第14章

WHAT THE CAMERA CAUGHT

"Well, is she working, Tom?" asked our hero's chum, a little later, when they had set the camera up on a box in the garden.It pointed toward the main shop door, and from the machine came a clicking sound.The electric light was glowing.

"Yes, it's all ready," replied Tom."Now just act as if it wasn't there.You walk toward the shop.Do anything you please.Pretend you are coming in to see me on business.Act as if it was daytime.I'll stand here and receive you.Later, I'll get dad out here, Koku and Eradicate.I wish Mr.Period was here to see the test, but perhaps it's just as well for me to make sure it works before be sees it.""All right, Tom, here I come."

Ned advanced toward the shop.He tried to act as though the camera was not taking pictures of him, at the rate of several a second, but he forgot himself, and turned to look at the staring lens.Then Tom, with a laugh, advanced to meet him, shaking hands with him.Then the lads indulged in a little skylarking.They threw snowballs at each other, taking care, however to keep within range of the lens.Of course when Tom worked the camera himself, he could point it wherever he wanted to, but it was now automatic.

Then the lads went to the shop, and came out again.They did several other things.Later Koku, and Eradicate did some "stunts," as Tom called them.Mr.Swift, too, was snapped, but Mrs.Baggert refused to come out.

"Well, I guess that will do for now," said Tom, as he stopped the mechanism."I've just thought of something," he added."If I leave the light burning, it will scare away, before they got in front of the lens, any one who might come along.I'll have to change that part of it.""How can you fix it?" asked Ned.

"Easily.I'll rig up some flash lights, just ordinary photographing flashlights, you know.I'll time them to go off one after the other, and connect them with an electric wire to the door of my shop.""Then your idea is--" began Ned.

"That some rascals may try to enter my shop at night.Not this particular night, but any night.If they come to-night we'll be ready for them.""An' can't yo'-all take a picture ob de chicken coop?" asked Eradicate."Dat feller may come back t' rob mah hens.""With the lens pointing toward the shop," spoke Tom, "it will also take snap shots of any one who tries to enter the coop.So, if the chicken thief does come, Rad, we'll have a picture of him."Tom and Ned soon had the flashlights in place, and then they went to bed, listening, at times, for the puff that would indicate that the camera was working.But the night passed without incident, rather to Tom's disappointment.However, in the morning, he developed the film of the first pictures taken in the evening.Soon they were dry enough to be used in the moving picture machine, which Tom had bought, and set up in a dark room.

"There we are!" he cried, as the first images were thrown on the white screen."As natural as life, Ned! My camera works all right!""That's so.Look! There's where I hit you with a snowball!" cried his chum, as the skylarking scene was reached.

"Mah goodness!" cried Eradicate, when he saw himself walking about on the screen, as large as life."Dat shorely am wonderful.""It is spirits!" cried Koku, as he saw himself depicted.

"I wish we had some of the other pictures to show," spoke Tom."I mean some unexpected midnight visitors."For several nights in succession the camera was set to "snap" any one who might try to enter the shop.The flashlights were also in place.Tom and Ned, the latter staying at his chum's house that week, were beginning to think they would have their trouble for their pains.But one night something happened.

It was very dark, but the snow on the ground made a sort of glow that relieved the blackness.The camera had been set as usual, and Tom and Ned went to bed.