Dave Porter At Bear Camp Part 22

"This is my aunt, Mrs. Bess Ford," announced Della, to Jessie. "I suppose you saw us acting just now?"

"We did," answered Jessie. "It was quite interesting."

"I suppose it is, to an outsider," responded the young actress. "It gets to be an old story with us; doesn't it, Aunt Bess?"

"Oh, I don't mind it," returned the aunt. "I'd rather be up here in the woods acting for the movies than down in some stuffy theater in this warm weather."

"Did Mr. Porter tell you what a grand hero he is, Miss Wadsworth?" asked Della Ford, turning to Jessie. "Oh, he's just the grandest hero I ever met!" and she beamed on Dave.

"Come now, Miss Ford, please don't mention it again," expostulated Dave.

"I didn't do so very much, and you know it."

"Isn't saving my life a good deal?" demanded the young actress, archly.

"Oh, I don't mean that. What I mean is that anybody could have done what I did."

"But you did it, young man, and you ought to have credit for it," put in Mrs. Ford, bluntly. "It was certainly a brave thing to do."

"It was; and I shall never cease to thank Mr. Porter for it," went on Della Ford, and she gave Dave another warm look, at which he blushed more than ever.

This look was not lost on Jessie; and she bit her lip in a way that showed she was not altogether pleased. Then Mr. Appleby, the manager of the moving-picture company, came forward, followed by several others.

"This certainly is a surprise!" said the manager. "First we meet on the Atlantic Ocean, and next in the heart of the Adirondacks."

"It's like some of your changes in the movies," answered Dave, smiling.

"You show us a s.h.i.+pwreck, and then, presto! you transfer us to an office in Wall Street. You must have to jump around pretty lively to get all the scenes of a drama."

"We don't take just one drama," explained Mr. Appleby. "We sometimes do half a dozen or more. For instance, while we are up here we are going to take the outdoor scenes to fifteen or twenty dramas. Then we'll go back to the city and finish up with a number of interiors."

"Wouldn't you like to be a moving-picture actor, Mr. Porter?" asked Della Ford, eagerly. "You could go into a nautical rescue scene very nicely."

"There you go again, Miss Ford!" returned Dave. "Just the same, it must be some fun being in a moving picture."

"Oh, Dave, don't you go into any moving picture," interrupted Jessie, quickly.

"Why, what would be the harm?" he questioned.

"Oh, no particular harm, I suppose. Only I shouldn't like it," she answered, in a low tone.

"You might get into our next scene," went on Della Ford, ignoring Jessie's remark. "We are going to have one that will show several canoes besides the motor-boat tied up at the dock around the bend."

"Well, I'll think about it," answered Dave, hesitatingly; and then he went on to Mr. Appleby: "By the way, is Ward Porton still with you?"

"He is with my company, yes; but he is not here just now," was the reply. "I expect him in a week or so."

"I met him in Crumville, where I live."

"Is that so? I thought he had gone to his old home down East. However, it doesn't matter; he has a right to go where he pleases."

"By the way, Mr. Appleby, I would like to speak to you in private for a moment," went on Dave, and leaping ash.o.r.e he drew the manager to one side.

"What is it?"

"You have a new member of your company, a young fellow named Link Merwell."

"Yes, what of it?"

"Link Merwell is a criminal--a fugitive from justice," answered Dave.

And then he gave the man some of the particulars already known to my readers.

"If what you say is true, Porter, I don't want that fellow in my company," said Mr. Appleby, warmly. "What do you want me to do when he comes, hold him a prisoner?"

"I wish you would do that, and let us know. Mr. Wadsworth will take care of Merwell."

"All right, I'll do it--if he shows up. But he may not do that--if he has found out that you are in this vicinity," added the manager.

"I'm thinking he will make himself scarce," returned Dave, with a grim smile.

In the meantime Della Ford had come down to the side of the canoe.

"Where are you staying, Miss Wadsworth?" questioned the young actress.

"At a bungalow near the end of the lake," returned Jessie, and explained about the location and who were in the party.

"Oh, how delightful! You will surely have a splendid time here. We are located in the cottage around the bend where you perhaps saw the motor-boat tied up. I am sure we'll be very glad to have you call on us."

"Thank you; perhaps we'll get this way again some time," returned Jessie, somewhat coolly.

"You must come and see us, Mr. Porter, by all means," went on the young moving picture actress when our hero returned to the side of the canoe.

"And bring the others along, too. I liked the appearance of your chums.

You all seemed to be so jolly."

"Dave, don't you think we ought to be going?" questioned Jessie.

"Just as you say," he answered, and dipped his paddle into the lake.

"Then you don't want to stay and take part in that other picture?"

called out Della Ford, as the canoe began to leave the dock.

"Not to-day, Miss Ford," called back Dave. "But I may get into one of your pictures just for the fun of it."

"Do! And don't forget to call at the cottage," returned the young lady; and then the canoe pa.s.sed out of hearing of those on the sh.o.r.e, and a dozen strong strokes of the paddle sent the frail craft out of sight around another headland.

"That certainly was a surprise," was Dave's comment, as they pa.s.sed along under some overhanging trees. "I never dreamed of coming across that moving-picture company in such a fas.h.i.+on as that."

"What did you get out for?" asked Jessie, curiously.

"I wanted to ask Mr. Appleby about Link Merwell. He didn't know Link was a criminal. He says if Link shows himself up here he will make him a prisoner and notify us."