CHAPTER III
MR. PIPER IS APPREHENSIVE
"Well, it didn't take us long; did it, Blake?"
"No, indeed, Joe. But we certainly have hustled some since we got thatlong-distance telephone message."
"We're used to hustling, though, old man. You wouldn't get very far withmoving pictures unless you did get a move on now and then."
The two chums were seated in a railway train, on their way to New Yorkto meet Mr. Ringold, and do what they could to rescue the unfortunatemembers of the moving picture company. They did not know what was beforethem, but they had stout hearts, and they had made up their minds tobrave any danger in order to save their friends.
"Poor Birdie Lee!" murmured Blake. "I can't help but think of her."
"Same here," agreed Joe. "She certainly was a dandy little chum andcomrade. Always willing to do anything that was asked, to make a goodfilm."
"Yes, and she never found fault if someone made a break, and we had tofilm the scene all over again," put in Blake. "Do you remember the timeshe had to fall overboard, out of the boat on the lake?"
"I should say I did remember it! C. C. Piper was to rescue her, but hewas so slow about it--so afraid he'd get drowned, or have wet feet, orsomething, that the scene was spoiled, and Birdie had to get into dryclothes, and act the whole thing over, taking a second plunge into thewater."
"Mr. Ringold was sure mad at C. C. that day," laughed Blake. "But itdidn't always happen that way. We've had our fun, too."
"Oh, sure. But we're not likely to this time--scooting around in therain, on a river that's twice as big as it ought to be. Say, when we getto the junction we may be able to get a New York paper of to-day, andsee how things are out in the flooded district now."
"Maybe we can," assented Blake.
The boys settled back in their seats, for the ride of about two hours toNew York, for they were on a slow train. On receiving the news over thewire, they had hastily packed, and amid the expressed regrets of Mr. andMrs. Baker at their departure, had driven to the station.
Their train made a stop at nearly every depot, and at several, wherethere was a wait, Joe and Blake got out and inquired if there were anynewspapers of that day. But none had been received.
"Cliff Junction!" called out the brakeman, and the boys prepared tochange in order to take an express train for the remainder of thejourney.
"Now for a paper!" exclaimed Blake, as he hurried up to the news-stand.Joe followed, and as a man, with his back turned to them, was making apurchase, they waited until he should have stepped aside.
"That's always the way!" this man was complaining in a voice at thesound of which Joe and Blake looked at each other quickly. "Always theway! Whenever I go anywhere the train is sure to be late."
"The express isn't much behind," said the boy at the news-stand. "Onlyten minutes, and she'll make that up before she gets to New York."
"Ha! Yes. The engineer will put on extra steam, to make up lost time,and there'll be a collision, or we'll go off the track, or through abridge, or something like that," went on the man. "I never saw such aroad, anyhow! I'll never travel on it again. I've had the worst luckto-day!
"Somebody stepped on my foot, the expressman didn't come for my baggageuntil I was nearly in a fit, for fear I'd miss the train, and now I gethere and find the express late! What a world this is, anyhow! It'sfierce."
"Hello, C. C.!" exclaimed Blake, heartily. He did not need to see theman's face to know who he was.
The complaining man wheeled about quickly.
"The moving picture boys!" he cried, as he noted Joe and Blake.
"That's who!" laughed Joe. "Where are you bound for?"
"New York; if I ever get there. But the train is late, and I knowthere'll be a smash-up!"
Then, having made this gloomy prediction, Mr. C. C. Piper whistled amerry little tune, and did a few dancing steps which he used in some ofhis comic scenes. C. C.'s gloom was evidently not deep.
"Oh, I guess we'll come out all right," said Joe, cheerfully. "But weheard that you were in New York."
"Who told you that?" demanded Mr. Piper.
"Mr. Ringold. I was talking to him over the long-distance 'phone alittle while ago," explained Blake. "He said you were in New York."
"I was, but I ran up to see a friend, expecting to spend the week-endwith him. And I'd no sooner gotten there than Ringold got me on thetelephone, and ordered me back. That was after he talked to you, Iguess. It seems some of his company are lost in the Mississippi flood,and he wants me to go out there with him. Some of the dramas will haveto be done over again, as the films were lost, and he's going to try tofind the missing folks."
"We're on the same errand," remarked Joe. "Mr. Ringold cut short ourvacation, too, by long distance. We're in the same boat."
"Boat? Yes!" snorted the gloomy comedian. "And I guess we'll have to usea boat out on the Mississippi. We can't wade or swim, and there's sureto be a lot of trouble. I wish I'd never gone into this business! It'sawful!"
"Oh, it may not be so bad," spoke Blake, cheerfully.
"It's bound to be," declared C. C. "Look at it! Bad luck from the verystart. Express late, and all that. It's fierce!"
There was no use trying to talk him out of his gloom, and the boysrealized this. It was best to let him work it off in his own way, and beas cheerful as possible toward him.
"Is there any later news of the flood, in the paper?" asked Joe. "Weonly read of it in yesterday's sheet."
"Yes, it's getting worse instead of better," replied Mr. Piper. "I can'tget my regular paper, though," he complained. "Why don't you keep the_Planet_?" he asked, of the boy behind the counter.
"I did have some, sir, but they're all gone," was the smiling answer.
"Ha! That's just the way! Everything goes wrong with me!" cried C. C."I've a good notion to go back and not start until to-morrow. Somethingserious is bound to happen before this day is over. I've a notion to goback."
"Oh, I wouldn't," persuaded Blake. "Mr. Ringold will be expecting you,and he will be disappointed."
"Well, I'll go on; but, mark my words, something will happen before wereach New York," predicted C. C.
The moving picture boys purchased newspapers, not being particular whatkind, as long as they contained fresh news of the big flood. They foundmore recent dispatches than those they had read at the farmhouse, andother pictures. As Mr. Piper had said, the raging Mississippi was higherthan before, and the almost constant fall of rain, augmenting thestreams that poured into the Father of Waters, added to the danger anddesolation.
"Anything about our friends?" asked Blake of his chum, as the latterscanned the pages eagerly.
"No, I don't see any mention of them. But it says several lives havebeen lost, and there is much suffering from lack of food and clothing."
"Too bad! I wish we were out there now, and could help."
The boys, pacing up and down the depot platform, rapidly glanced overthe news sheets, and Joe suddenly uttered an exclamation.
"Here's something!" he cried. "There are no names given, but in adispatch from Hannibal it says that it is rumored a company of movingpicture actors, and actresses, were carried away in a house that wasswept down by the current."
"That's our crowd, all right," declared Blake.
"No mention of Birdie Lee; is there?"
"No, not any names given. Say, I wish that express would come along, andget us to New York! I'm in a hurry to find out how much Mr. Ringoldknows."
"So am I," added Blake.
"We'll never get to New York without an accident," declared the gloomyC. C. "I'm positive of it!"
However, at that moment the whistle of the approaching express train washeard, and there was a hurried movement among the waiting passengers.The moving picture boys and Mr. Piper kept together, and got seats bythemselves.
"Well, we're making time now, all right," Joe said, as they whizzedalong. "Making up some of those lost
ten minutes."
"Um! Yes! Wait and see what happens," predicted C. C.
But nothing did, at least up to the time when the train pulled into theOne Hundred and Twenty-fifth street station of the New York Central. Thenext stop would be the Grand Central Terminal, in the heart of New York.
"We've got a minute," remarked Joe, to his chum. "Let's see if we canget a still later paper. Maybe there's an extra out."
"I'm with you," agreed Blake, as they left the train. Mr. Piper seemedsad, that his apprehensions of an accident had not been borne out.
As Blake and Joe were looking for a newsboy, they became aware of acommotion in the street below them, the tracks here being elevated.There was a clanging of bells, and much shouting.
"Something doing down there," remarked Blake.
"Yes, it's a fire!" cried Joe, as he caught a lurid reflection in theevening sky. "Looks like a big one, too. Shall we take it in?"
"Might as well. We can come down on a later train, and telephone Mr.Ringold. And say, you've got that little moving picture camera with you;haven't you?"
"Yes, I brought it along. Wasn't room to put it in the trunk."
"Then come on. We'll get some views of this fire. We can use themnicely, and it isn't likely that there'll be anyone else on the job.Come on and get the camera."
"We can't! The train's already started!" cried Joe, for the express wasslowly moving.
"Yes, we can! I'll get it!" shouted Blake, as he sprang into the carwhere they had left their baggage. The train was now rapidly gatheringheadway, the whine and hum of the big motors of the electric enginemingling with the clang of the fire bells, and the shouts of the crowdin the streets below.
The Moving Picture Boys and the Flood; Or, Perilous Days on the Mississippi Page 4