CHAPTER XX
FARMER SANDY APGAR
For a moment there was considerable confusion and excitement. Men inpursuit of the frantic animal had rushed after him, calling warningsto those in the zone of danger. Two policemen ran up to intercept thesteed.
As for the moving picture actresses they hardly knew what to do. Ifthe plunging animal crashed into the gang-plank he might injure anumber of the performers, and break the rather frail structure,letting them slip into the water.
"That picture will be spoiled!" groaned Mr. Pertell.
"No, it won't!" cried Russ. "Go on! I'm getting you all right. Thehorse isn't in range yet and that young fellow has him now. Go on!"
Ruth and Alice gathered courage and the others followed, goingthrough with the little gang-plank "business" called for in theplay.
And indeed the quick-witted, rustic youth had the frantic horse in afirm grip. He seemed to know just how to handle frightened animals,and by the time the two policemen had reached him, the beast, thoughstill restive, had quieted down.
"Good work, young fellow!" called one of the officers. "Whose horseis it?"
"I don't know, constable," was the answer, given with a country twangthat caused several spectators to smile. "I jest seen him comin' andI see he was headed for them people what's goin' to Europe, I expect.I didn't want their voyage spoiled, so I jest jumped at his head."
"Well, you know how to do it, all right," said the second"constable," as the young farmer had called the policemen.
"I ought to know how to handle horses," was the answer, as the youthrelinquished the reins to the officer. "I've been among 'em all mylife. I was brought up on a farm."
He looked it, but there was something in his simple, manly face, andin the look of his honest blue eyes, that made one like him.
"Good work, all right!" repeated the first officer. "I'll take yourname, young fellow, for my report," and he drew out a notebook. "I'llalso want to find out to whom the horse belongs, but I s'pose thetruckman's license number will be a clue."
"He's mine," broke in a voice, as a drayman pushed his way throughthe crowd. "Some boys got to fooling around him, and he started off.No damage done, I hope."
"No," replied the policeman, "but you want to tie your animal afterthis. He might have hurt someone--probably would have if it hadn'tbeen for this chap. What's your name?" he asked the young farmer.
"Sandy Apgar."
"And where do you live?"
"On Oak Farm."
"Never heard of the place," went on the officer, with a smile.
"Oh, that's the name of our farm. It's jest outside the town ofBeatonville, about forty miles back in Jersey."
"Oh, Jersey!" laughed the officer. "No wonder! Well, there's yourhorse, truckman. And now I want your name."
"Can I go, or do I have to appear in court?" asked Sandy Apgar. "Ihope I don't, 'caused I'm in a hurry to git back to the farm. I'vegot a passel of work to do there, with the weather coming on the wayit is.
"No, I guess you won't have to go to court," laughed the policeman."We're much obliged to you."
"And so am I," added the truckman. "I haven't got any money to giveyou, because business is poor----"
"Oh, that's all right," said Sandy with a generous wave of his hand."I don't stop runaway horses for a livin'. I farm it."
"If you ever want any carting done," went on the drayman, "you sendfor me, young feller, and it won't cost you a cent."
"Guess you wouldn't want to do any cartin' as far as Beatonville,"laughed Sandy. "Folks out there don't ever move--they jest die andare buried in the same place. And I guess this is my last trip to NewYork in a long while. I'm jest as much obliged though," and pattingthe nose of the now quieted horse, he moved off through the thinningcrowd. But he was not to escape unnoticed.
Mr. Pertell had learned, by a hasty talk with Russ, that the horsehad been stopped just in time to avoid spoiling any of the film. Russhad continued to make the pictures and the first act of the new dramawas a success. The other scenes would take place on board thechartered yacht.
So when the manager saw Sandy Apgar, who by his quick work had saveda film from being spoiled, making his way out of the throng, thetheatrical man called to him:
"One moment, please. I want to thank you."
"Gosh! I'm getting thanked all around to-day!" laughed the youngfellow.
"Well, I want to make it a little more substantial, then," went onthe manager. "You saved me a few dollars."
"Oh, pshaw, that's nothing!" returned Sandy. "I guess your trip toEurope could have gone on."
"Europe?" questioned Mr. Pertell.
"Yes; ain't you folks going to Europe?"
"No, this is only a make-believe trip," laughed the manager. "It'sfor moving pictures. See, there's the chap who was taking the films,and they'd been spoiled if that horse got on the gang-plank. So yousee what you did for us."
"Moving pictures; eh?" mused Sandy. "I thought they had to be took inthe dark. Leastways, all I ever saw was in the dark."
"Oh, that's just to show them," the manager explained. "But we oughtto be under way now. Can you come aboard for a little trip? We'llsoon be back, and I want to thank you properly. I haven't time now.Come, take a little trip with us."
"Well, I s'pose I can," responded Sandy, slowly. "But I ought to begettin' back to Oak Farm."
However, he went aboard the yacht, looking curiously about him, andmore curiously at Russ, who began making more pictures as the yachtsteamed off down the bay.
There were to be a number of scenes on board, but they would not befilmed until the yacht was farther out. Meanwhile, however, theprogress of the ship down the bay was to be depicted on the screen,so Russ took pictures from either rail, no members of the companybeing required in these. Mr. Pertell thus had a chance to talk toSandy.
The young fellow was very willing to tell about himself.
"Yes, I live on a farm," he said. "It's a right nice place, too, insummer, though lonesome in winter. I've lived there all my twenty-twoyears--never knew any other place."
"Do you live there all alone?" asked Ruth, for the young farmer hadbeen introduced to the members of the company.
"No, my father and mother are there with me. Father is Mr. FelixApgar--maybe you've heard of him?" the young man asked the manager,innocently.
"No, I don't think so," and Mr. Pertell had hard work to repress asmile.
"Well, he used to ship a lot of asparagus to New York, but maybe thatwas before your day," went on Sandy. "Pop is too feeble to work now,so I'm running the farm for him. And it--it's sorter hard," he added,rather pathetically. "Especially when you ain't got any too muchmoney. I come to New York to raise some," he went on, "but folksdon't seem to want to part with any--especially on a secondmortgage."
"Is that what you came for?" asked Mr. Pertell.
"Yep. I come to raise some money--we need it bad, out our way, but Icouldn't do it."
"Suppose you tell me," suggested Mr. Pertell. "I may be able to helpyou."
"Say, Mister, I reckon you've got enough troubles of your own,without bothering with mine," said Sandy. "Besides, maybe Popwouldn't like me to tell. No, I'll jest make another try somewhereelse. But we sure do need cash!"
"What for?" asked the manager, impulsively.
"Oh, maybe pop wouldn't like me to say. Never mind. It was sure goodof you to ask me for this ride. The folks at Beatonville won'tbelieve me when I tell 'em. But say, if ever you folks come outthere, we'll give you a right good time--at Oak Farm!" he added,generously.
"Is your farm a large one?" asked the manager.
"Hundred and sixty acres. Some woodland, some flat, a lot of it hillyand stony, and part with a big creek on it."
"Hum," mused Mr. Pertell. "That sounds interesting. I've been lookingfor a good farm to stage several rural dramas on, and your place maybe just what I need."
"To buy?" asked Sandy, eagerly.
"Oh, no. But I might rent part of it for a time. I'll talk
to youabout it later. I've got to get some of these scenes going now," andthe manager went to confer with Russ.