CHAPTER X
THE ASSAULT ON THE "CASTLE."
"Yes, there goes the signal!" burst from the excited Alec, as they sawthe manager suddenly raise his hand, and fire a revolver three timesin quick succession.
Immediately everybody seemed to get busy at once. Most of thebattle-scarred veterans, who knew their business so well, started injust about where the last stirring scene had left off. Possibly thosewho had been "killed" in the former desperate assault had found timeto come mysteriously to life again, leaving a dummy in their stead tobe ruthlessly trampled on, now assumed new places in the ranks, to makethe assailants and defenders look more like a veritable "host."
The scouts held their breath in very awe. What they were looking atwas indeed quite enough to make any one do that. Certainly no suchremarkable scene had ever before been "set" since those actual dayswhen Crusaders and Saracens met in mortal combat on the plains of theHoly Land, and knights went forth to battle in joust and tournamentwearing a fair lady's glove on their helmet as a talisman for luck.
Of course Hugh, as well as most of his young companions, had readsome of the romantic works of Sir Walter Scott, and were familiarwith his vivid descriptions of just such warlike pictures as theynow saw delighted Hugh, indeed, was of the opinion that it might beone of these that the famous players of the motion picture world werenow acting, and the name of "Ivanhoe" was uppermost in his mind ashe watched the progress of the furious battle.
There were women folks in the castle, too, for occasionally they couldbe seen frantically spurring their defenders on to renewed exertions.Others may have been playing the part of prisoners, for the boysdiscovered a white handkerchief waving from a window in one of theturrets, as though to encourage the assailants in their work. Perhapsthis was Rebecca in her cell, Hugh thought.
All of this just about suited the imagination of red-blooded boys asproper and right. It had been virtually going on ever since the worldbegan, and would in all probability endure so long as men lived onthis planet.
Now and then, when one of the scouts discovered something thatparticularly interested him, and to which he wished to draw theattention of his mates, he found it necessary to fairly bawl the fact,so as to be heard above the wild clamor.
As a rule, this appertained to Monkey Stallings and Billy. Hugh waswrapped up in observing all that went on, and it required his undividedattention, just as on the occasion of his visiting a big circus wherewonderful events were taking place in three rings at the same time.
Arthur Cameron, on his part, was mentally figuring on how much surgicalattention some of these doughty warriors would need after this amazingfracas; and when Arthur had his mind set upon that entrancing subjecthe might be considered blind to all ordinary matters.
As for Alec, his one idea was to snap off an occasional picture thatwould show the astonishing thing he and his lucky comrades had runacross when the motion-picture players came to make use of the imitationcastle on the peak. The only trouble with Alec was a dreadful fearthat his supply of film might run out, and then he stood a chance ofmissing what was likely to prove the best part of the whole proceedings.
Already he had reached Number Ten on his last roll, with but two moreto wind up. Oh, what would he not have given for a couple more rollsof a dozen exposures each; just then they would have been worth theirweight in silver to the ambitious photographer.
Vague hopes had been playing at leap-tag in the mind of the scoutpicture-taker. He wondered if there might not be some way in whichthey could succeed in influencing that hopping stage manager to promiseto sell them a duplicate set of the pictures when they were readyfor showing to the public. Alec knew that they were rented out, andsometimes sold outright. If Hugh now, with his persuasive tongue,could only exact such a promise from the gentleman in charge, wouldit not be a splendid achievement to incidentally have the pictureincluded in the programme to be run at the town hall for some localbenefit; and then hear the shouts from the boys of Oakvale when theydiscovered familiar uniforms and faces amidst the actors at rest?
From various remarks which the boys had heard shouted by the stagedirectors in giving his last directions they understood that thisattack was calculated to carry the fort. Already the men who wieldedthat heavy battering ram made from a convenient log, seemed to besmashing in the stout oaken front door, never built to resist sucha desperate assault. It quivered with each blow.
The director was shouting a medley of orders through that wonderfulmegaphone of his. He seemed to be able to see everything that tookplace. Hugh compared him to what he had once read about the eminentconductor of orchestra and musical festivals, Theodore Thomas, whowhen more than a hundred musicians were practicing under his direction,with a fearful outburst of sound and melody, would suddenly stop theproceedings, and scold a certain player whose instrument had "flatted,"or come in just an ace behind the regular time.
And every member of that vast company was keeping a wary eye on thedirector all the time seeming to be working like mad. They were waitingto catch the signal that was to inaugurate the final scene, wherethose on the walls were to weaken, allowing one after another of theascending men on the ladders to crawl over the parapet.
The door was really giving way now under the bombardment brought tobear upon it. Indeed, not to be premature those who wielded thebattering ram had to slacken their efforts more or less, thoughpretending to work as furiously as heretofore.
One thing alone seemed lacking, according to the mind of Billy, to makethe battle seem the real thing. There were no cannon shots, and eventhe rattle of muskets and small arms appeared lacking.
Later on, when by chance in a carping, critical mood he mentionedthis fact, he was greeted by a roar of derision from Monkey Stallingsand Alec, who told him to brush up a little on history. He must rememberthat in those ancient days gunpowder had not been invented, and thatconsequently all missiles that passed through the air had to be hurledby machines fashioned after the style of the familiar rubber slingso well known to all boys.
"It's coming soon now, fellows!" shouted the Stallings boy, whosequick eye no doubt noted certain preparations for the final scene,such as a gathering of the assailants on the ladders, now no longerbeing overthrown, and also clinging to such projections of the stonewalls near the escarpment as they could find.
Alec held his hand.
"Only one more picture!" he was groaning, disconsolately, at the sametime determined that it should be the climax of the whole affair, whenthe castle walls were actually carried by the energetic horde pushingagainst them.
More wildly than ever waved those frantic appeals for "help" fromthe narrow window slits in the tower room. The "fair lady" was apparentlydoing everything in her power to encourage her knight and his followersto renewed efforts in her behalf.
Of course, it was a foregone conclusion that the gallants who weredoing the assaulting would be victorious in the end. Motion-picturepatrons differ from those who attend the grand opera, since they willnot stand to have their drama turn out disagreeably. Right must alwaystriumph over might, regardless of how it actually happens in real life;and the villainous knight was sure to be punished as soon as the heroicleader of the attacking party could force an entrance to the castle,and chase after him to the tower room.
Hugh drew a long breath.
Just as the sagacious Monkey had declared at the top of his voice, thefinish was close at hand now. At any second Hugh expected to hear thevolley of shots from the stage director's weapon sounding high abovethe clamor. Indeed, much of the racket had died down, showing thatthe actors themselves were looking for it, and did not want to doanything to smother the welcome sound that would mean their releasefrom further toil and turmoil, for the moment, at least.
All this while the operator was grinding away assiduously. He knewhis duty was to get down everything that happened regardless of whathis judgment might be. If certain sections of the film provedobjectionable from any cause it would be an easy ma
tter to eliminatethat part; whereas nothing new could be supplied without going overthe whole scene again at tremendous cost of energy.
It was certainly an education for Hugh. He had never dreamed that sucha splendid chance would come his way, allowing him to learn just howmotion pictures were made. Truly, the wonderful good luck that hadbeen the portion of himself and comrades for so long a period seemedto still follow their footsteps, as one of the boys had only recentlydeclared.
And just then the shrill voice of Monkey Stallings rang out again, thistime with a note of genuine alarm pervading its tones.
"Look, oh, look!" was what he shrieked, excitedly; "that wall is suregoing to collapse right down on those men! That's real, notmake-believe! Oh, Hugh, can't something be done to warn the poorfel---there, it's coming now!"
And right through it all the imperturbable operator kept grinding away.It was a part of his business to get everything down, real or imitation;and even an accident that imperiled human life might make good "stuff."
Boy Scouts with the Motion Picture Players Page 10