CHAPTER XXI
WHAT APPEARED ON BILLY'S PLATES
The statement of Jim Jenkins that a boy wearing the uniform of the Hilltop boys had told him and others that the building of the branch line would injure them had already caused considerable excitement among the young students, and Jim's second statement to the effect that the boy had been there that very day only served to increase it.
The doctor did not seem to care about pressing this point, however, and said somewhat impatiently:
"Well, whoever it was who gave you this information, it was false, and I will prove to you that we have every authority for going on with this work and that it will not injure you in the least."
Dr. Wise then produced maps, letters and other documents and proceeded to enforce his point.
The men seemed little interested, however, and several of them went away while the doctor was stating his case, the big man at length saying in a surly tone as he turned away:
"That's all right, go on with yer old road, but I'd just like——-" and he went away muttering, followed by the greater part of the men still remaining, some having already left.
"Ha! very strange, quite incomprehensible, yes, yes," said the doctor. "Well, well! I really can't—-well, never mind. Go on with your work, young gentlemen. I do not think it will again be interfered with."
Percival had not waited for the word to go ahead, but had already set up his theodolite while the doctor was explaining matters to the men, and had taken a number of sights, set his first bench mark and was getting his boys to work, Jack being ready to follow behind with his levelers as soon as the work ahead was far enough advanced.
The greater part of the men went away with Calthorpe, but a few of them remained behind to watch the boys at work, showing considerable interest.
Percival took his sights, fixed his direction and went ahead rapidly, setting his stakes and running his line roughly, Jack coming on later and settling the level.
After supper, when it was quite dark and the boys were sitting around the camp fires, enjoying the warmth fully as much as the light, Billy Manners came quietly to Jack, who was sitting with Percival, the latter playing softly on a guitar, and whispered in his ear:
"Come with me, Jack. I've got something to show you that will give you a surprise and set you to thinking."
"What is it, Billy?" asked Jack.
"Come and see!" was the mysterious answer, and Jack arose and followed
Billy to a little tent in a bit of thick woods outside the camp.
"What is it, Billy?" asked Jack as Billy opened the flap of his little tent where the light of a small red lantern shone upon a bench where there were hard rubber trays, a few big bottles and a pail of water.
"I have been developing," said Billy. "I can take out the plates I have already exposed and leave the others in the camera. It's a magazine, you understand."
"Yes, I know all about them. Well, what are you going to show me?"
"There are developments which we did not expect," laughed Billy.
"Never mind your puns, Billy, but get to business. I know you have developments, but what are they?"
"Here is one," said the other, holding up a developed plate between his friend and the light of the ruby lamp. "What do you see on it?"
Jack examined the plate a few moments, and said:
"It is the station in the woods. Some one has just jumped aside. You can see a bit of a blur on the edge like a man's arm and hand."
"Yes, and what do you see behind where the man was?"
"Two persons talking. Why, one of them is Herring."
"That's all right. Now look at this one," and Billy held up another plate which was still wet.
Jack took it in his fingers and held it to the light.
"This is in the woods," he said.
"Yes. It was the first one I took when we came up and found that the men were making trouble for Percival. What do you see on it, Jack?"
"I see some men making a disturbance, gesticulating and talking excitedly to Dick and his boys."
"Yes, that's all right. What else?"
"Ah, here are two persons, almost out of focus and talking very interestedly together at one side. They are down in front at one side and their figures are larger than—-why, Billy, they are Jenkins and Herring."
"Exactly!" said Billy with a deal of satisfaction. "I thought you'd see them if I said nothing and I'm glad you found them yourself. I am going to have a print of that plate as soon as it gets dry enough. I can dry it by a little stove I have and then take a bromide print of it in soft grays. That will fetch it up all right."
"But, Billy, what are Herring and Jim Jenkins doing together and what are they so interested about?"
"Didn't Jenkins say that a boy wearing the uniform of the Hilltops had told him and the rest that running the branch would hurt them?"
"This picture shows that Herring had something to do with Jenkins and yet everybody supposed he was in Saratoga."
"That's Herring all right and that's Jenkins," said Billy. "I'll dry the plate and take a print of it. It won't hurt anything to have a light now as I have no undeveloped plates about."
Billy then raised the red glass of the lantern to the top and shoved a plain one under it, and then, lighting a little oil stove, proceeded to carefully dry his plates, presently standing them up not too near the stove and getting out his printing frames and a package of photographic paper done up in a thick sheet of heavy black paper which excluded the light.
The little tent was lined with tar paper which had no glaze and was of an intense black, expelling all white rays which might be injurious to his exposed plates, the red rays not doing this.
When his plates were dry Billy put one of them in his frame, which contained a sheet of plain glass, and slipped one of his sensitized sheets under it, closing the frame with a cleat under the back.
Passing this in front of the lamp for a few moments, he removed the paper and placed it in a tray containing a developing fluid, when at once the print began to show very plain.
When it was dark enough he removed it from the tray and put it in another which contained a fixing fluid which prevented further development, and presently washed it thoroughly in clear water.
"What do you think of that?" he asked Jack, with a tone of triumph.
"It is convincing, isn't it?"
"It shows Herring talking to Jenkins, but you cannot tell what he says," remarked Jack with a smile.
"No, I have not got to taking talking pictures yet," laughed Billy, "but the very fact that he was with Jenkins at all means something."