CHAPTER IV
OFF FOR THE FLOOD
"Here, where are you going?" cried a station-attendant, as he saw Blakerunning to board the moving train.
"Forgot something--got to get it!" shouted the excited lad. Then, beforethe man could prevent him, Blake had jumped up the steps. Back he rushedto where his own and Joe's baggage had been left.
"Look after our stuff, C. C.!" he called to the startled comedian."We're after a fire--moving picture. Tell Mr. Ringold we'll be downlater this evening!"
Then, without giving Mr. Piper a chance to answer, Blake caught up thevalise containing the small moving picture camera, and was out on theplatform again.
"Look out for yourself!" cried Joe, for the train now had considerableheadway.
"All right," answered his chum, and a moment later he was beside Joe,running from the momentum acquired in leaping off the train.
"You took a big risk, young fellow!" said one of the station men,severely.
"I'm used to that in my business," replied Blake, with a cool laugh."Come on, Joe. We don't want to miss any of this fire. We can sell thefilm to one of the weekly newspapers, and make some of our vacationmoney."
"Go on! I'm with you!"
Together they made their way down to the street, and it needed but aglance to show them the extent of the blaze. The fire was in a largeapartment house, and the flames had gained great headway. Thrillingrescue scenes were going on, and, from some of the upper stories, menand women were dropping into the life nets, about which, in a circle,stood the sturdy firemen, and volunteer helpers.
"Got to get this!" cried Blake. "Is there plenty of film in her, Joe?"
"I think so. But I'll get more. There's a photo-supply house about threeblocks away. You start grinding away at the crank, and I'll chase downthere and get another reel of film in case we want it. I guess they'llbe open yet."
"All right," answered Blake, with a nod. Then he looked for a vantagepoint from which to make pictures of the big fire.
He decided to stand on a square pillar, near the steps of a buildingnearly opposite the burning structure, and, slipping under the ropewhich the police had stretched as the limits of the fire lines, Blakewas about to set up his machine when a man, also bearing a movingpicture camera, made for the same place. It was really about the onlyspot where a good picture could be taken, but there was room for onlyone operator there.
The opposite pillar, or pedestal, was occupied by a portablesearchlight, operated by some firemen, to aid their comrades in the workof rescue and fighting the flames, and the brilliant, white light beingflashed on the burning structure made it possible to get a good movingpicture film. So Blake was anxious to reach this place of vantage.
He was about to start his machine, when the man, who had reached thespot just too late, cried:
"Say, kid, come down out of there! That's my place!"
"Yours?" cried Blake, as he noted that the man was James Munson, a rivalmoving picture operator, and one with whom Blake and Joe had had troublebefore.
"Yes, mine!" sneered Munson. "I was here a minute ago, and decided onthat place, and now I want it."
"Well, you're not going to get it!" declared Blake, firmly. "If you werehere you should have stayed," and the young operator started themechanism of his apparatus, by turning the handle.
"I had to leave, to get some extra film!" Munson cried. "I want you tocome away--come down and let me get up there!"
"Nothing doing," spoke Blake. "You should have left your machine here,to show that the pedestal was occupied. I don't believe you were here,and as I'm here first I'm going to stay!"
"Oh, you are; eh? We'll see about that!" cried Munson, as he worked hisway through the crowd, carrying his camera with him.
Blake thought little more about the fellow, for he was too much occupiedin getting views of the burning building, and the thrilling rescues thatwere made from time to time. Firemen went rapidly up, from window towindow, by means of the hooked scaling ladders, leaping into the burningbuilding in search of persons in danger.
Other firemen carried down unconscious forms, and still others wereengaged in the less spectacular work of handling the hose, with itspowerful streams of water.
All these scenes Blake was getting on the sensitive celluloid film, andhe was congratulating himself on his success, when a voice in authoritycalled to him:
"Say, young fellow, have you got a fire badge, or permit?"
"Why, no," answered Blake, slowly, as he continued to grind away at thecrank. "I left it home, I guess." He and Joe both had permits, entitlingthem to go within the fire lines, but they had not taken them away ontheir vacation.
"You'll have to come down out of that," went on the voice of thepoliceman who had challenged Blake. And the youth, looking down, saw,beside the guardian of the peace, the mean, sneering face of Munson. Itwas he, evidently, who had suggested to the police officer that he oustBlake from his place.
"Can't you overlook it this once?" asked Blake, eagerly, for the firewas getting worse now, and he knew it would show up well on the films.If he had to leave his place he could not get another as good, and wouldmiss some thrilling scenes.
"Come on down!" ordered the officer. "You can't stay there without abadge, or a permit, and and you haven't got either. Get down, I tellyou!"
"Hold on, Flarity," spoke a new voice. "I'll lend him my badge. You knowme; don't you?" and there stepped forward a young fellow whom Blakerecognized as a newspaper reporter, to whom he had often given picturesof accidents, for the journal he represented.
"Well, Kennedy, if you let him take your badge, I guess it will be allright," said the officer to the reporter.
"Say, that's mighty good of you!" cried Blake, as the newspaper manpassed up the metal badge that entitled the wearer to go within the firelines, "but what will you do?"
"Oh, I guess Flarity won't put me out," said the reporter, with a laugh."If he does, I know something about him----"
"Get on with you!" interrupted the officer, hastily, and with a ratherembarrassed smile. "I'll look the other way, Kennedy."
"I thought you would," laughed the reporter. "Now you're all right,Blake," and he nodded, in a friendly fashion, at the moving picture boy.
Munson's plan had failed, and he moved away to look for another placewhence he could film the fire. He cast an ugly look at Blake as he went,though, and muttered to himself.
"I'm sorry I had to do this," thought Blake, "but I wasn't going to passup a chance like this. Munson may make trouble for us, though. He's gota revengeful disposition. But if Joe and I go out to the floodeddistrict probably we shan't see him for some time."
If Blake had really known the depth of the resentment Munson cherishedagainst him, from that moment, he might have given in to the fellow. Hadhe done so it would have saved much trouble for himself and Joe later.But he could not foretell the future.
Blake continued to take pictures of the fire, and he was beginning tothink his film would run out, when Joe came up with a fresh reel. Thepoliceman had gone away, and there was now so much excitement about thefire that no one minded whether Joe had a badge or not. He relievedBlake at the camera.
But the blaze, big as it was, finally yielded to the work of thefiremen, and at length all the persons had been gotten out of theapartment.
"I guess we've got enough," said Blake, finally. "Now we'll hustle thisto the laboratory, Joe, have it developed, and see what use we can makeof it. I'll get some of the weeklies on the 'phone, and see how manyprints they want."
Blake and Joe, as those of you know who have read the other books ofthis series, had their own establishment in New York, where theydeveloped and printed their films.
What Blake meant by "weeklies" was a certain feature much used in movingpicture houses. Important current events of the week, big accidents,volcanic eruptions, war scenes--in fact, anything in which the public isinterested--are registered on the sensitive cellu
loid, and sent aroundto the theaters which take the service of the weekly film. It is, inbrief, a moving picture newspaper, and our two heroes had madeconsiderable money in the past in supplying films for this purpose.
A little later the film of the fire was being developed, ready forprinting, and Blake had secured, over the telephone, a number of orders.These were turned over to their assistants, for the two youths could notdo all the work themselves, and had a number of employees.
"Well, now that's done," said Joe, with a sigh of satisfaction. "We'dbetter be getting down to see Mr. Ringold, I guess."
"Yes," agreed Blake, looking at his watch. "And I want something to eat,too. It's past ten o'clock, and we haven't had supper yet."
"That's right!" cried Joe. "I forgot all about it."
"My stomach didn't," laughed Blake.
An hour later, after a hasty meal, they reached the office of Mr.Ringold, whom they found talking to Mr. Piper.
"I was just going to telephone around, and get the police on yourtrail," said the gloomy comedian. "I was afraid something had happenedto you. Did there?"
"Oh, nothing much," spoke Joe, with a smile. "But what is the news, Mr.Ringold? Have you heard any word from any of your people in the floodeddistrict?"
"No, I haven't, I'm sorry to say, though I've tried all the means in mypower. It is almost impossible to get messages through, and receive areply. The wires are nearly all down. The only way is for us to go outthere. I'm glad you boys came on."
"We started as soon as we could," explained Blake. "I guess Mr. Pipertold you how we stopped to film the fire; didn't he?"
"Yes," replied the film theatrical manager. "And now, how soon can youstart for the flooded district?"
"Just as soon as we can get our cameras ready, and provide for a supplyof film--in the morning," answered Joe.
"Good! Then we'll start. We've got hard work and some danger ahead ofus."
"We're used to that--especially the danger," remarked Joe. "I guess itwon't be much worse than it was in earthquake land."
"I should hope not!" murmured Mr. Piper. "I don't like this idea at all.I'm sure something is going to happen!"
"You're nervous!" cried Mr. Ringold, "and I don't blame you, either.This news has gotten on my nerves. When I think of how my friends may besuffering, it makes me wild to get out there, and help them."
"Same here!" exclaimed Blake, and I think he and Joe had a similarthought then, and the same memory of a pretty, blue-eyed girl--BirdieLee.
The two moving picture boys spent several hours getting their camerasand equipment ready for the start the next morning, and when theytumbled into bed they "didn't need to be sung to sleep," as Blake putit.
As several of the completed films of the Western dramas had been lost inthe flood, Mr. Ringold decided to have others made, and to accomplishthis he would have to hire more players. But he thought he could engagethem in the West, and so, save for a few leading characters, like Mr.Piper, he took only a few actors and actresses with him.
"Well, we're off," murmured Joe, as, the next day, he and Blake tooktheir places in the train that was to bear them to the West, and theflood.
"Yes, we're off, and there's no telling what may happen before we getback," answered his chum, seriously.
The Moving Picture Boys and the Flood; Or, Perilous Days on the Mississippi Page 5