“Maybe it was the glass plate. The lens and shutter are certainly O. K., and the box is tight too. One leg of the tripod is broken though.”
“Pepper Ditmore has got to pay for this,” came firmly from Dan Baxter.
“That’s right, don’t let him crawl out of it,” put in Gus Coulter.
“He’s too smart altogether,” added Nick Paxton.
“See here, Coulter, don’t you put in your oar,” cried Pepper. “If you do, I’ll give you what I gave you before.” And then Gus Coulter slunk back, for he had not forgotten the drubbing Pepper had administered but a few weeks previous.
“Are you going to pay for the damage done or not?” demanded Dan Baxter.
“I shall certainly pay,” said Pepper, promptly. “Let me have the camera and I’ll get it fixed. Or you can have it fixed and have the bill sent to me.”
“We’ll all pay the bill,” cried Jack. “I think I am as much to blame as Pep.”
“So am I,” added Andy, and many of the others who had been playing snap-the-whip said the same.
“I am not going to let you have my camera,” said Dan Baxter, sulkily. “I’ll get it mended as it should be.” He paused a moment. “But I ain’t going to let you knock me down for nothing.”