Davy knew a little about taking pictures, although far from being an expert. He had never used flashlight powders, or cartridges before; and after reading all the directions carefully, he declared he felt prepared to take a picture that would be viewed with the greatest satisfaction in the world by all his chums, when this great Maine vacation were only a memory of the past.
So Davy warned his campmates not to be alarmed if there suddenly flashed upon them a great light.
“I’d like to get you all in characteristic attitudes, if I could–that was the way the feller who sold me the camera called it; and he said the best pictures were the natural ones. What I mean is, that if I could grab Step Hen here, for instance, with that silly look of his on his face, saying: ‘Anybody seen my camp hatchet around? Funny how it’s always my things that get carried off! The jinx never hides anything belonging to you fellers!’ I’d have something worth while.”
“Oh! come off, will you, Davy; if I thought I looked like you say, I’d let all my traps disappear every day but what I’d kick up a row,” and Step Hen assumed an air of indignation with these words that caused a general laugh to go around.
Of course it had to be explained to the two guides, for they were to be in the picture, smoking their pipes contentedly; and apparently Eli telling a story, to which the rest of the scouts were listening eagerly, possibly laughing.
Having fixed things to his satisfaction, Davy disappeared, slipping away from the camp-fire on the side he had decided upon as offering the best natural advantages for a flashlight view.
They could not see him, but guessed that he was working his way toward them as slily as he could; since he had announced that he meant to play the part of an enemy, stealing up to spy upon the camp.
Presently they did manage to get Eli started telling a story; for Thad knew it would be better for the picture if the guides seemed natural, and not on parade.
Meanwhile Davy was creeping forward, intent on reaching the place he had picked out beforehand, and where, without exposing himself, he could set his camera, and then fire the cartridge.
When to his uneducated mind–in the line of photography–Davy had things just about to his liking, he held himself in readiness for what he deemed an extra fine view, when the boys were laughing heartily at the climax of Eli’s queer story of a scrape he once found himself in that was really humorous, though at the time it may have appeared anything but that to the actor.