CHAPTER XXI
THE BURNING GRASS
The announcement made by Russ caused considerable surprise, and, on the part of Mr. Pertell, dismay.
"You don't mean that big reel—that important one which is a sort of key to all the rest—is missing; do you?" he asked.
"That's it," replied Russ, ruefully. "It's clean gone!"
"Maybe you didn't look carefully, or perhaps you put it in some other place than you thought."
"I'm not in the habit of doing that with undeveloped film," replied the young operator. "If it was a reel ready for the projector I might mislay it, for I'd know the light couldn't harm it. But undeveloped reels, that the least glint of light would spoil—I take precious good care of them, let me tell you. And this one is gone."
"Let's have another look," suggested Mr. Pertell, hopefully.
He went into the tent from which Russ had just emerged, and the latter showed him where he had placed the reel. It was enclosed in its own case as it came from the camera, and that case, as an additional protection, was placed in a light-tight black box. This box would hold several reels; but that night only one, and the most important of those taken on the trip, was put in it.