The Moving Picture Boys at Panama; Or, Stirring Adventures Along the Great Canal

by Victor Appleton

  CHAPTER V

  ANOTHER SURPRISE

  While Blake was tearing off the end of theenvelope, preparatory to taking out the enclosure, Joe lookedsharply at the red-haired lad who had so unexpectedly deliveredit.

  "How'd your father come to get our letter, Sam?" asked Joe, forthe lad was the son of a farmer, who lived neighbor to Mr. Baker.

  "Sim Rolinson, the postmaster, give it to him, I guess,"volunteered Sam. "Sim generally takes around the special deliveryletters himself, but he must have been busy when this one come in,and he give it to pa. Anyhow, pa says he asked him to deliver it."

  "Only he didn't do it," put in Joe. "I thought something was thematter with our mail that we hadn't heard from New York lately.Your father was carrying the letter around in his pocket."

  "But he didn't mean to!" spoke Sam quickly. "He forgot all aboutit until to-day, when he was changing his coat, and it fell out.Then he made me scoot over here with it as fast as I could. Hesaid he was sorry, and hoped he hadn't done any damage."

  "Well, I guess not much," Joe responded, for, after all, it was anaccommodation to have the letters brought out from the post-officeby the neighbors, as often happened. That one should be forgotten,and carried in a pocket, was not so very surprising.

  "Then you won't make any fuss?" the barefoot lad went on, eagerly.

  "No--why should we?" inquired Joe with a smile. "We won't informthe postal authorities. I guess it wasn't so very important," andhe looked at Blake, who was reading the delayed letter.

  "Whew!" finally whistled Joe's chum. "This is going some!"

  "What's up now?"

  "Another surprise," answered Blake. "This day seems to be filledwith 'em."

  "Is it about Panama?"

  "You've guessed it. Mr. Hadley wants us to go there and get aseries of moving pictures. Incidentally he mentions that he issending to us a gentleman who wants to go with us, if we decide togo. I presume he refers to you," and Blake nodded in the directionof Mr. Alcando.

  "Then you have confirmatory evidence of what my letter says?"asked the Spaniard, bowing politely.

  "That's what it amounts to," Blake made answer. "Though, ofcourse, seeing that this is the first we've had Panama brought upto us, we don't really know what to say about going there."

  "Hardly," agreed Joe, at a look from his chum.

  "And yet you may go; shall you not?" asked the Spaniard, quickly.He seemed very eager for an answer.

  "Oh, yes, we may--it's not altogether out of the question," saidBlake. "We'll have to think about it, though."

  "And if you do go, may I have the honor of accompanying you to theIsthmus?" Again he seemed very anxious.

  "Well, of course, if Mr. Hadley wants you to go with us we'll takeyou," answered Joe slowly. "We are employed by Mr. Hadley, as oneof the owners of the Film Theatrical Company, and what he saysgenerally goes."

  "Ah, but, gentlemen, I should not want you to take me undercompulsion!" exclaimed the Spaniard, quickly. "I would like togo--as your friend!" and he threw out his hands in an impulsive,appealing gesture. "As a friend!" he repeated.

  "Well, I guess that could be arranged," returned Blake with asmile, for he had taken a liking to the young man, though he didnot altogether understand him. "We'll have to think it over."

  "Oh, of course. I should not ask for a decision now," said Mr.Alcando quickly. "I shall return to my hotel in the village, andcome out to see you when I may--when you have made your decision.I feel the need of a little rest--after my narrow escape. And thatit should be you who saved my life--you of all!"

  Again the boys noted his peculiar manner.

  "I guess we had better be getting back," suggested Hank. "Have tofoot it to town, though," he added regretfully, as he looked atthe smashed carriage. "I hope the boss doesn't blame me for this,"and his voice was rueful.

  "I shall take it upon myself to testify in your favor," said theSpaniard with courtly grace. "It was an unavoidable accident--thebreaking of the rein, and the maddened dash of the horse off thebridge. That we did not follow was a miracle. I shall certainlytell your employer--as you say your boss," and he smiled--"I shalltell him you could not help it."

  "I'd take it kindly if you would," added Hank, "for Rex, though hehad a terrible temper, was a valuable horse. Well, he won't runaway any more, that's one sure thing. I guess that carriage canbe patched up."

  "Why don't you ask Mr. Baker to lend you a rig?" suggested Blake."I'm sure he would. I'll tell him how it happened."

  "That is kind of you, sir. You place me more than ever in yourdebt," spoke the Spaniard, bowing again.

  "How did you know we were here?" asked Joe of the boy who hadbrought the delayed special delivery letter.

  "I stopped at Mr. Baker's house," Sam explained, "and Mrs. Bakersaid she saw you come down this way on your motor cycle. She saidyou'd just been on a ride, and probably wouldn't go far, so I ranon, thinking I'd meet you coming back. I didn't know anythingabout the accident," he concluded, his eyes big with wonder as helooked at the smashed carriage.

  "Are you able to walk back to the farmhouse where we areboarding?" asked Blake of Mr. Alcando. "If not we could get Mr.Baker to drive down here."

  "Oh, thank you, I am perfectly able to walk, thanks to yourquickness in preventing the carriage and ourselves from topplinginto the chasm," replied the Spaniard.

  Hank, with Mr. Alcando and Sam, walked back along the road, whileBlake and Joe went to where they had dropped their motor cycle.They repaired the disconnected gasoline pipe, and rode on ahead totell Mr. Baker of the coming of the others. The farmer readilyagreed to lend his horse and carriage so that the unfortunate oneswould not have to walk into town, a matter of three miles.

  "I shall remain at the Central Falls hotel for a week or more, oruntil you have fully made up your mind about the Panama trip,"said Mr. Alcando on leaving the boys, "and I shall come out,whenever you send me word, to learn of your decision. That it maybe a favorable one I need hardly say I hope," he added with a lowbow.

  "We'll let you know as soon as we can," promised Blake. "But mychum and I will have to think it over. We have hardly becomerested from taking flood pictures."

  "I can well believe that, from what I have heard of your strenuousactivities."

  "Well, what do you think about it all?" asked Joe, as he and hischum sat on the shady porch an hour or so after the excitingincidents I have just narrated.

  "I hardly know," answered Blake. "I guess I'll have another go atMr. Hadley's letter. I didn't half read it."

  He took the missive from his pocket, and again perused it. Itcontained references to other matters besides the projected Panamatrip, and there was also enclosed a check for some work the movingpicture boys had done.

  But as it is with the reference to the big canal that we areinterested we shall confine ourselves to that part of Mr. Hadley'sletter.

  "No doubt you will be surprised," he wrote, "to learn what I havein prospect for you. I know you deserve a longer vacation than youhave had this summer, but I think, too, that you would not wish tomiss this chance.

  "Of course if you do not want to go to Panama I can get some otheroperators to work the moving picture cameras, but I would ratherhave you than anyone I know of. So I hope you will accept.

  "The idea is this: The big canal is nearing completion, and thework is now at a stage when it will make most interesting films.Then, too, there is another matter--the big slides. There havebeen several small ones, doing considerable damage, but no morethan has been counted on.

  "I have information, however, to the effect that there isimpending in Culebra Cut a monstrous big slide, one that will beatanything that ever before took place there. If it does happen Iwant to get moving pictures, not only of the slide, but of scenesafterward, and also pictures showing the clearing away of thedebris.

  "Whether this slide will occur I do not know. No one knows for acertainty, but a man who has lived in Panama almost since theFrench started the big ditch, claims to know a gre
at deal aboutthe slides and the causes of them. He tells me that certain smallslides, such as have been experienced, are followed--almost alwaysafter the same lapse of time--by a much larger one. The larger oneis due soon, and I want you there when it comes.

  "Now another matter. Some time after you get this you will bevisited by a Spanish gentleman named Vigues Alcando. He will havea letter of introduction from me. He wants to learn the movingpicture business, and as he comes well recommended, and as bothMr. Ringold and I are under obligations to people he represents,we feel that we must grant his request.

  "Of course if you feel that you can't stand him, after you seehim, and if you don't want to take him with you--yes, even if youdon't want to go to Panama at all, don't hesitate to say so. But Iwould like very much to have you. Someone must go, for the filmsfrom down there will be particularly valuable at this time, inview of the coming opening of the Canal for the passage ofvessels. So if you don't want to go, someone else representing uswill have to make the trip.

  "Now think the matter over well before you decide. I think youwill find Mr. Alcando a pleasant companion. He struck me as beinga gentleman, though his views on some things are the views of aforeigner. But that does not matter.

  "Of course, as usual, we will pay you boys well, and meet allexpenses. It is too bad to break in on your vacation again, as wedid to get the flood pictures, but the expected big slide, likethe flood, won't wait, and won't last very long. You have to be'Johnnie on the Spot' to get the views. I will await your answer."