observed Alice, trying to keep a refractory wisp of hair from coming down into her eyes.
"That"s right," agreed Paul, "and yet I wouldn"t be surprised to get orders to go up to the clouds any day. In fact, I"m pretty sure we"ve got to take a queer auto trip soon."
"Is that so? When? Where?" demanded Ruth, pausing a moment to look at a shop window where some lingerie was temptingly displayed.
"I don"t know the particulars. I happened to overhear Mr. Pertell talking to Pop Snooks about it. I expect it will be given out in a few days, before Russ has to film it."
The next few days were filled with work for the moving picture actors and actresses. There was much to be done before the Western trip was undertaken, and many of the films made had a bearing on the new play "East and West."
"My idea," announced Mr. Pertell, in explaining some matters to his company, "is to portray briefly the story of the East and West, and to show how the civilization of the East made its way West. I want to show the various sports and industries of both sections, as well as various phases of life and science. Automobiling will be one and----"
"Don"t say airships!" interrupted Mr. Sneed.
"That"s just what I was going to say," finished Mr. Pertell, with a smile. "I will want some of you to take a trip in an airship. But that will come later."
"I"ll never go up!" declared the "grouch."
"Well, we"ll settle that later," the manager went on. "Just at present I am going to have some automobile pictures made, and in one of them an auto containing you young ladies," he looked at Ruth and Alice, "goes to smash down a steep hill and over a cliff."
"Oh!" cried Ruth, clutching at her heart.
"How exciting!" exclaimed Alice, apparently not in the least disturbed.
"Yes," said Mr. Pertell, with a smile. "But don"t worry. This will be a "subst.i.tute" film. That is, you"ll be in the auto up to a certain point.
The chauffeur loses control of it, and it starts to run away down hill.
Then it is stopped, the camera is closed for a moment until we subst.i.tute an old auto for the real one in which you are. There are dummy figures in the old auto, and they are the ones that go to smash over the cliff. Think you can work that, Russ?"
"Oh, yes, I"ve done those trick pictures before. Where are you going to plant the smash?"
"Oh, over in Jersey. There are several places in the Orange Mountains that will answer. Near Eagle Rock is a good place."
"All right," agreed the young operator. "I"ll be ready whenever you are.
But where are you going to get the auto that goes to smash, Mr.
Pertell?"
"Oh, I bought a second-hand one cheap. It"s now being painted and fixed up to look as much like the good one as possible."
A few days later all was in readiness for taking the auto smash film.
The story to be depicted was part of the big "East and West" drama.
Ruth and Alice were supposed to be pursued by persons in another auto, and in the smash both girls were to be "injured."
The two automobiles were on hand at the appointed time on a steep slope of the Orange Mountains, where the road turned suddenly near a steep cliff. It was over this cliff that the "smash" would occur.
The auto that would really come to grief was an old rattletrap of a machine, but it would serve the purpose well enough for the film, since only a momentary glimpse of it, and that showing it going at full speed, would be given. The dummy figures, made up to look like Ruth and Alice, were in readiness.
"Now, girls, take your places, if you please," said Mr. Pertell, waving Ruth and Alice toward their car.
"Oh, I"m so nervous!" exclaimed Ruth.
"What about?" asked her sister, as she b.u.t.toned her jacket, for the wind was sharp on the hillside.
"Oh, suppose our car doesn"t stop in time? Suppose we go over the cliff, instead of the stuffed figures?"
"Don"t suppose anything of the kind!" cried Alice, gaily. "Come on--they"re waiting for us."
CHAPTER VII
OFF FOR THE WEST
Ruth and Alice, taking their places in what might be termed the "regular" auto, were told just what to do. They were supposed to be escaping from their pursuers, who were in another auto that was to come up from the rear.
Then their chauffeur, in an endeavor to make speed, would go too fast, would not be able to make the turn in the road, and would go over the cliff. But, at the proper time, the dummies and the old auto would be subst.i.tuted.
"All ready now?" asked Mr. Pertell, when he had carefully repeated his instructions to the girls.
"All ready," answered Alice, and Ruth nodded, though a bit doubtfully.
She was really nervous, although she tried not to show it too plainly.
"All ready here," answered Russ, who was beside the camera.
"Then go!" cried the manager, and the auto started.
In order to give the idea of a long chase Russ had to set up his camera in several different places. He changed from one stretch of road to another, the auto being brought to a stop, to wait until he was ready, and then started up again.
But the public saw none of this when the film was exhibited, for only motion was shown, the various sections of the celluloid being joined together in such a way as to preserve the continuity.
"Now ready for the big scene," called Mr. Pertell, after one of these stops. "It"s going very well."
Ruth and Alice who, with Paul, were in the regular auto, had shown or "registered" all sorts of emotions during the chase. Sometimes the pursuing auto would be almost up to the one in front, and again it would lag far behind, in order to conform to the requirements of the script, or the story of the film play.
"You will run your car up to here," said Mr. Pertell to the chauffeur of the machine containing Ruth, Alice and Paul. "Then you will stop, and the subst.i.tution will be made. Come on with as much speed as is safe, right to this mark," and he indicated a stone in the highway.
"And be sure you _do_ stop!" exclaimed Paul, with a short laugh. "That"s rather too near the edge of the cliff to suit me."
"I know it is," agreed Mr. Pertell, "It has to be. I only want a few feet of the film showing the actual smash. If it runs too long the public may see the dummies too plainly. I want this as real an accident as it"s possible to have it."
"It seems like tempting Providence," murmured Ruth.
"Don"t get "Sneedified"," was the retort of Alice.
Russ had set up his camera to get views of the auto coming down the steep slope, and now, at his signal that all was in readiness, the chauffeur of the car started it again.
"Business! Business!" called Mr. Pertell to the moving picture girls and Paul, meaning that they were to use the proper gestures, and register the desired emotions to coincide with the play.
On rushed the auto, straight toward the dangerous turn in the road.