CHAPTER X
TO SAN FRANCISCO
For a moment there was excitement, and then the trained men of the seagot into action. Nearby there were several fishing boats, operated bygasoline motors. There were planks at hand, and rollers on which thecraft could be launched in the surf, being eased along the slope byreleasing a cable rigged to a post some distance away.
It did not take long for the fishermen to launch one of these motorboats, and while C. C. Piper was struggling in the surf, endeavoring asbest he could to climb into his overturned boat, they put out to rescuehim.
"Do you want that in the picture?" asked Joe, who was at one of thecameras.
"No indeed!" cried Mr. Ringold. "It won't fit in at all! He must driftashore. We'll have to do all this over again."
"I can see Gloomy doing it," murmured Blake.
At that moment there came a hail from the comedian.
"Hello!" he cried. "Are you going to--gulp--let me--glub--sink outhere? Can't some of you----" and the rest was lost amid a series ofgurgles as the salty water got in C. C.'s mouth.
"Hold on just a little longer," called one of the fishermen, as hedirected the craft toward the struggling actor. "We'll have you outpresently."
"You'd--better--hurry--up!" panted the comedian, who might well beexcused at this moment from taking a gloomy view of life.
He managed to cling to one side of the dory until the rescuing motorcraft reached him. Then he was soon hauled aboard, dripping wet, all butexhausted, and unable to utter a sound save sighs.
"Well, it was too bad," said Mr. Ringold, when C. C. was once moreashore. "I guess we'll have to get you a little larger boat."
"Get _me_ one?" asked the actor, with the accent on the personalpronoun.
"Certainly. We'll have to do this scene over again. I guess we could useone of the fishing boats, though they're a little large. But we can movethe cameras back. Take one of those, C. C."
"I guess not."
"What's that?"
"I said I guess not. No more for mine!"
"Do you mean to say you won't go on with this act? Are you going tobalk as you did in the Indian scene?"
"Say," began C. C., earnestly, as, dripping wet as he was, he strode upto the theatrical man, "I can't swim, and I don't like the water. I toldyou that the time you took me up in the country, where we found theseboys," and he motioned to Blake and Joe, who were looking interestedlyon, ready to work the cameras as soon as required.
"And yet," went on Mr. Piper, "you insisted that I jump overboard thenand rescue Miss Shay. Now you want me to drift in as a shipwreckedsailor. It's too much, I tell you. There is entirely too much water andtank drama in this business. I know I'll get my death of cold, if Idon't drown."
"Oh, can't you look on the bright side?" asked Miss Shay, who was tocome into the drama later. "Why, it's so warm I should think you'd liketo get into the surf."
"Not for mine!" exclaimed C. C., firmly, and it took some persuasion onthe part of the theatrical manager, accompanied by a promise of anincrease of salary every time he had to go into the water, to induceC. C. to try the shipwreck scene over again.
This time a larger boat was used, and, though it came near to capsizing,it did not quite go over, though considerable water was shipped. C. C.managed to stay aboard, and the cameras, rapidly clicking, registeredeach movement of the actor and those who later took part in the drama.
Then some shore scenes were photographed, the supposed shipwreckedpersons building a fire, pretending to catch fish from the ocean, andcooking them.
All this the moving picture boys, or Mr. Hadley, faithfully registeredon the films, to be later thrown on the screen for the delight of thepublic.
"I wonder if the folks who look at moving pictures realize how they aremade?" said Joe, as they stopped work for the day.
"I don't believe so," answered Blake. "There are tricks in all trades,it's said; but I guess the moving picture business is as full of them asany."
The next two days were busy ones, as a number of elaborate acts had tobe filmed, and the boys were kept on the jump from morning to night. Mr.Hadley, also, had all he could do with the camera. There were fishingviews to get, scenes on the beach, where a number of children wereinduced to play at games in the sand, building castles and tunnels,boating incidents and the like.
C. C. did not fall overboard again, though he often was sent out to dosome funny stunt that was to be used in the play.
"I wonder when we can go to San Francisco?" queried Joe one afternoon,following a particularly hard day. "I want to see that shipping agent,and ask him if he can give me any clue to my father."
"Maybe we'd better speak to Mr. Ringold," suggested Blake, and they did,with the result that the theatrical man informed them that the end ofthe week would be free, as he had to wait for some costumes to arrivebefore he could produce any more dramas.
"I want to get a good wreck scene," he said, "and that is going to berather hard."
"Will it be a real wreck scene?" asked Joe.
"Yes, as real as we can make it. I'm negotiating now for an old schoonerthat I can scuttle out at sea. All the company will be aboard, andthey'll drift about for a long time without food and water."
"Am I supposed to be in on that?" asked C. C., suspiciously.
"Of course," was the theatrical man's answer. "This is a circus companyreturning from abroad that is wrecked, and you are the clown. Be asfunny as you can."
"Wrecked?" queried C. C.
"That's it."
"And I'm to be funny?"
"Certainly."
"Without food and water for days, and I'm expected to be funny!"exclaimed the comedian, with a groan. "Oh, why did I ever get into thisbusiness? I'll not do it!"
"Oh you're only _supposed_ to be starving and thirsty," explained Mr.Ringold. "If you want, you can take some sandwiches and cold coffee withyou, and have lunch--but don't do it when the cameras are working. Itwouldn't look well in the moving pictures to have a note on the screensaying that the shipwrecked persons were starving, and then show youchewing away; would it, now?"
"No, I suppose not," admitted C. C., with a sigh. "Oh, but this is amiserable business, though! I'm sure I'll be drowned before we getthrough with it!"
"Oh, cheer up!" called Miss Lee, but there seemed to be no need for theadvice, for a moment later C. C. broke forth into a comic song.
While the preparations for producing the wreck scene were under way,there was small need for the services of the boys, and they made readyto go to San Francisco.
"Even if he has gone away somewhere," suggested Blake, "he may have leftsome address where you can reach him."
"Do you think he'll be gone?" asked Joe.
"Well, if he left the lighthouse in a hurry, intending to call on ashipping agent, naturally he wouldn't stay in port long," said Blake."Besides----" He stopped suddenly, being on the verge of sayingsomething that would give Joe a hint of the truth.
"What is it?" asked his chum, quickly. "What were you going to say,Blake?"
"Nothing."
"Yes, you were, I'm sure of it. Blake, is there anything you're holdingback from me?"
Joe looked earnestly at his chum.
"I--er--" began Blake--when there came a knock on the door.
"What is it?" called Blake, glad of the interruption.
"Mr. Ringold wants you to get ready to take some scenes to-night," saidthe voice of Macaroni.
"Scenes at night?" inquired Joe, opening the door, and forgetting thequestion he had put to his chum.
"Yes," went on their young helper. "Flashlight scenes. He wants you atonce."
The boys reported to their superiors, and learned that a smugglingscene, to fit in one of the sea dramas, was to be attempted. By means ofpowerful flash and electric lights, the current coming over cables fromSan Diego, it was planned to make views at night.
As this was an unexpected turn to affairs, they had to postpone theirtrip to San Francisco for a few days. The
night pictures came out well,however, and the first of the following week saw Joe and Blake start ontheir way to the city of the Golden Gate.