackle and offered as a great favor to lend me one of his lightest poles. Of course, I was flattered and had visions of myself 7 telling the story of my wonderful catch i _ “Which wasn’t caught,” again murmured Mac. “To the admiring and plage staan’ youngsters,” ‘ continued C. C. imperturbably, “who had share d my lowly fishing expeditions with the string and bent pin. Then, too, my tender-hearted little sister had been ordered to stay at home, much to my secret joy, and I knew that by the time I reached home with my marvelous catch the fish would be no longer : in the land of the living, which would form a. val- uable argument against restoring them their native element, as no good could result there- from.” | “Really,” again put in Macaroni, and this time others chuckled with him. | “Well,” continued C. C., too much careeeeee n his story to notice the interruption, “Uncle Abner 7 explained to me the intricate mechanism of the rod and tackle—at least, so it seemed to me then—s ‘I was coming to that,” Mr. Piper protested. ive me time.” acaroni again. : “Well,” C. C. continued, “the afternoon wore on L ‘nothing happened. Uncle Abner was one of se scientific fishermen who act as though you'd umitted a crime if you wiggle your big toe. And the sun went down, my hopes of a big catch went . wn with it, and, not seeing anything else to do, I ‘Enter the codfish,” cried Joe dramatically. ‘Say,” protested C. C., this time indignant, “who’s ling this oe anyway? If you think you can it better b “No, no, C. C., I was only fooling.” Joe hastened Be plonize. “You were saying you had just elded to the blandishments of Perse: or words © that effect e I was saying,” Mr. Piper corrected frigidly, “that I had just fallen asleep— Oh, pardon me,” from Joe. V hen I got a nibble,” said C. C. sternly, 1X 32 "PICTURE BOYS ON FREN 7 “Well, you don’t need to teen at me,” Mac tested. “I didn’t do it.” Ae > “What happened then, C. C.?” asked Blake wg ~ i q “Say, don’t those girls make you think of home?” — + asked one doughboy of dnother, his eyes chimnell with something deeper than admiration. “Birdie — Lee reminds me of a little girl, say Frank—I wish © j you could see that little girl. She’s——” his voice broke and the other boy dabean a hand across his _ shoulders. ee “T know, old man,” he said, in a husky. whisper. a “T’ve got one like that, too. And that mother— — gosh, man, I can’t get over feeling that ve seen my — mother—there on the screen——’” And then before the astonished and delighted Joe of those young soldiers the actual actors in the play -appeared—the girls who had reminded them of their sweethearts, the mother who ow seemed ings mother | There was an feeetnes murmur that swelled into a roar of delight, and the boys cheered ant’ Wise often renee Ane voices of the peer a he or she waited, pees but with @ queer Paice ee hel bravery, their es their enthusiasm! At last it was over ae the two abidier boys who | d spoken before sauntered out with the rest, arm aa). | “Going to turn fe, Frank?” asked one. “Soon, I guess,” the other answered. “But I’m oing to write—first. Say, old man—that little ee? woman on the screen with the white hair and the— th the—homey look—I suppose I’m crazy, but I can’t g get over the idea that Pve seen—my mother * CHAPTER XVI THE TRAIL OF THE HUN | “T HEAR we’re in for a new kind of a trip, fe - ~ lows ” said Blake, hurrying up to his friends one k morning a few days later. | a “Nothing that will take us away from the fight | ing line, I hope,” returned Joe. — “Not very far away,” answered Blake, and ne for a long time. I got the tip from CC. It see: that the War Department cabled or. wirelessed to the authorities here that they want a special set oO 4 films and they think that we’re the fellows to do th : job. C. C. was present when Mr. Hadley got the ae message and he said—But here comes Mr. Hadle : what he wants to talk to us ie GY Beg! ‘Mr. Hadley came up to them in his brisk way a as usual with him, plunged right into the subj without beating around the bush. __ hoes - “Got a different ee for you, boys,” he e said a € vontated parts of Northern France. You. See, s this way; Germany is going to be licked good d proper, and not very long from now either. She’s on her last legs, although she keeps putting up he may crumple up any time like a bit of >) a “Scrap of paper,” interjected Joe with a twinkle. ‘with a smile at the allusion. “Now when that breakdown comes and she throws up her hands, the i first thing they'll have to do is to figure up the dam- * has done.” with a stern crease in his brow. 4 “They'll do that all right,” said Mr, Hadley con- dently. “But they want to have an actual record n pictures of what she’s really done to the towns and villages her troops have occupied or passed through. Of course, you can’t get it all, but you can get enough to shut the mouth of the stupid and a ‘the pro-Germans who claim that these things have been exaggerated, that Germany isn’t as black as she s been painted and therefore ought to be let down sy and so get out of her just punishment. Do a pretty stiff bluff. But we've got her going and. x “Scrap of paper is right,” resumed Mr. Hadley Allies will have to frame a treaty of peace, and the ages that Germany will have to pay for all the evil a “T hope they soak her good and plenty,” said Joe, “ 138 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH i pal “Sure thing,” replied* Blake. “The ee trou is that we’re too late to get the worst ings Hie S- done. We can’t get the pictures of the little boys — and old men that she lined up against the wall in Dinant and shot down in batches, We can’t get the women and babies who have been stabbed and bay- oneted and burned to death. We can’t get the help- | less passengers in small boats that have been shelled © by submarines, the men and women drowning in ic’ q waters while the Huns stood on their decks and laughed at their dying agonies. We can’t get the © thousands of young girls torn from their mothers’ a arms in Lille and other cities and sent into Germany + to toil for their conquerors. And if we did get them they'd be too horrible to show. The heart Ok the world would break in looking at them.” His voice trembled with the vehemence of hi S ~ emotion and his fists were clenched so that the nai a4 bit into the palms. “Yes,” said Mr. Hadley soberly, “you're “right, j Blake. We can’t make Germany give back the i in- “nocent lives she’s taken and the punishment for tha: : must be left to God, But we can make her pay for the material damage she has done up to the limit of her ability, and it is for that reason that we want this series of films. They'll be part of the evidenc a What do you say? I laid the matter before yo fe commander and he said that, of course, if the D . a ig a big army Betatohile for OG edcnakeee and an- E who will go with you as an escort.” “Sure we'll go,” replied Blake. “You bet we ee ” echoed Joe. “Count me in,” said Charlie. Mr. Hadley looked his gratification at their raid ess. : _ “T warn you it will be a depressing trip,” he said. E foot had trod? Well, ‘Attila was a Hun. Do you get me?” : “We get you,” they answered in unison. _.When are we slated to start, Mr. Hadley ?” | Backed Blake. “To-morrow I guess, or next day at latest,” an- __swered Mr. Hadley. “We'll get the autos tuned up to-day so that they'll be in shape for the trip, and we'll see that there’s plenty of all kinds of grub, - for you probably won’t be able to get any on the the rest will be living on charity. The Allied armies are sending them supplies as fast as possible, but it 3 other one will carry supplies and a couple of soldiers “Tt will be anything but a joy ride. It will be like ; riding through a cemetery. It was Attila, wasn’t it, _ who said that the grass never grew where his horse’s way for love or money.’ Most of the people in the ~ fe sections you go through will be half starved and — 5 takes time. Get a hustle on now, boys. I'll see that ey you’ re eke with filme enough to last yoy for Wea ERED. _ He hurried away and the ‘bee set. to Been. at once to make ready. They reported to their com- mander and got his formal Ea, on for the journey. Two men were assigned to them as an escort, clean cut, likely looking fellow Np and to their — a surprise and pleasure they noted that one of them qi was Tom Wentworth. a “Why, how are you, Tom?” Blake greeted tee a heartily. “So you pulled through all right, did you? — It’s good to see you around again with two good “ legs.” ‘ o. “The sawbones didn’t take your lege off, eh?” “4 queried Joe with a grin. ~ mo “No,” replied Tom with a smile. “I saved ‘he a De ca peg, thanks to you fellows. The doctor said that if you hadn’t made such a good job of that first — aid I might have had to lose it. I can never thank you boys enough for the way you rae your lives, _ to save mine that day.” if yi, ~ “Oh, it’s all right,” said Blake. “Both Joe wid Lare only too glad that we Bia Ga to be Jobe on-the-spot.” ie “T hear you got a doce of trouble of Jou own that same ee remarked toon 4 they were likely to need on the journey. F. All the members of the moving picture company were on hand to see them off, although it was an aly early hour. C. C. was there with the rest, and his face was, if % Bscable. even more lugubrious than usual. | ite q _ “Remember that there’s a whole lot of mines and - shells there that haven’t been exploded yet,” he cau- tioned. “I shouldn’t be Bs if one: of thenr 7" ye would get the whole lot of you.” © (ee _ “They haven't got us yet, and we've been in an ae “aie peed many more risky places,”’ laughed Joe. . ae fe atiats just. it,” persisted Co Gah Y ow re ayaa ! “about due for it. The pees that goes to the well oo often gets broken at last.” _ Pe “Ror goodness’ sake,” put in Nellie Shay. “Any one would think, C. C., that we’d gathered to attend = a he boys’ funeral. You're as cheerful as a crutch.” e “TI move that C. C. be sent to talk to the German _ prisoners,” said Birdie Lee mischievously. ‘After _ they've ve listened to him for a while they’ll all com- | the acer AE feeding them.” © / They all laughed, while C. C. looked at her re- proachfully. | “Cheer up, GeQhien chaffed Blake “the/worst is yet ‘ to come. Sumietine real good will happen some time and the shock will be too much/for you. In 3 the meantime just feed upon gloom/and that will — make you feel natural.” | oa “A truce to this merry jesting,” laid Joe. “Here J comes Mr. Hadley, ane as usual, jhe’s in a anne - hurry.” / x Their employer came pee up and shook hands i with them. i. “All ready, I see; toe ” he said. “Well, good q luck to you and bring us back a bang-up series of a films. And mind,” he cautioned them, “what you are ~ that were caused, the results merely of spite and rage, the things that are wholly unjustified by the ‘laws of war. If villages and churches were de- stroyed in actual fighting, don’t pay any attention to them. That’s part of the game of war and the nations have simply got to grin and bear it. But where the destruction was wicked and needless, cold- blooded and deliberate, get it down in the films : ex- actly as you find it.” ite “All right,” said Blake. “I guess we've ae ae] te i dea — And if all we've see is true, we won ’t run - short of subjects.” | | _ There was a chorus of farewells and a waving of hands, as the chauffeur threw in the clutch and the a machine started off, followed by the heavier one _ containing their escort and supplies, Bee A he general plan that had been laid out for them 4 was that they should start from ‘Chateau-Thierry i on the Marne and follow the line of the main Ger- man retreat since that time. So they made straight — he for that famous town at arapid rate of speed. en _ “Well,” remarked Blake, as he settled back inthe car, “here we are at last on the trail of the Hun.” “Yes,” rejoined Joe, “and, believe me, it’s some ae fe, trail!” eg : CHAPTER XVII WRECK AND RUIN Tue word had been passed by the rudy atl- oa thorities that the moving picture boys should be — ‘given every facility in obtaining views of re a thing that came within the scope of their mission, and this permission acted like a magic a). re wherever they went. , Chateau-Thierry itself was ot the Veni inter est to them, and they would haye liked to trace out the course of the battles there and at Belleau Wood _ where the Americans had covered themselves with By imperishable glory. But their time was limited, a they had to be back on the front lines within a week, and they kept themselves strictly to > the wore hey : t _ had in hand. t _ oughly wrecking the inside of the houses where they had been quartered. “Just look at this!” exclaimed Blake as they en- tered a house that had evidently been occupied by a well-to-do family. “If this isn’t a complete job I _ never saw one.” | Z “T suppose this was a case of military necessity,” f said Joe sarcastically, as he looked at the furniture 4 “smashed to bits and a handsome piano that had been j “hacked by axes. oe “Military necessity!” snorted. Blake. “Even the kids’ toys haven’ t been spared,” 3 marked Mac, as he set up the camera to take sera of the nursery. “Look at these Teddy bears torn in two, the legs and arms pulled from the dolls, the ' _doll’s cradles smashed. Poor little kiddies!” _ From room to room they went, their hearts swell- ing with indignation. Bayonets had been thrust through the works of P costly clocks, covers and pages had been ripped from books and strewn about the floor, oil paintings had B een slit with knives, vases, urns, crockery and lassware were shattered into fragments, curtains and tapestries had been torn into ribbons, ink had "the house had been smashed, mattresses had been _ been poured over rugs and carpets, every mirror in lees “SL. te poe Say PR ee ee ee oe tt was a scene of utter nee ‘wan nton 1 and the boys grew hot with wrath. “It 1s the same everywhere,” ther French guide, went from house to house fe eed that he had ‘— spoken the truth. e “Gee, but it’s a relief to get out in he open air a again!” exclaimed Blake, when they had finished — of their work for the day. “Those sights worked on — me so that I felt as if I would cave in if I syed | 4 there much longer.” a “Tm glad that we’ve got it on record though, 4 remarked Joe. ‘Tell that to people and they’d say that you were lying. But they can’t yay well se away from the evidence of the films.” The next morning they left the city and colle out on the country roads. It had been one of the most beautiful sections of sunny France, but now it ha been transformed into a desert. Every horse an cow had been killed or carried away, fences had — been burned, and where farmhouses had stood wer nothing but heaps of ashes and masonry. Farm im plements had either been carried off, or when there had not been time for that, had been broken O thrown into the flames of the houses, where th y ay i in twisted shapes, a melancholy ruin. From time to time they passed pare of refu the Merit of the Germans, but now that | had been defeated were returning again to what had Eke aaa their homes. There were wagons piled with a household goods, drawn sometimes by horses and Sh again by men between the shafts. There were | Ps smaller vehicles drawn by dogs, and boys trundled pe f i. - wheelbarrows along. Men and women and little E children trudged along beside the vehicles. Their © & _ faces were pinched and thin and De peRT, a! _ grave, for though they were at last returning to their homes, they had seen enough along the road to make them fear what those homes would be when Fie - they finally reached them. q “Poor things!” said Joe with pity. “Can you : _ imagine how they’ll feel when they stand before the pile of ashes or of bricks that they used to call is home?” — Van _ “They'll have to begin life all over se ? ob- ee. served Blake. | | “And with nothing to do it with,” said Mac. “Gee, but those sights make you sore! Just look over there.” | He pointed to a spot a little way off the. road. se 3s ne, ae oe Te % a thing left of what had been a house. On the : if hearth a woman was trying to heat a little water in wreckage. She was not old, but her form was 8 | PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH i | emaciated, ee eyes sunken, Bre See eholel Bicate one of utter hopelessness. A baby wrapped itt any old shawl was lying on the grass near by, fretting feebly, while the mother with a few twigs that she _ had gathered was feeding the paanee fire and tyme a to coax the water to boil. | ; The sight was too much for the ibe i an in- | stant they called to their chauffeur to stop. The | other car, close behind, slowed down, too. The boys” ‘ sprang from their car and with the help of their a | escort hurried over to the woman, with their a : aa stores. and jars and condensed milk were among them. ¥ The woman saw them coming, and at first the : sight of the unfamiliar uniforms made her shrink, and’ she rushed toward her baby as though to pick iG it up and flee. But the kindly look in the bright, eager faces of the newcomers reassured her, and q when she saw them place the food on the ground | near her and indicate by gestures that it was meant | 4 4 for her she burst into a fit of wild weeping. oe While she tried to gain control of herself, the — : boys, to cover their own embarrassment, crowded around the baby and made much of it. Then Ne PN conn ce Md + y 2 WRECK AND RUIN. 149 hands to ees Peed them that she was invoking blessings on them. “And to think,’ said Blake, as, seated in their cars, the party was once more speeding along the q road, “that that same thing in one form or another “iS: happening all through Northern France and in | Belgium Her husband was probably killed or is in the army and she comes back to find her home a gone. What will she do? What can she get to i ae Where can she sleep?” | ‘They found many more such calls on their help and sympathy, and they were thankful that they : _ had twice as much in the way of supplies as they ~ needed, thanks to the bountiful provision made by ber their employer who had, perhaps, had this in mind when he stocked their car so thoroughly. tae a They passed orchards that had once been filled = g ame carefully cultivated trees that every year were A a oY with fruit.’ Every tree had been cut down or i sawn more than halfway through, so astodestroyit = = | ~ forever. In cases where the despoilers had been ee for time, they had placed charges of dyna- a mite in the forks of the tree and the explosion of - this had split the trunk in two. “It wasn’t enough to abuse humanity,” remarked ‘Joe bitterly, “they even had to outrage nature.” “(othe 7" They oe S make France a beggar for the Et fit ty years,’ > commented Blake savagely. : ae PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH 1 BATTLEFIBL s 4 ~ tig Ate! |’ an They did not dare to drink any ee GON ie aN along the way, for the wells had been contaminated ane and defiled. Even the dead had not been spared, for _ fone graves had been rifled and tombstones desecrated by _ coarse inscriptions. i In the towns, they found that the same remorse- less devastation had been carried on. Mills had | been stripped of all their costly machinery, which had been carried away into Germany and then the — mills themselves blown up. The sanctity of — churches had not protected them. The altar orna- ments had been stolen and charges of dynamite put — in the pillars of the structures and exploded. Works of art had not been spared. Statues in public squares had been carried away. Private houses had © _. been utterly looted, and even the bells and door- — knobs had been stolen. 7 Coal mines had been flooded so that they could — not be gotten in working condition for many years to come. In a single city, ten thousand working- — men’s houses had been razed to the ground. Every-— where it was the same story—cold-blooded, heart- less, deliberate destruction. _ oe, “Well,” said Blake a few days later, as they were na nearing their old headquarters, “V’m glad that ce wd is done.” ; : 4 ® “Yes,” returned Joe, “and there isn’t any money 3 rot that would tempt me to go anna it again.” te a en o “2 re ; wp te sae we oa a are nag sm =e ee Pe ee ott eae ee ee OP Se ee ee Oe gts WRECK AND RUIN | Tor “I’m glad the films gave out when they did,” added Macaroni. “I expect to have nightmares for the next year.” They received a hearty welcome from Mr. Had- ley, who was much gratified at the thoroughness with which they had done their work. “You need a change now,” he said with a smile. “Perhaps you'll be glad to get off the ground and up into the sky.” “What do you mean?” asked Blake and Joe in one breath. “T’ve arranged to have you go up in an aeroplane and take views of the enemy’s lines,” replied Mr. Hadley. “That is, of course, if you are willing.” “Willing is our middle name!’ exclaimed Joe. “Same here,’ agreed Blake. “The Huns have done mischief enough in the air, too, but at least we won't be able to see the traces of it.” fi CHAPTER XViEE SWEEPING THROUGH THE SKY THE morning on which the boys were to take their aerial excursion dawned clear and prignt being indeed, as Blake remarked, “made to order.” Th two boys had watched the weather anxiously for th last day or two, as nobody knew better than the _ the necessity of clear, sunshiny weather for the mak i Ne ing of good pictures. But this day was all tha could be desired, and immediately after breakfast . the two friends, carrying their cameras and othe essential equipment, reported at the aeroplane han gars. Arrangements had been made to supply them - with a machine and pilot, and when they arrive they found’a big bi-plane already out, with a n a chanic putting the last touches to the engine, an _ very capable looking pilot standing alongside. — lack of room Charlie had been forced to stay behit Fn cates you'r re my two Bras aly all Pele i ee ue bialiced up to him. va doesn t take any detective 0 EEPING ais UGH THE SKY € your shoulders.” | a “No, they're a dead give-away,” smiled Blake, _ “and they’re loaded for some pretty exciting pictures o-day, too. We’ve taken them about every other ay there is to take pictures, and now we’re very a interested in this method.” Well, & probably won’t be half as exciting as | - you think,” remarked the aviator, whose name was parent, “People who aren’t used to flying seem to - think that there is nothing but thrills to it, but, in point of fact, after you Bet used to it, it’s rather " monotonous than otherwise.” “Well, I guess it isn’t very monotonous when ‘ Bandy i iS taking pot shots at you with an anti- _ aircraft gun, is it?” inquired Joe, who was inclined to be somewhat incredulous of the airman’s state- ~ ment, | . ; “Oh, of course, circumstances alter cases,” ~ laughed Trent, “but I’m just speaking of ordinary ‘eee been at this game as long as. I have, you’d feel the } ‘same way, I'll bet.” s- point of view more to the aviator’s modesty than | anything else, but before they could argue the point, the mechanic reported “all ready,” and Trent climbed into the pilot’s seat, at the same time indi- that, Pehen you Rave these cameras ee over _ patrol duty, or something along that line. If you'd y The two friends were fe to attribute this on a ‘PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH ae cating to the boys the tices that ee teen prepared. | _ for them. It did not take them long to adjust them- _ selves and their cameras to their satisfaction, and — when this was done, the pilot gave the word to the -mechanic to crank the engine. A quick whirl of the | propeller, a few spasmodic barks from the engine, — and then a steady roar as the powerful motor “took — hold.” The aeroplane moved forward over. the _ smooth grass, slowly at first, but with ever-increas- 4 ing speed. When they had traversed about a hundred yards, the pilot gave a quick move to one . of his controlling levers, and the big machine lifted lightly into the air and soared upward. Without — any reflection on the courage of Blake and Joe, it ~ may be said that they both gripped their seats with | somewhat unnecessary force, in view of the fact that they were securely strapped in anyway, and could _ not by any possibility have fallen out. : But this sensation soon wore off, and the boys Mi began to enjoy the novelty of the thing. The : ma-— chine was mounting steadily, for the first few min- - utes, but soon reached the desired height, and then : flew along parallel with the earth’s surface. ‘They a were flying in the direction of the German lines, and in a very short time the boys decided that they were near enough to start photographing. Accord- — ingly, they focused their cameras, and were ae = eee re v THROUGH THE SKY é ie a me ine. = r Peres WEEPING cernedly as they had ever done on terra firma. It — was impossible to talk to each other or the pilot, so great was the noise of the motor, but they had re- _ ceived explicit orders as to what was expected of Gey _ them, and each one of them did his task in the best possible way. é On this first trip the pilot had been instructed not to fly over the German lines, but, when he reached them, to take more of a parallel course, and this he accordingly did. , : _ It was a wonderful panorama that lay spread out ui below them, and the boys were filled with the ar- ee tist’s delight at having such a tremendous view to film. Reel after reel they put through their cam- eras, until their supply was at last exhausted. When : this happened, Blake leaned over until his mouth i _was close to the pilot’s ear, and shouted: ee short space of time, was circling over the aviation Ne field preparatory to making a landing. Lower and ry with a grin, ae did you enjoy your ride? Get the pictures all right?” a “Tt was a wonderful od a Blake, “tike le he added. a “Well, that’s considerably different from what a most of the people I’ve taken up say,” said Trent. — “As a general thing, they’re so absorbed in wonder- — old earth again, that they don’t have time for any= thing else.” . “After you've been mixed up in this war awhile, mx you get into the habit of doing what you set out ion — do, and not EY Be much about the danger that | goes with it,” remarked Blake, and the aviator ~ nodded acquiescence. | The boys then proceeded to remove their appara- tus from the aeroplane, and after taking a hearty quarters. Arrived thee they reported, and turned in their new films to be developed. ie “welll have more work for “iat nlgne the Si . they were Derouned he as commanding officer. “Report early to-morrow morning, and ab give you your instructions.” | _ The boys saluted, and when ciey St outside, 4 compared notes as to their sensations on ee first ‘flight. “There's nothing to compare it to, though,” la- “mented Joe at last. “When you take a fast auto : ride, or something along that line, you say it’s just like flying, but when you have actually been up in the air, you find that it’s like nothing else under the “It’s still ‘just like flying’ ” smiled Blake, and with this they had to be content. _ “Wonder what’s on the programme for to-mor- i row,’ * speculated Joe. “Something seems to tell oy R _ that we’re booked for another trip through the air.’ “Guess likely,” agreed Blake. “If those pictures - is ie: took to-day turn out all right, it’s pretty peed they’ll want more of them.” a _ “Well, I guess we’re the boys to get them,” a “Joe, and the two fast friends smiled in mutual con= dence and understanding. , CHAPTER XIX 4 THE FALLING PLANE | creed to do, and found their speculations of bo on previous day justified. “Those films you took yesterday turned out sok rate,” said Merrick, their commander. “Now, t 1 di they have numerous fatonies De anti hee t a guns.” As he said this, he looked. at them ae bronzed ie | Ne . “We've been through some oe teak su f ey THE PALLING PLANE 159 tg No, I thinke I agree with you,” HA said. “Well, ‘then, this is what I want you to do,” and he pro- Bcded to give them full instructions. 2 “You will have the same machine at your disposal as you had yesterday,” he concluded, “and will be ni by two fast fighting planes, that will engage the enemy if you are attacked. And I want _ to impress on you both the necessity of getting these f oa at any cost.” 3 _ “We'll do our very best, sir,” stated Blake, and 3 ‘then, the interview being at an end, the moving pic- 4 ture boys saluted and went in search of their outfit. It did not take them long to get ready, and in a 4 very short time they found themselves in the same seats they had occupied during yesterday’s flight. The two wasp-like fighting planes that had been de- tailed to convoy the heavier observation machine, were already aloft, their motors humming as they ,- slowly circled, waiting for the big machine to come a When all was foe Trent gave the are to the -mechanician, as formerly, and the powerful plane rose from the ground and joined its companion aloft. feet, the battle planes flew alongside, one on each side, and a little above, and they straightened out a bee line for the enemy territory. When it had reached an altitude of about a thousand According to their orders, they were not to take | any pictures until they were satiate over ee enemy _ trenches, so they had more opportunity than before — _to note what went on about them. They had time to drink in the magnificence of the scene spread out before them, mile after mile, as far as the eye could | 4 reach. They could also notice the masterly way in : which the pilot maneuvered his machine, going up or — down, slower or faster, by an almost imperceptible | movement of his controlling levers. They gave little thought to the dangers that lay ahead, having learned not to cross bridges until they came to 4 them. hs All three planes were travelling fast, and it oad not long before they reached the outskirts of their own lines, and then found themselves actually over German territory, as Joe afterward said, “with ae ing between them and Berlin but air.”’ Koh iy THE FALLING PLANE 161 and little white puffs of smoke were breaking all ; about them. The big plane rocked and swayed, but not one of its occupants even dreamed of giving up % until their objects were attained, and they held stead- ily onward. The two escorting planes were by now high above the heavier machine, taking their alti- ude so as to be ready for any Hun machines that might be lurking in the higher air strata. Several times shrapnel bullets whistled through the wings of the aeroplane, or spatted against the engine, but by good fortune none of its occupants had been hit so far, nor had any vital part of the machinery been damaged. 4 The boys were just starting on their last reel, when Blake, in spite of the absorption of his task, suddenly sensed that all was not well with their _ motor, which up to now had been roaring its deep- throated song without any sign of faltering. But now there was a hesitation and irregularity in its ; “note that boded trouble. Blake saw the pilot lean over, evidently doing his best to Snete matters, but apparently to no avail. The “missing” of the engine became worse, and then the motor suddenly stopped altogether. der. “The engine’s burnt up, and we’ve got to take g ground. 4 man Patteces were in full swing by this time, i” “We'll have to land!” yelled 7 Trent, over his shoul- they knew that this rricacht ase by the “olsen | and not only of themselves, but of their precious — films. However, there was nothing else to be done, — and they nerved themselves for what was before — them. a _ The aeroplane volplaned swiftly, the earth seem- — ing to rise up*to meet them. Their escorting ma- — chines, of course, could do nothing to save them, and | when they saw that the big machine was gems a their surrender. Nich Of course, there was nothing the Americans could 1d do but accept their fate as gracefully as possible, so they stepped out of the plane, and, much as it wen against the grain, gave themselves up as prisoner of war. Ata gesture and guttural word of com- — mand from the German officer, they were sur- a search of the aeroplane to be made. His eye lighted up when he saw the cameras. and films, fo 7 THE FALLING PLANE ‘ edits the Pieridae relaxed their vigilance for hd a moment, in an endeavor to see what it was that - had been captured, and Blake, always on the alert, pwes quick to seize the opportunity thus afforded. _ He noted that there was a strip of thick woods some hundred yards from where they stood, and in { a flash it crossed his mind that if he and his com- _ panions could reach this woods, they might make good their escape. | Stealthily he touched Joe and Trent on the arm, _and glanced meaningly toward the trees. They were not slow in grasping his meaning, and suddenly all - broke through the Germans surrounding them, and : raced at top speed for the sheltering woods. ” P _ The slow-witted Germans were taken completely pay _ by surprise, and to a spectator it would have been comical to see their clumsy and frantic efforts to _ get their rifles into position and'fire. They wasted _ several precious seconds, that were as the breath of life to the three Americans, racing for their lives. They had covered almost half the distance before the first bullets began to sing past their ears. They crouched low, and, following Blake’s example, ran in jerky zig-zags, disconcerting the aim of their = _ enemies, But the little, steel-coated bullets were _ singing all about them, and the line of trees still \ : seemed a long way off. Suddenly the aviator, Trent, 4 ave a sharp cry, staggered on a a steps with his own momentum, a then cient to the ecole ny Grief was in the boys’ hearts, but they knew that to stop would only sacrifice their own lives, without. in any way benefitting Trent, who, indeed, had re-_ “ ceived a bullet through the head and was dead be- a fore he struck the ground. f With a final desperate burst of speed, the two boys dashed forward, and found themselves at last — in the shelter of the friendly trees, and for the mo- ment hidden from their pursuers. Their position was still a desperate one, however, for they were in the enemy’s territory, surrounded on all sides, and totally ignorant of the extent or direction of the woods in which they now found themselves. The underbrush was very heavy, however, and after run- _ ning a short distance further, they buried themselves — in it, and lay quiet, getting back their wind, and ‘ listening to the angry shouts and cries of their pur-_ suers as they beat about in the brushwood, in a vain — attempt to locate their elusive captives. But they were soon recalled by their officers, and at the time — the boys were greatly surprised at this, mse later they found out the reason for it. After they had recovered from their strenuous race against death, and the sounds of pursuit had died down, Blake and Joe set out on an exploring ex- pedition, making, as well as they could, in the gen- “cautiously, stopping often to Tsten for any sign of , ‘enemy life. They were not molested, but had not _ been traveling in this way for much more than an _ hour, when they saw light through the trees in front _ of them, and shortly found that they were near the _ boundary of the little patch of woods, beyond which was only open country. . _ They glanced at each other, and Blake remarked: 4 “Looks as though we had gone about as far as is _ good for us in this direction, doesn’t it?” a “Sure does,” assented Joe briefly. ‘What do you _ think we had better do now?” | “Tt seems to me our best plan will be to skirt rind the edge of this little forest glade,” said | Blake, ‘and get an idea of just how big it is. If it _ isn’t any more extensive than I think it is just now, we are emphatically out of luck. And think of ihiose dandy films, gone!” “Out of luck is right,” assented Joe. “But, at 4 "any rate, we may be able to make a break at night, 4 and get back to our own lines.” “That's about our one best bet,” agreed Blake ae E- soberly. “We'll find out how we stand now, and after dark we'll see what we can do. If only we had our films,” he added regretfully. , _ “T guess we can say good-bye to them,” said Joe “We'll be mighty lucky to get out of this Pah ee OO NE hee eeu ae _ THE FALLING PLANE ‘165, H oes | at ie well, never say die,” quoted Blake ant with at ae the extent of the woods in which they now found — ; themselves. As Blake had anticipated, they covered — ea less than a square mile, and it did not take hea 4 long to ascertain this fact. Peering out from the edges, they could see masses of German infantry ‘ and artillery out in the open, and suddenly a thought struck Joe. ‘ “Tl tell you why they did not hunt for us ane Pog he exclaimed. “Their leader figured that we'd either have to come out and surrender, or else Sth quarters and see what they were.” 7 “Well, we may fool him yet,” said Joe cin to Daca and also pretty likely that we won’t ‘sure render without having a try for bPern any ey & How about it, old fellow?” t “Right you are!” agreed Blake heartily; ¢ ‘as soon as it gets dark, we’ll make our attempt, and see what aii of it. I only wish we had Trent alone with ( nserving e their strength for the ordeal that lay be- fore them, so they hunted out a dense growth of 4 Pinderbrush, and crawled in. Thus snugly hidden, y thunder of guns, knew that a big battle was in prog-° ress, and wished that they were back where they te ould become part of it. The shadows gradually _ fa what seemed an interminable period, the boys knew that the time had come for them to make their ven- ure. By this time they were both as hungry as q _ young wolves, but wasted little time in regretting _ this condition, as they saw little prospect of remedy- ; & ing it just at present. Pein Creeping cautiously out from their brush shelter, } y they advanced to the edge of the woods, and peered as vie oe r CHAPTER SURROUNDED BY FOES THE night was very cloudy and dark, which promised to favor their escape. They strained their ears to catch any sound of a lurking enemy, but, although, there was considerable stir and bustle in the distance, they could hear nothing near at hand that threatened any special danger. “Guess we might as well risk it now as any other time,’ whispered Blake, and, as Joe felt the same way, they stole cautiously out. Occasionally a few stars showed through breaks in the clouds, and the boys knew enough of astronomy to lay a rough course by them. They had traveled perhaps a mile in this manner, when suddenly they heard the tramp of marching feet coming in their direction. What to do now be- came an immediate and most pressing problem. - Ignorant as they were of the surroundings in which they found themselves, their only safety seemed ‘to be in flight, although no matter in what direction 168 a _ into some other party of the enemy. However, the > a unknown danger was preferable to certain capture; a for the second time that day oe sought safety in flight. 4 They had hardly started to run, however, when a they heard another body of troops coming from al- most the opposite direction. They halted, and Joe exclaimed: See P J a. i “§ “Looks pretty much as if we were up against it hard and fast this time, old fellow. Thete seem to _ be Huns on every side of us. Unless we can grow wings pretty suddenly it looks as though we have : es aaly a one hundred per cent. chance of getting Be, “Tt looks bad, I’ i admit,” said Blake anxiously. ee strained his eyes through the darkness, and a 4 glow of hope shot through him as he made out _ through the blackness what seemed to be the out- __ lines of a ruined house. “Quick!” he whispered, “over this way, Joe. I think there’s some shelter oes ae and we may be é: able to lie low until they pass.” | i - refuge, stumbling over the rough ground, but pro- are : ie ee ses in spite of all obstacles. They Bes With renewed hope, the boys made for this they w Geet, eae stood in imminent danger of running | He not dcved him, for er Penh that their rt jective was really a small, brick house, that. had apparently been struck by a big shell, as it was now little more than a mass of bricks and igi) Ro beams. They crouched down in ‘the ruins, and had barely ‘ settled themselves, when the two advancing columns — of German infantry met, almost opposite their shel- ‘i . They heard the Germans stop, and exchange euttural challenges and replies. Then the two col- umns resumed their march, and the sound of their — tramping feet gradually died away in the distance. _ “Whew!” exclaimed Joe, “it’s lucky you saw this: place, Blake. We'd have been frarehing alone bane those fellows now, if you hadn't.” “Yes, or lying out there shot as spies,” eaten Blake grimly. “They’re apt to shoot first, an a : a court martial afterward.” “If we ever get out of this mess, rll say V we ae serve every variety of medal and cross that was ever — invented.” : | uae “T’d swap them all for a nice juicy beefataate hist : | at present. I’m just about starved, and that’s 3 TO - camouflage, either.” “You've got es on me. : Oo handed.” _ “Remember I'm i in with you on that. ey | SURROUNDED BY FOES — 171 _ we'd better get started again, don’t you? We've got a long way to go before we get back to our own Fines.’ “Right you are,” agreed Joe. “Let’s go.” The two friends emerged from their hiding place, _and, after getting their bearings, resumed their jour- ney. But Fate, while helping them once, refused to do soa second time. They had traveled perhaps a ; mile and a half, when suddenly, seeming to rise out 4 of the ground in front of them, a German sentry _ _ challenged them. 3 Without a word, swift and deadly as a panther, _ Blake sprang on the man and gripped his throat in fingers of steel, but as the sentry crashed to the _ ground, others of his comrades, who seemed to be all about, took the alarm, and in a moment the moy- _ ing picture boys found themselves striking out at i foes who outnumbered them ten to one. They made ? a gallant battle, and for a few minutes held off their ae assailants, who were afraid to shoot in the dark, for Be _ fear of injuring each other. But the odds were too ing | great, and, at length, the two Americans were over- Meee: _ born by sheer weight of numbers, and pinned to the | ground, The light from an electric flashlight was thrown on their faces, and the officer holding it gave _ - some curt commands. , “Amerikaner!” he growled, as he recognized their uniforms. “Tie the dogs tightly, for they are the 15 have to say before ne are shot.” Cem if es om) “Cheerful beggar, isn’t he?” said Joe, “aha had caught the sense of this statement. “We're to tell them all we know eel ahs we're set ‘up against a wall, | Blake.” ye, ee “We're safe enough, then,” ul Blake, with a wry t grin, “because I don’t imagine we'll tell them much, i do your” } Re “Silence, there!” growled the German. Talle when you are told to, and not else.” Then he gave’ some harsh commands to his men, and the Hs: | party, with the boys in the center, started off. , _ The party consisted of sixteen or eighteen men. They had been on patrol duty, but this night had been resting in a dugout some distance in back of the lines, when the two friends had had the ae ‘ tune to run right into them. aa | their hands were securely bound behind. eee and they were surrounded by ney enemies, who watche 1h hy them warily. The party proceeded in silence for nearly an hou and then, at a command from the leader, halted i front of a low, wooden building, that the boys toc to be Hicld Headquarters. The oe oe re a ey “ee _ ph ny ee pe SI a eye See te Se ee rs Pv SPS Wer ad cee NS ES ee ee eae ox, Sa 4 Rules? c ay * ait .: " a 7 oo | SURROUNDED BY FOES ———éiTz93g , together with four of his own men, to enter. Th re was nothing for it but to obey, so the boys went in, surrounded by the four Germans, with their officer bringing up the rear. The room was lighted by several oil lamps, and contained a large desk and a number of chairs. At the desk was seated a burly German, wearing the uniform of a captain. He glared balefully at the prisoners, while their captor made his report. “I know very well who you are,” said the captain, when the other had finished his report and saluted. “We had report of you to-day, and were on the lookout for you. You are the two Yankees who ; made us a visit this morning with an aeroplane and some moving picture cameras, not so?” Blake could see no object in denying this, so he admitted the fact. The officer then questioned them concerning other pictures they had taken, how long they had been taking them, and so forth. The boys with their quick wits were more than a match for him, however, and gave a quantity of choice misin- formation in such a convincing and apparently frank manner, that the German was completely fooled, and appeared to be greatly satisfied with what they had told him when he at last brought the interview to a _ close. “Take them to the guardhouse,” he ordered Kopf, = 174 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS the lieutenant who had captured them, “and see that they are well guarded. They escaped from us once to-day. 1 charge you to see that they do not repeat the performance.” Kopf saluted stiffly, and with a sharp order to his men, turned and left the room, followed by cap- tives and captors, ae ais Ha ea i ania hare eS CHAPTER XXI . . | PRISONERS OF THE HUNS 7 A sHorT march took the moving picture boys to ike guardhouse, where they were delivered over to the officer in charge, and soon afterward, after some further questioning, they were roughly pushed into _ left to their own devices. “Well, we’re in an awful mess now,” said Joe Bibletatty: “The worst has happened, and we’re | Pehutd and fast in the hands of the Huns.” 2 hungry prisoners,” said Blake. “I wonder if we can’t persuade that sentry outside to bring us grub of some kind? I’m going totry, anyway.” The door to their cell was heavily barred, and out- E side a sentry, with his clumsy German rifle over his _ shoulder, paced slowly to and fro. On his next ~ round, as he was passing their door, Blake caught i. attention, and pointed meaningly toward his Weed tava “Yes, and iabihaoe not only prisoners, but mighty Ril 2 Wadhiered apne oohtianedl, on his s measured beat. “Not much chance there, I ey said Blake. “Suppose we'll have to get along as best we can un- _ til morning.” : “I’m going to sleep, then,” declared Joe. “You know, there’s an old eee that he who oon. dines.” “All right, then,” grinned Blake, “here goes for 2 swell dinner,” and he stretched his sinewy length on the floor. Joe lay down beside him, and both boys slept the sleep of exhaustion until they were awakened by a harsh voice speaking in German. It proved to be that of Kopf, the officer who had id fected their capture. When he saw the boys were awake, he switched to English, and addressed them. “Get up, you!” he commanded, “there is a journey & before you. Your fate has not yet been decided, but — in the meantime you will be put to work and madeto do something useful.” He made a gesture, and the boys, not even taking ie a > Se oe the trouble to answer him, followed him as he turned . - and stalked out. He led them to another room, and from there, after a scanty breakfast that did little. ‘ toward allaying their ravenous hunger, they were cn ar taken to the entrance, where a big motor truck was é standing. They were commanded to get into this, which they did, and found it already occupied by is a cel oo ied Se oe sl PRISONERS OF THE HUNS 177 _ some half dozen French prisoners. After they had , got in, two Germans, armed with guns and revol- vers, entered, and occupied the ends of the two parallel seats with which the truck was equipped. Oui Ve Fors ia A ae St 7 Ase (ae fo lg et \E woe 4 ie : ‘i ‘ The guards had hardly taken their places, when © _ the truck started with a jerk, and the boys were on their way to their unknown destination. The Americans returned the curious stares of i a their fellow prisoners, and after a while Blake struck _ up a conversation with one of the poilus who could _ speak broken English. From him the boys learned that they were being transported to a farm, prob-— ably some distance from the battle lines, where they _ would be set to work at ploughing, or any of the work that is always to be done around a farm. _“Nice prospect, isn’t it?” said Blake, glancing quizzically at his friend. ‘‘Plenty of work, and no ‘wages, is what we're going to get.” “Tl bet we don’t get it for very long,” said Joe, in a low tone. “Before very long, they'll have a - couple of dead Germans lying around the place, and we'll be far away from there, or else you and I are — losing our grip.” “Well, something a little out of the ordinary may we'll be a lot better off, though, than if we had beet sent to a regular prison camp, anyway.” happen, I suppose,” grinned Blake, and the grin did not hide a certain steely glint in his eyes. “I think The truck bumped. and fons a hoa r fter hour but stopped about noon time, and each of the prisoners was given a chunk of coarse black bread, ‘Ke and some water from a bottle carried by one of the a . guards. NON “If they feed us this way all the time, we'll ye to make a get-away pretty quick, or we won’t have — strength enough left to do anything,” whispered Joe | to Blake. “This grub reminds me of the good old i oe U.-S. Army chow, it’s so different.” oe The truck resumed its tedious journey, and finally, 39 just before dark, deposited its load of weary prison- : ers in front of a large farmhouse. They were taken — to the kitchen, where, for the first time since the | boys had been on German territory, they ate a ee : fying meal. A stolid German farmer and his family watched the prisoners while they ate, and exchanged guttural comments among themselves. All the time the boys were estimating their chances of escape, bu there were always two heavily-armed guards in ‘the Y room, and they had little doubt that there were many ~ -more in the immediate neighborhood. However. they did not despair, and resolved to keep keenly on the alert for any opportunity that might offer. That night the prisoners were quartered in he loft of a big barn, and the next morning were set to work on the farm. It went sadly against - grain, but the two rch knew that. their re "PRISONERS OF THE HUNS 199 Fehadoe of escape lay in doing what they were told for the present, and being ready for any chance of escape when it might come along. For three days they went through the monotonous ‘routine, with nothing to distinguish one day from another. But on the evening of the fourth day, | be when they were on their way to the farmhouse for _ supper, they saw an automobile stop in front of it, 4 from which three German officers emerged. The _ boys were near enough to get a good view of their = faces, and the countenance of one seemed familiar to both of them. a - “T’ve seen that man before!” you recognize him, Blake?” d 3 “Yes, Ive seen him somewhere recently,” said Blake. “Let’s see—why, that’s the Boche that shoved a gun in our faces when our aeroplane landed, and got our films!” said Blake, with sup- _ pressed excitement. “Right you are,” replied Joe excitedly. “I won- ; fee Ss if, by any earthly chance, he has still got ae films! phe | E “That’s hard to say,” returned Blake. “But he edd 5 big handbag with him, and there’s just a chance that he might have them. I don’t just see - where it’s going to help us much if he has, though.” s “Well, if we could get hold of them, we could de- _ stroy them, even if we couldn’t get back with them,” a eh exclaimed Joe. “Do 39 9? a Ne hee GAS ERTS be an “eu Si * 180 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS said Joe. ‘Anyway, it’s up to us to find out some way if he’s got them with him.” “One of the guards can speak a little English,” said Blake. “I was kidding him along yesterday, and he got so he could talk to me without looking as though he intended to run his bayonet through me the next second. Maybe I can get a little informa- tion out of him.” “Go to it, old fellow,” said Joe, “see if you can't pump him while we’re eating dinner.” “Tl try,” promised Blake; and the two entered the kitchen together. CHAPTER XX THE STRUGGLE IN THE CAPTAIN’S ROOM BLAKE Lae the first opportunity of questioning ied 3 the German soldier with whom he had struck upan 4 : _ acquaintance, and learned, to his great delight, that = the German officer, Captain Petz, did indeed have tt % ith: him several small, round boxes, which Blake had little doubt contained the films, although on i this point the soldier could tell him little. More- gs over, Blake was afraid to question him too closely, for fear of arousing his suspicions. But he had Z learned enough to satisfy him. He related jubilantly 2 a to Joe all that he had learned. “And now,” he concluded, “if we can only make a get-away with those films, our being captured will turn out to have ga a blessing in disguise.” “Right you are,” agreed Joe enthusiastically. But I wonder how our sentry friend knew that is Captain Petz had the films?’ Ae “Oh, it seems he had heard the noble captain asting about it to some of his friends, and also 182 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BAI hs E making the statement that “the yokes pige never get them now. So it looks to me as though ‘ it were up to us to give the distinguished captain ibe the jolt of his young life.” aha “Wonder how long he is going to be here?” spec: : ulated Joe. “We'll have to act ney or he'll Ligh gone, and the films with him.” — os “That’s exactly the point,” said Blake. He is 4 ‘going to-morrow some time, and expects to take the | films with him and turn them in at headquarters.” — “Great Scott!” ejaculated Joe, “that doesn’t leave us much time, does it?” ue “That’s the worst of it,” admitted Blake, wae an anxious frown. “It’s all very well for us to ralle about getting away, and taking the films with us. — But the big question is: how are we going to do it? My mind seems entirely ai of useful ideas. [See ‘ if you can suggest anything.” Nee be pay thing I can think of to do,” said Joe slowly, “is to wait until after dark to-night, and then | see if we can’t get past the guards and into ‘the: house. Once in, we'll have to locate the captain’ 5. room, and get hold of the films, and ow take, a _ STRUGGLE IN THE CAPTAIN'S ROOM 183 é this place, we've Bat to take big chances, and we might By well do it to-night as some other time, I suppose.” In preparation for escape, the moving picture __ boys had already laid by a secret supply of food, and 4 _ Blake had managed to secure a rough map of the ~ surrounding country, so they were not entirely with- ; ; out resources. They planned to elude the sentries if _ possible, but, in the event of being challenged, to attack and overpower the man before he could give the alarm. After much discussion, they decided to q make their attempt as soon as the inmates of the 4 A house had retired for the night, which was usually St _ between ten and eleven o'clock. By the time they had reached this conclusion, the _ boys were keyed up to a pitch of excitement that _ boded ill for those who might attempt to stand be- tween them and liberty. They were resolved to get ‘Ne back to their own people, and, if possible, take the _ precious films with them. q After supper had been eaten, they were marched - back to the barn where they were quartered. Of course, neither one thought of going to sleep. They ae Be at keenly on the alert, and were impatient - for the fateful time to come. The intervening hours dragged by interminably, but at last they heard the orks strike ten, and knew that the time for their heer i ee a ee a= _ whisper from Blake, slipped ane fen thor cone fs beds. There was always a sentry posted at the door, | but the boys had no intention of going out by such an obvious route. They had discovered a small sky- y light in the roof of the barn, and they now climbed | noiselessly up the ladder leatie. to the EPPE story eh: of the structure. : Everywhere was pitch btaelinets but they on studied their ground well and had little difficulty in finding their way now. They soon found themselves 4 . at the skylight, which showed a lighter blur against a the black expanse of the barn roof. The skylight was only fastened by a hook, it apparently never having occurred to their captors that the prisoner might avail themselves of this route of escape. ae But at any rate, the two Americans soon found fingers, and oe Worle their way down to. a edge. From there it-was a drop of almost twenty feet to the ground, but the boys knew they were alarm the sentry. But fortamatels it did ata soon Joe, breathless and somewhat shaken, standing safely beside his friend. tees a STRUGGLE IN THE CAPTAIN'S ROOM 185 | he house.” | The boys were het on the point of starting for _ the farmhouse, when a sudden tumult in the build- 5 ing caused them to start back. Lights blazed up at several of the windows, and the boys could faintly hear the hum of voices. “What in the world do you suppose is the matter now?” whispered Joe. ; “So far, so good,” mnerered Blake, ‘ ‘and now for _ about all we can do is lie low and see what happens.” The two friends crouched down in the deep _ shadow cast by the barn, and before long, through Z the silent night air, heard the sound of an automo- bile approaching at high speed. “We've got to find out what’s happening, that’s all there is to it,” muttered Blake. ‘“Let’s creep around to the front of the house, Joe, and see what swe can find out. If we keep close in the Sa I think we can make it without being seen.’ the boys stole past the sheltering side of the barn, and crept cautiously toward the house. They knew that detection would mean certain death, and ad- ee vanced as cautiously and with as little noise as two cats. They escaped detection while crossing the space between the house and the barn, and soon had worked themselves around to the front of the fartne ; a d 7 Cs ‘ i fi ¢ as. Bk ee © ae Le palettes $3 2 et er De Flay ei tag SOR ll ete Ol Ro EE cy -“T haven't the least idea,” responded Blake. “But — With hearts beating with suppressed excitement, a small handbag, and evidently a ) déctor: pe - from it. | eh “That’s what all the excite about,” wie . pered Blake to Joe, “there’s somebody sick in the — house, and that doctor has just answered a hurry-up BY! call.” wave “Looks that way,” adenttied Joe. “But whatever ae it is, it looks as though it had put a crimp in our, aa schemes. How are we going to do a when aoe: everybody is up eine ign: eae ing some rapid thinking it may ‘be a help ‘iste O i) a hindrance. Everybody will be so eawd over r this general confusion, and ‘he make our escape.” “Possibly,” whispered Joe early: shall we go about it?” | . “Come with me,” said Blake briefly. ON He had noticed that when the doctor ek been ad- me ay ones for the moment well screened from. che ay non Without any. Deals hesitation, ay they 2 | t Ve STRUGGLE IN THE CAPTAIN'S ROOM 387 ihe a Blake slightly in the lead. They had now _ gone too far to draw back, and Blake boldly slipped inside, followed closely by Joe. The boys found themselves in a dimly lighted hall, _ and as a first precaution Blake blew out the lamp that furnished the light. Standing in the darkness, muffled voices By oead: and chad that they pro- ceeded from the room where the sick person lay. They had only a rough idea of where Captain Petz’ _ room was, gleaned by Blake from the friendly sen- etry. © ‘They knew, however, that it was on the upper floor, and so began to mount the stairs, pausing to _. listen at every step. Once or twice loose boards _ creaked alarmingly, but, as Blake had said, the household was so upset that their chances of success were greater than if it had been plunged in slumber. ; ‘It did not take the youths long to reach the head of the stairs, but there they paused. At the head -_was an old-fashioned, marble-topped table, and on this table stood a small bottle marked in German “Chloroform.” _- *No telling when that might come in handy,” « thought Blake, and slipped the bottle into his pocket. di The boys now saw that the sick room was the first one that opened into the hallway, which ran almost _ the entire length of the upper story. If Blake’s in- would fave to pass he sick room, the door of whe 3 _ was partly open, allowing a broad beam of ighey to an escape. | ae up their venture altogether, they walked guiekly . but quietly past the open door. & They had hardly reached the comparative obeeae ay ity beyond, when someone, apparently a servant, rushed out, but fortunately, turned away from the : boys, and hurried to the little table. After a hur-— ried search, he muttered a German imprecation, and— the boys knew that he must be looking for the ba a Of course, neither of the bys knew but iat ght . STRUGGLE IN THE CAPTAIN'S ROOM 189 _ But now the good fortune that had seemed to _ accompany them so far, appeared to have deserted _ them. For at a large mirror stood the German cap- g tain, Petz, and as he heard the soft closing of the _ door, he whirled with a startled exclamation. Both q boys realized that they must act quickly, or in an- 4 other moment all would be lost. Quick as an at- a tacking tiger, Blake was across the room, and be- q fore the German could gather his wits together suf- 3 _ ficiently to cry out and give the alarm, he found his _ throat caught in a grasp of steel. He attempted to _ struggle, but quick as a flash Joe had pinioned his J PAETRG For a brief space the three swayed back and forth, for the German was a large and powerful man, and if he had not been taken so entirely by surprise, could have offered a formidable resistance. With _ those merciless fingers at his throat, however, his strength ebbed quickly away, and suddenly he grew _ limp, and slumped to the floor. “Tie him up and gag him,” panted Blake. “I sup- ¥ pose we ought to kill him, but I can’t do for a man — incold blood. We can rip apt a couple of sheets and - make them do to tie him up.” | _ This was no sooner said than done, and wher .._ But, although they ented high and low, they could oe | find no trace of them. yan ie “Worst luck ever!” ieee Tbe: ° " i* “Guess we'll have to question this Boche,” said — Blake, “and if he won’t talk, we'll see if we can’t — persuade him with his own revolver, which t see lying on the bureau.” Sua The pinioned officer had been following mee with his eyes, and his face was contorted into- aa) and, having suid the heave ‘weapon, bent ove the Cane ge ; yonder,” said Blake to Joe. “Write on it that we want Ge know where the films are, and that if | Army.” Joe hastily scribbled this message on a sheet eth paper, and held it where the German could | re it to At the same time, Blake pressed the cold m | of the revolver against Petz’ head. f But the German, ce was not | without at STRUGGLE IN THE CAPTAIN'S ROOM rot ing malicious eyes. “Untie one of his hands, Je ” directed Blake, _ “so that he can write an answer.” Joe did so, and the officer took the pen that was __ offered him, and in angular German script, wrote: _ “The films that you want have been removed. to a safe place, and I will not tell you where. You can kill me if you like, but that will not give you your pictures.” _-—- “The worst of it is, he knows we won’t kill him, A, wate Americans and not Huns,” said Blake. “If the conditions were reversed he’d wipe us out with- out compunction, and he no doubt thinks we’re weak “on it just the same.’ 4 _ Blake had hardly finished Gries when new came an imperative rap on the door, and a voice _ said in German: % "Herr Captain, let me in! I have something t to Eick you of the utmost importance.’ ; _ The speaker rattled the door impatiently, and the "startled boys looked at each other, each with the “now! oy He ee “Ts eye wrong? Speak eet or e brute courage, only looked at his captors with sneer- as not finishing oe off, but he knows he can count ce ‘same eto in his eyes. What was to be done ye % “What is the matter?” the voice Bards asked) ai a a note of anxiety and suspicion replacing that of m= 192 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS I shall break the door down. Hans! Otto!” calling to two of the servants, “come here, immediately.” “We've got to get out of this!” whispered Blake, “and the only way is out the window. Come along, Joe, but don’t make any noise.” The two moving picture boys stepped swiftly to the windows, which gave on the roof of the porch. Noiselessly they opened one sash, and in less time than it takes to tell, were out on the sloping roof. “Over we go, Joe,” said Blake, in a tense whisper. “Tt isn’t much of a drop, and we haven’t any choice, anyhow.” The two boys dropped almost at the same moment, landing noiselessly in a soft flower bed. From the room that they had just quitted they could hear the sound of blows, and knew that the threat to break down the door was being carried into execution. The boys picked themselves up, and ran swiftly but silently for the road. The chance of getting the films back was gone, but the two Americans still hoped to make good their escape. CHAPTER XXIII A PERILOUS SITUATION THE two moving picture boys had reached the gate, when suddenly from behind the doctor’s auto- mobile walked the sentry whose duty it was to patrol part of the boundary line of the farm. Taken by surprise, the man gaped open-mouthed for a second or two, but then swung his rifle to his shoulder. In another second he would have fired, but that second was not vouchsafed him. Blake still had the revol- ver that had formerly belonged to Captain Petz, and, quick as a flash, he fired at the sentry. The latter crumpled up without a sound, but the report, ringing out on the quiet night, set all the guards, on the farm into life. The boys heard the notes of a bugle from the guardhouse, and knew that soon an armed force would be at their heels. “Fere’s where we’ve got to do some awful sprint- ing!” panted Joe. ““They’ll be after us hot and heavy now! Guess our only chance is to get to the woods and hide there until they quit looking for us.” 103 si Palake nodded his heal don eee this time the roa needed all their wind for running. They had noted. fy _ (when planning their escape, that a thick stretch of is ne woodland began about half a mile from the me Pie down the teed and he knew that nhede were — electric flashlights in the hands | of te German ards 3 : “lenge es an idea came to him, and he panted ~ "pretty soon.’ , RAY: Pe lic aaa “That’s so,” panted jo Pe Cee a caer both crowded close to the ditch, sane — the friendly shelter of the —. and ina sI ae Vat 2) 235, _ time reached the first trees. price re off the Ey ie stopped for a muchsdeede rest. : | _ night air came the shouts ahd cries sof their pursuers, . ~ “Guess we got off just i in th iY SHE Herd ocean to use that car in the | fir AY it PERILOUS SITUATION 198 ce sae fave had us long before.we could have gotten to these trees.” ie “Yes, but who expects a Hun to ede ahi : that’s intelligent?’ asked Joe, and Blake had no an- _ swer for him. | ” The possibility of capture was still imminent, as when the boys heard it returning. The Germans knew that the Americans could not have gone far _ without being overtaken by the automobile, so they __ brush in every direction. The boys heard them com- ing closer, and started to penetrate deeper into the woods. They wete going down a small hill, when _ suddenly Joe slipped and fell, but was on his feet almost immediately. _ “That’s funny,” he muttered, ied as though | L. stepped into a big hole, and I just saved pet by. _ twisting to one side.” Tags: “Well, never mind, as long as you’re not hurt,” Ei said Blake, impatiently. “Let’s go.” “Wait a minute, Blake,” said Joe excitedly, -“there’s some kind of an eponine through these bushes. I’m going to investigate.” _ Pressing through a thick clump of bushes, ue sud- denly seemed to disappear into the earth. A mo- We the boys knew that the patch of woodland was not. i extensive, and that a strict search would be inaugu- _ rated. The pursuit swept by, but had not gone far, returned and then entered the woods, beating the ment Nee Blake heard hiss voice, Joe reappeared in the land of the living. ue “There’s a cave-in here,” his friend, “and it’s so well Ridden: by buchos! “unless one of the Germans just happened on it _ accident, the way I did, we could jae out ae “never would find us. Come on in,’ Ek : Moods who are out after our Bre ‘Tn y we g0. | ni He followed Joe tote st dense ns pas A PERILOUS SITUATION “1907. refuge. They had picked up enough German to understand something of what was being said, and in spite of their peril could not help being amused at the chagrin of the enemy. | | “Tt is even as they say,” growled one, “these _ ‘Americans are more cunning than Satan himself. You can never tell what they may be able to do.” _ “T think the old Nick himself must have come to their assistance to-night,” said another, “He must have flown away with them, or we should surely have found them before this.” | | “Never mind talking so much,” growled a ser- geant; “‘we know they must be in these woods some- where. But we will not hunt any more to-night. We'll wait until daylight comes to our assistance. _ Meantime, I will post guards all about this wood- f land, and to-morrow we shall surely find them. | ee Then we will shoot the Yankees like the dogs they eeeare.!! | ; “Maybe two sii play at that game,” whispered _ Blake to Joe. “I could pot him so easily right now | with this automatic that it would be a shame to take | » the money. He may not find us as easily as he Ly thinks. And, anyway,” he added, “the man that — does find us, if anyone does, will be eee! and en- i A eed out of luck, I hope to tell you.” of the Ue ee As it grew lighter, ecu dees straggl din through the bushes to enable them to see what a is ner of place it was that had so opportunely come to their rescue. They found that the cave was only i" small one, sohes giving them room to move ab Bs dark, and once more woe away ‘baffled. The boys had enough food to Aa them ‘ out, they were not to eed all a it, They. tay in their cave all that day, aot turns at s A PERILOUS SITUATION 199 on the alert, as he was eager to grasp at any chance of escape that might present itself. The wagon drew closer, and in his anxiety to get a better view, Blake ventured to part the bushes a trifle. In a short time the wagon came in sight. Blake then saw that it contained two men, and, as it drew nearer, he recognized one of them. Both were dressed in the military gray of the German Army, and the taller of the two men, who was driv- ing, was none other than Captain Petz, of the Im- perial German Army! CHAPTER XXIV PUTTING IT OVER For a moment, Blake’s heart almost stood still as a wild plan formed itself like lightning in his brain. There could be no doubt about the identification. It was getting dusk, but there was still light enough to make out the man’s features distinctly. Those features had been indelibly engraved on his memory during the fierce struggle in the captain’s room. It was he beyond a question. The other man wore the uniform of a fiewtadaate and was slighter in form than his colleague. He did not look as though he would be hard to master if it came to a tussle. But the captain himself, as, Blake had learned from experience, would be hard to handle. Blake’s first impulse was to draw the heavy re- volver that he had taken from the bureau in the captain’s room. But he dismissed this even as he was reaching for the weapon. There were too many Germans around for that. 200 : Instantly he beckoned to Joe. ies a itiach: ye comrade was at his side. | ae | tual fof Petz, Joe,” Blake whispered. “Follow me, a J ut don’ t make a noise. ih ll tell vay my plan as we) le ae able to Paine sues their lines. We'll Bik et it. wit the worst comes to the worst, the r | But T don’t want to use 4 202 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEAIBLDS «| Germans. Evidently something was the matter with the harness, for the captain’s comrade climbed down and busied himself for a moment adjusting some- thing near the horse’s head. The boys crept closer until they were not more than twenty feet away. It was pitch dark now, and the shadow of the woods was no longer necessary for concealment. : The lieutenant climbed in again and settled him- self in his seat. The captain gathered up the reins and the horse started. “Now,” whispered Blake. A. slight run carried them to the back of the wagon, which had just begun to move. They caught hold of the tailboard and lightly swung themselves up. The captain and lieutenant had begun an ani- mated conversation. Blake drew the vial of chloro-— form from his pocket and saturated his handker- chief. Then he passed the vial to Joe, who did the same to his. Stealthily as cats they coves up to the front of — the wagon. Then their right arms shot out. Blake had selected the captain while the lieutenant was left to Joe. With their right arms they encircled the necks of the Germans and with their left they pressed the saturated handkerchiefs against their faces. PUTTING IT OVER 203 For an instant the Germans were paralyzed by the suddenness of the attack. Then there was a fierce reaction and they struggled desperately to rise from their seats and turn upon their foes. But the arms of the boys were like steel and never relaxed an inch while the stupefying drug quickly got in its deadly work. A minute longer and the Germans fell back limp and unconscious in the boys’ arms. The boys laid the Huns down on the floor of the wagon and then Blake devoted himself to quieting’ the horse that had been alarmed by the commotion and was.threatening to bolt. He soon had the ani- mal under control and then turned to Joe. “We put that over all right, eh?” he said with. exultation in his voice. . “Worked like a charm,” replied Joe. “TI tell you what, Blake, there’s no discount on that gray mat- ter of yours. And now that we’ve got these fellows where we want them, what comes next?” “The first thing we have to do is to get off this road,’ answered Blake. “It seems to be a pretty lonely one, but some one may come along any min- ute. I’m going to drive the horse a little way into the woods and tie him there. It won’t do to turn him loose, for it will be thought that some accident has happened and they’ll have searching parties on the hunt. You keep your eyes on these fellows while I’m driving and if you see any signs of their coming 204 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS back from the land of dreams give them another dose of the chloroform. ‘There’s plenty left in the bottle.” Blake took the reins, and, driving very slowly, gradually worked his way into the woods until he was some distance from the road. Here he climbed down, tied the horse, and as a precaution against his neighing fastened a strap lightly about his jaws. Then they let down the tailboard of the wagon, lifted the captain and lieutenant to the ground, and with feverish haste began to strip them of their uni- _ forms. CHAPTER XXV, 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. “T 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 return- 205 ey Pubs ean 206, PICTURE BOYS on RENCE A rTLEPI ing consciousness and moaned a restlessly. ‘ i NE See rae “A little more of that chiorof ae aaa: Y Blake. “We can’t afford to let them. wake up yet Just let’s get these uniforms buttoned | up and the ne we'll tie their hands and feet and gag them. The it won’t matter how soon they wake uct ify we mak a good job of it. eee if ee betes ceedery “We re letting them off cay at ‘hat i said Joe. inf _us if they had us in the same fix, x ce of bullets “rom that automatic and it would be all over wit sonra go on the Sa that El no ee | on “That’s not aay their principle ‘but t et pr - tice,” replied Blake. “But it isn’t in the America a : : blood to kill an unarmed and helpless 8 man. a ‘sure -oners. We ace i able then, to get out tof ze i what they have done with our films.” hue “Nothing doing,” said Joe. We'll — al can do to get back ourselves, let alone lugging : - Heinies anerey as ae And as aa 207 about securing ae i ee They tied their hands and feet so securely that they felt sure they could not get free from the bonds. : a4 “A magician would find his work cut out a him ) wriggle out of these knots,” remarked Joe with satisfaction, when they had finished. “And now for e gags.” ae. “Be d better ee that till the last minute,” said Blake with some hesitation. “They’re finding it I ard to breathe now and I don’t want to choke them ‘to death. But we'll make the gags and have them - eady. In the meantime, we'll hunt through this % wagon and see if we can rustle some grub. We're Tikely enough to need some before we get back to our lines. And hand me that rug there under the _ T’ll throw it over these fellows to make up for their lack of clothes.” __ Joe climbed into the wagon and pulled out the : which he threw out to his comrade, Then he oand under the seats. : t Aatiod, i weight, the size, everything! We ve mee _ Blake, we’ve got them! thes in and handle yourself. i i uh was right. Both lots of them! ii ‘i exulted, : “Those of t the them both! Say, he must be the one that ae handles those things and everything that is capt ? goes to him. Say, Joe, old fink maybe we aren t 1m Tuck!” i | The two boys fairly hogged each other he delight. a : exclaimed Blake, when their first excitem bores from under the influence oe fhe ine and pa ny ing to rise to his feet. His ona ; rose mot fae down the road. There was the sharp ack of rifles and the rattle of machine guns. Then, al ter a while, the noise seemed to come nearer and They’ re fighting’ !’ cried Blake. ‘We must be a et deal closer to the battle lines than ever we —™” i : Hi: met a peatany of Germans coming back | r ie road in retreat, while behind them came ~ i 4 - c i @ 210 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS and he motioned to Blake Stewart an 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, ir wats \s his i og 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 uni- forms?” | In a few words Blake, with many interrip 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 LOST FILMS—CONCLUSION 21T 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 pic- ture company mauled and pounded them until they were sore, and the girls cried with relief and pleas- ure. Even C. C., for once, was all smiles, though he could not forbear remarking that influenza was rag- ing in the German army and that he thought the boys would get it from the uniforms they were wear- ing. Their commander, too, was more than cordial, and everywhere they went they met with congratu- lations 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 sus- tained some other damage in their wanderings, proved to be in perfect condition and developed won- derfully. The moving-picture boys were dead tired but un- speakably happy when at last they were in their old 212 PICTURE BOYS ON FRENCH BATTLEFIELDS familiar quarters and prepared to retire for the night. “T 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 Ae 4 % ‘ The Movie Boys Series By VICTOR APPLETON — 2 aur RO ll THE MOVIE BOYS ON CALL, or Filming the Perils of A Great City. Published January 2, peak THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE WILD WEST, or Stirring Days Among the Cowboys and Indians, Published January 28, chee THE MOVIE BOYS AND THE WRECKERS, or Facing the Perils of the Deep. Published February 28, 1926 THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE JUNGLE, _—s 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, ee _ or Perilous Days on the Mighty Mississippi. Published May 28, 1926 THE MOVIE BOYS IN PERIL, aa: or Strenuous Days Along the Panama Canal. eRe Published June 28, 1926 THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER THE SE A, y aeraae | 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, Sih i or Taking Pictures for the Army. Published September 28, 1926 Lar THE MOVIE BOYS’ FIRST SHOWHOUSE, hes: 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, 1987, THE MOVIE BOYS’ WAR SPECTACLE, i] _ Garden City Publishing Co., Inc. | Garden City LAE fa New York or The Film that Won the Prize. Published April 28, 1927 The Frank Allen Series By GRAHAM B. FORBES FRANK ALLEN’S SCHOOLDAYS, or The All Around Rivals of Columbia High. Published January 2, 1926 FRANK ALLEN PLAYING TO WIN, or the Boys of Columbia High on the Ice. Published January 7, 1926 FRANK ALLEN IN WINTER SPORTS, or Columbia High on Skates and Iceboats. Published February 7, 1926 FRANK ALLEN AND HIS RIVALS, or The Boys of Columbia High in Track Athleties. Published March 7, 1926 FRANK ALLEN—PITCHER : or The Boys of Columbia High on the Diamond. Published April 7, 1926 FRANK ALLEN—HEAD OF THE CREW, or The Boys of Columbia High on the River. Published May 7, 1926 FRANK ALLEN IN CAMP, or Columbia High and the School League Rivals. — Published June 7, 1926 — Garden City Publishing Co., Ine. Garden City - ~ New York a a) PS sree ete oo ee iowa = > 2 —— ee en ee THE NAT RIDLEY RAPID FIRE DETECTIVE STORIES By NAT RIDLEY, Jr. GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY, or Nat Ridley’s Great Race Track Case. Published January 2, 1926 TRACKED TO THE WEST, or Nat Ridley at the Magnet Mine. Published January 21, 1926 IN THE NICK OF TIME, or Nat Ridley Saving a Life. Published February 21, 1926 THE CRIME ON THE LIMITED, or Nat Ridley in the Follies. Published March 21, 1926 A DARING ABDUCTION, or Nat Ridley’s Biggest Fight. Published April 21, 1926 THE STOLEN NUGGETS OF GOLD, or Nat Ridley on the Yukon. Published May 21, 1926 A SECRET OF THE STAGE, or Nat Ridley and the Bouquet of Death. : Published June 21, 1926 THE GREAT CIRCUS MYSTERY, or Nat Ridley on a Crooked Trail. Published July 21, 1926 A SCREAM IN THE DARK, or Nat Ridley’s Crimson Clue. Published August 21, 1926 THE RACE TRACK CROOKS, or Nat Ridley’s Queerest Puzzle. Published September 212, 1926 Garden City Publishing Co., lnc. Garden City - - New York Saar a ae a TLR The Dave Fearless Series By ROY ROCKWOOD DAVE FEARLESS AFTER A SUNKEN TREASURE, or The Rival Ocean Divers. Published January 2, 1926 DAVE FEARLESS ON A FLOATING ISLAND, or The Cruise of the Treasure Ship. Published January 14, 1926 DAVE FEARLESS AND THE CAVE OF MYSTERY, or Adrift on the Pacific. Published February 14, 1926 DAVE FEARLESS AMONG THE ICEBERGS, or The Secret of the Eskimo Igloo. Published March 14, 1926 DAVE FEARLESS WRECKED AMONG SAVAGES, or The Captives of the Head Hunters. Published April 14, 1926 DAVE FEARLESS AND HIS BIG RAFT, or Alone on the Broad Atlantic. Published May 14, 1926 Garden City Publishing Co., Ine. Garden City - - New York AN atta rg ie par ee “Pit oe de ae a Me ‘Smashing Western and Sea Stories Pe, i Face Exciting Dangers! Live Thrilling Romance ! New Titles will be Added Constantly to this List DON QUICKSHOT OF THE RIO GRANDE by ped cy Chalmers LOADED DICE by Edwin L. Sabin SONTAG OF SUNDOWN by PF. C. Tuttle , SPAWN OF THE DESERT by W. C. Tuttle ARIZONA ARGONAUTS by H. Bedford-Jones THE LURE OF PIPER’S GLEN by Theodore Goodridge Roberts APACHE VALLEY by Arthur Chapman THE CHALLENGE OF THE NORTH by James B. Hendryx “THE SECOND MATE by H. Bedford-Jones ‘THE DEVIL’S PAYDAY by W. C. Tuttle + THE CANYON OF THE GREEN DEATH by F. R. Buckley 5 ie ur SKY HIGH CORRAL by Ralph Cummins at ve THE SEVEN PEARLS OF SHANDI by Magruder Maury _ . THE LAST GRUBSTAKE by Anthony M. Rud ~~ THE SHERIFF OF PECOS by H. Bedford-Jones ~~ ‘THE WONDERSTRANDS by Samuel Alexander White THE NIGHT RIDER by Elmer B. Mason THE PHANTOM WOLF by T. ‘Von Ziekursch THE HEN HERDER by J. Allan Dunn THE ONE BIG THING by James B. Hendryx - SCAVENGERS OF THE SEA by George Ethelbert Walsh MUSKET HOUSE by Theodore Goodridge Roberts MORMON VALLEY by H. Bedford-Jones THE LAW OF THE RANGE by WF. C. Tuttle WITH ROPE AND BRAND by William MacLeod Raine ~ MARQUARD THE SILENT by James B. Hendryx THUNDERHORSE by Edison Marshall THE BANDIT OF DEVIL’S OWN by L. De Bra *DOoc!” by Harold Titus THE OUTLAW OF RATTLESNAKE GAP by H. Bedford-Jones 'TRAMPS OF THE RANGE by VF. C. Tuttle “1 POWDER LAW by VW. C. Tuttle Seid DEVIL MARKED by Edwin L. Sabin 12 Famous Authors A Rare Combination of World-Famous Authors, Each Represented by a Notable Work} THE DUEL by Joseph Conrad. An acknowledged master of Eng- lish prose tells a dramatic story of France. NORTH OF 53 (from Pardners) by Rex Beach. In the land of the midnight sun men fight for a living. WINGS by Gene Stratton-Porter. With Nature as a background Mrs. Porter brings the wildfolk close to our hearts, MA PETTENGILL TALKS by Harry Leon Wilson. Do you re- member Ruggles of Red Gap? Ma Pettengill was one of his friends. UNEDUCATING MARY by Kathleen Norris. From a life of luxury to the hard facts of life goes a conquering girl. THE BEAUTIFUL LADY by Booth Tarkington. A romance under the glamorous Italian moon, . THE DARK FLEECE by Joseph Hergesheimer. A forty-niner comes East with his golden fleece which soon fails to glisten. AN AMATEUR by W. B. Maxwell. She thought of suicide— the race that night was against death itself. CAPT. WARDLAW’S KITBAGS by Harold MacGrath. How old was Cupid? Many have guessed, but few have discovered. THE GORGEOUS ISLE by Gertrude Atherton. A brilliant novel- ist writes of love and regeneration under tropical skies. THE TOUCHSTONE by Edith Wharton. And this is how it happened—but no! Read it for yourself. Mrs. Wharton is a literary artist. THE SPANISH JADE by Maurice Hewlett. A fascinating story of the pursuit through Spain of a seductive beauty. : Garden City Publishing Co., Jue. Garden City - - New York eae THRILLING, BLOOD - CHILLING _ Follow the crooked trails of criminals—with cour- weous men face danger and death against an invisible foe—unravel strange, terrible mysteries. Many ex- $ iting, throbbing hours are ahead of you. IN A NIGHT’S WORK. oh ee - ‘By Ethel W atts Mumford and George Bronson Howard Three Boys’ Books CAVES OF TERROR By Talbot Mundy A story of two secret service detectives in India. They get mixed up with some natives who take them through caves and grottos which hold all the mysteries and secrets and horrors of the strange East. A hair-raising story. THE OXBOW WIZARD By Theodore Goodridge Roberts A thrilling story about a boy trapper and amateur de- tective who goes into the Oxbow forest. With splendid daring the boy runs down the villains, but only after a series of adventures which make stirring reading for fathers and mothers as well as sons, THE WHALER By Ben Ames Williams A New England lad stumbled into New Bedford only to | have a man with a gash in his neck fall dead at his feet. Shanghied aboard a whaler the lad goes through a tough cruise with a variety of stirring adventures and comes home a new man. Garden City Publishing Co., Inc. Garden City _ .. New York THE BOOK OF ETIQUETTE Pocket Edition By Lillian Eichler Le ‘This Riches edition of the famous book which has sold ver a million copies retains all the important portions of he original. This is the ideal manual for correct behavior. _ BUSINESS HANDBOOK AND LETTER WRITER _ By Charles T. Whitefield The indispensable guide to clear, forceful English for the busy man or woman. Prepared by an experienced execu- a tive, this is the ‘ideal manual for ready reference for those oe who wish to acquire a sound and convincing mastery of English. There are many sample letters, etc. Included is pace useful material which must always be ready to hand. - ECONOMY COOKING By Lillian White Gerard No matter how well you know how to cook, this book will ‘reel invaluable to you. There are 278) tested and approved j Date York | niin The Movie Boys Series By VICTOR APPLETON THE MOVIE BOYS ON CALL, or Filming the Perils of A Great City. THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE WILD WEST, or Stirring Days Among the Cowboys and Indians. THE MOVIE BOYS AND THE WRECKERS, or Facing the Perils of the Deep. THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE JUNGLE. or Lively Times Among the Wild Beasts. THE MOVIE BOYS IN EARTHQUAKE LAND, or Filming Pictures and Strange Perils. THE MOVIE BOYS AND THE FLOOD, or Perilous Days on the Mighty Mississippi. THE MOVIE BOYS IN PERIL, or Strenuous Days Along the Panama Canal. THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER THE SEA, or The Treasure of the Lost Ship. THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER FIRE, or The Search for the Stolen Film. THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER UNCLE SAM, or Taking Pictures for the Army. THE MOVIE BOYS’ FIRST SHOWHOUSE, or Fighting for a Feothold in Fairlands. THE MOVIE BOYS AT SEASIDE PARK, or I'he Rival Photo Houses of the Boardwalk. THE MOVIE BOYS ON BROADWAY, or The Mystery of the Missing Cash Box. THE MOVIE BOYS’ OUTDOOR EXHIBITION, or the Film that Solved the Mystery. THE MOVIE BOYS’ NEW IDEA, or Getting the Best of Their Enemies. THE MOVIE BOYS AT THE BIG FAIR, or The Greatest Film Ever Exhibited. THE MOVIE BOYS’ WAR SPECTACLE, or The Film that Won the Prize. Garden City Publishing Co., Inc. Garden City - - - New York “~F