CHAPTER II
STIRRING NEWS
Joe could hear his chum Blake murmuring such things as:
"Yes, I'm listening! Is that so? Say, that's fierce!"
"Why, yes, I guess we can go," spoke Blake, after a lengthy talk fromthe person at the other end of the wire. "Yes, Joe's here with me," hewent on. "What! Is she lost, too?"
"Say, for cats' sake give a fellow an idea what it's all about; can'tyou, Blake?" pleaded Joe, at his chum's elbow.
"Just a minute," answered Blake, in an aside. "I'll give you the wholestory in a minute. I want to get it straight first."
Then he continued to listen, and while he is thus at the telephone Iwill tell my new readers, briefly, something about the moving pictureboys.
In the initial volume of this series, entitled "The Moving Picture Boys;Or, Perils of a Great City Depicted," I introduced Blake Stewart and JoeDuncan. They were farm lads, and, most unexpectedly, one day, a companyof moving picture actors and actresses came to their village to makescenes in a rural drama. The two boys became interested, especially inthe mechanical end of the work of making films.
Later they had an opportunity of taking up the business under thedirection of Mr. Calvert Hadley, a moving picture operator, who offeredto teach Joe and Blake how to properly use the wonderful cameras.
The boys went to New York, and met the members of the Film TheatricalCompany, with which Mr. Hadley was associated. That gave Joe and Blaketheir start in life, and since then they had been in the business oftaking moving pictures. They became experts, and their services were ingreat demand, not only in filming dramas acted by the company, but inmaking independent views.
They went out West, as told in the second volume, and got some stirringviews of cowboys and Indians, and then they went to the Pacific Coast,and later to the jungle, where there were more strenuous times.
Their latest venture had been to Earthquake Land, and on returning fromthere they felt the need of a vacation. They engaged board at thefarmhouse of Hiram Baker, in Central Falls, about fifty miles from NewYork City, and they were taking their rest there when the newspaperstory of the flood on the Mississippi, and the long-distance telephonecall, rather interrupted their ease and quiet.
I might add that in their trip to the coast Joe located his long-lostfather, and later, in an expedition to the jungle, he succeeded inlocating his sister, who had gone to the Dark Continent as amissionary's helper.
Mr. Duncan and his daughter Jessie made their home together, and Joestayed with them when he was not off with Blake making movingpictures--which was quite often.
For a time Joe and Blake had worked with the Film Theatrical Company,which went to various parts of the country to get the proper backgroundsfor their films. But of late, as I have said, the two boys had startedout for themselves.
Still they kept up their acquaintanceship and friendship with thecompany. Just a word about the various members, and I will resume thisstory.
Mr. Jacob Ringold was the proprietor of the Film Theatrical Company, andsome of the members were Henry Robertson, who played juvenile leads,Harris Levinberg, the "villain," Miss Nellie Shay, the leading lady, andBirdie Lee, a pretty, vivacious girl, who took the lighter feminineparts in the dramas. And there was Christopher Cutler Piper--oh, yes, wemust not forget him.
Mr. Piper did not like his name--that is, the two first sections, andhis friends, to oblige him, had shortened it to "C. C.," or else theycalled him just "Mr. Piper." Sometimes, however, he was referred to as"Gloomy."
This name fitted him to perfection. He was a gloomy comedian--that is,he was gloomy off the stage; not on it. He would raise a laugh by hisaction, or lines, and, coming out of the scene, would be in the mostdoleful state of mind imaginable.
In this book you will find many references to "filming" a scene,exposed, unexposed and developed films, cameras, and the like.
For a full explanation of how moving pictures are taken, I refer myreaders to the previous volumes of this series.
And now to resume the story.
Blake stood there, his ear fairly glued to the receiver, and theexpression on his face constantly changing. But, though it did change, acertain worried look, that came over it almost from the first moment ofthe spoken words, did not leave it.
"Say, are you going to talk all day, without giving me a hint of what itis?" spoke Joe, in a tense whisper. "Let me listen in; can't you, oldman?"
"Right away--yes," answered Blake, in an aside. "All right," he calledinto the transmitter. "Yes, I'll tell Joe all about it. He'll come withme, I'm sure."
"I rather guess I will--if I ever find out what it's about," murmuredthe other. "Have a heart, and tell me."
"Good-bye," called Blake, into the telephone. "I'll see you in NewYork."
Then he hung up the receiver, and, turning to his chum, asked:
"What do you think has happened?"
"I haven't the least idea, unless New York is wiped off the map by adynamite explosion, and we're wanted to help put it back."
"No, it isn't exactly that," said Blake. "I was talking just now to Mr.Ringold. He's in a peck of trouble!"
"How's that?"
"Why, he wants us to start for the flooded Mississippi district at once,and get a lot of scenes out there. But that's not the worst. Part of hiscompany, that he sent out near Hannibal, Missouri, to take part inseveral film dramas, have been lost in the flood."
"Lost in the flood?" cried Joe. "His company of players?"
"Yes. He could give me no particulars, but he's going to start andorganize a rescue party, and try to save them. He wants us to help withthat work, as well as to make moving pictures for him. Some of thevaluable films the company had already taken were also lost, when theywere carried down the river."
"But how did it happen?" Joe wanted to know.
"He didn't have time to give me many particulars over the wire. He saidhe'd do that when he met us in New York."
"Some of our friends lost in the flood," murmured Joe. "I wonder ifthere's a chance of saving them?"
"We've got to try, anyhow," spoke Blake, seriously.
"Was C. C. among them?" Joe wanted to know, referring to the gloomycomedian.
"No, he's in New York, where Mr. Ringold also has a company at work forthe movies. C. C. escaped. But Birdie Lee went adrift with the others."
"Birdie Lee!" cried Joe, for he and Blake were both very fond of thepretty, vivacious girl, whose pictures they had taken many times, as shewent through her parts before the camera.
"I only hope we can rescue her," murmured Blake. "It certainly is a badbit of news."
"And he didn't say how it happened?" inquired Joe.
"All he told me," resumed Blake, "was that the company was performingopen-air stuff near the flooded district. How they happened to becarried away Mr. Ringold didn't know. It seems that someone telegraphedhim the news, that's how he heard of it."
"And how did he happen to think of us, and how did he know we werehere?"
"He says he thought of us at once--as soon as he got the news," went onBlake, "and he had our address. We left it with him when we came here,you know, but told him not to send for us except in case of emergency."
"And this sure is an emergency," cried Joe.
"You're right," agreed his chum. "Mr. Ringold got busy on the telephone,and--well, you know the rest. I told him we'd start for New York as soonas we could pack up. He'll meet us there, and then we'll head straightfor the flooded district with our cameras."
"Busy times ahead," murmured Joe. "Well, I guess it's all for the best,except the carrying away of our friends. I was getting a bit tired ofthis vacation life, anyhow."
"So was I," admitted Blake, as they left the store and headed for theirboarding house.
With quickening steps the boys walked up the path. There was nervousenergy in their every move.
"My! But you're in a hurry on a hot day," observed Mrs. Baker, who
hadtaken quite a liking to her two young boarders.
"Got to be!" exclaimed Blake. "We're going to try and catch theafternoon train for New York."
"New York! My sakes alive! You're not going; are you?"
"Got to," explained Joe. "I think we can make it if we hurry. Somefriends of ours are lost in that Mississippi flood, and we've got to goand help find and save them if we can. No time to lose!"
"My land sakes! I never heard tell of such a thing!" cried Mrs. Baker.But the boys did not stop to hear her comments. They were on their wayto their rooms to pack their grips.