“Of course. I wouldn’t travel without it—even on a pleasure trip. I hope to land some good snapshots before I go back.”
“Snapshots of what?” Gale demanded quickly.
Hawley shrugged his shoulders in a manner which would have done credit to a native of Baracoa. “That is hard to say, at present,” he answered. “I have no doubt that in a land as interesting as this, there must be many attractive things to photograph.”
As he spoke he looked into the eyes of Gale’s fair companion, and saw lurking in their blue depths an appreciative twinkle which warned him that she knew his secret. Evidently her friend, the señora, had taken the girl into her confidence. The situation disturbed him greatly. He wondered uneasily whether the American minister’s daughter could be relied upon to keep what she knew to herself, or whether she would pass it along to Gale, with whom, evidently, she was on friendly terms.
“Miss Throgmorton,” said Gale suddenly, “may I present my friend, Mr. Hawley? You remember my telling you the other day about Hawley, of the Sentinel?”
“Oh, yes,” the girl replied mischievously, as she extended her hand; “I recall your telling me how often you scooped him on pictures. I really felt quite sorry for you, Mr. Hawley, when I heard Mr. Gale’s stories. Newspaper work must be a cruel game.”
The Camera Chap smiled, and Gale looked somewhat sheepish. In boasting of his exploits to his host’s daughter, he had departed from the truth to an extent which covered him with glory, but did not do justice to the Sentinel man.
“Suppose we change the subject,” Gale said quickly. “Possibly Mr. Hawley might find it painful, you know. By the way, Frank, old man, I wonder if you’d mind taking care of Miss Throgmorton for a few minutes, while I go and make some inquiries about the attempt that was just made on President Portiforo’s life? Even though I’m on my vacation, I can’t afford to pass up a story like that.”
“The attempt on Portiforo’s life?” the Camera Chap repeated, in astonishment. “What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you see that fellow try to throw a bomb at him just now?”