The Moving Picture Boys on the War Front | Page 6

think so myself. Of course, they're peaceful, compared to what we may take in France, but----"
He was interrupted by the unexpected return of Charles Anderson, nicknamed "Macaroni," their chief helper, who hurriedly entered the tent assigned to the two boys.
"What's the trouble, Mac?" asked Joe, that being the shortened form of the nickname. "You look worried."
"And so would you, Joe, if you'd had an accident like mine!"
"An accident?" cried Blake, in some alarm.
"Yes! At least, he said it was an accident!"
"Who said so?"
"That Frenchman!"
"What accident was it?"
"Why, he ran into me with his auto, and the army films are all spoiled--light-struck!"
"Whew!" whistled Blake, and Joe despairingly banged his fist against his camera.
CHAPTER III
MONSIEUR SECOR
Macaroni sank down on a chair. Blake said, afterward, their young assistant gave a very fair imitation, as far as regarded the look on his face, of C.C. Piper.
"Ruined! Just plumb ruined!" murmured Charles Anderson.
"But what happened? Tell us about it!" begged Joe. "You say some one ran into you?"
"Yes. I was in the small auto taking the films you gave me to the station, and I had just about time to catch the express when I saw this fellow turning out of one of the side streets of the camp."
"What fellow?" asked Blake.
"I don't know his name," answered Macaroni. "But he's a Frenchman sent here, I've heard, to help instruct our men. He's some sort of officer."
"And his machine ran into yours?" asked Blake.
"Smack into me!" answered his helper. "Knocked the box of films out on the road, and one wheel went over it. Cracked the box clean open, and, of course, as the film wasn't developed, it's light-struck now, and you'll have to take all those marching scenes over again!"
"That's bad!" murmured Joe. "Very bad!"
"Did you say it was an accident?" asked Blake pointedly.
"That's what he said," replied Charlie. "He made all sorts of apologies, admitted it was all his fault, and all that. And it was, too!" burst out Macaroni. "I guess I know how to be careful of undeveloped films! Great hopping hippodromes, if I couldn't drive a car any better than that Frenchman, I'd get out of the army! How he has any license to buy gasolene, I can't imagine! This is how it was," and he went into further details of the occurrence.
"I brought the films back, covering 'em with a black cloth as soon as I could," went on Charles; "but I guess it's too late."
"Let's have a look," suggested Blake. "It may not be so bad as you think."
But it was--every bit, and Joe and Blake found they would have to make the whole series over, requiring the marching of thousands of men and consequent delay in getting the completed films to the various recruiting centers.
"Well, if it has to be done, it has to be," said Joe, with a philosophic sigh. "And making retakes may delay us in getting to Europe."
"That's right!" agreed Blake. "But who is this fellow, anyhow, Charlie? And what made him so careless? An accident like this means a lot to us and to the Government."
"I should say it did!" agreed Macaroni. "And it was the funniest accident I ever saw!"
"How so?" asked Joe.
"Well, a little while before you finished these films this same French officer was talking to me, asking if there were to be any duplicates of them, and questions like that."
"And you told him?"
"Yes. I didn't see any reason for keeping it secret. He isn't a German. If he had been I'd have kept quiet. But he's an accredited representative from the French Government, and is supposed to be quite a fighter. I thought he knew how to run an auto, but he backed and filled, came up on the wrong side of the road, and then plunged into me. Then he said his steering gear went back on him.
"Mighty funny if it did, for it was all right just before and right after the accident. He was all kinds of ways sorry about it, offered to pay for the damage, and all that. I told him that wouldn't take the pictures over again."
"And it won't," agreed Blake. "That's the worst of it! Did you say you had seen this Frenchman before, Mac?"
"Yes; he's been around camp quite a while. You must have seen him too, you and Joe; but I guess you were so busy you didn't notice. He wears a light blue uniform, with a little gold braid on it, and he has one of those leather straps from his shoulder."
"You mean a bandolier," suggested Joe.
"Maybe that's it," admitted Macaroni. "Anyhow, he's a regular swell, and he goes around a lot with the other camp officers. They seem to think he knows a heap about war. But, believe me, he doesn't know much about running an auto--or else he