“Well, if being a movie actress means jumping into a river with all your clothes on, I beg to be excused,” laughed Mrs. Martin.
“I’m glad we came here,” said Ted. “Aren’t you, Jan?”
“I just guess I am!” she murmured. “Oh, look! Now she’s running away from the man who saved her!”
Indeed, this very scene was then taking place, and it caused some more excitement.
For the young lady, dripping wet as she had been taken from the water, had rested on the bank only a moment, while some pictures of her and her rescuer were taken, and then, with a scream, she broke away from the man and rushed off across the meadow.
But it was all part of the play that was being taken, for the Curlytops noticed that the young lady was running straight toward a camera that had been set up near a clump of willow trees. And as she approached the machine the man behind it kept it focused, or “aimed,” as Ted said, straight at the actress, picturing her every movement.
“I wish they’d take a picture of a nellifunt!” sighed Trouble, and again his queer remark caused a laugh.
“I guess they haven’t any elephants in this outfit,” remarked a man standing near the Martin auto.
“What do you suppose it’s all about?” asked Mrs. Martin of her husband, as they got out of the car and walked toward a group of the picture people. “I mean what is the story they are filming?”
“I don’t know, and I doubt very much if even those taking part in it know what it’s all about,” said Mr. Martin. “You see,” he explained, “in taking moving pictures they make views of all the scenes that take place in a certain spot all at once. That’s so they won’t have to come back to it again. Now they may take views of the cowboys here at the bridge and also pictures of the girl in the boat. But the cowboy scenes may be shown at the beginning of the finished film, and the scene we have just witnessed may be at the very end. That’s how movie work is done.”