CHAPTER XIV.
A MAD UNDERTAKING.
The Camera Chap watched the puzzled face of the Bulletin’s editor as the latter pondered on his rash proposal. “Do I get the job, Fred?” he inquired eagerly. “May I consider myself a regular staff photographer of the Oldham Daily Bulletin?”
“You may not,” Carroll replied emphatically. “You reckless Indian!” he added, with a laugh. “Do you think for a minute that I’m going to listen to such a proposition? This stunt that you propose is the wildest idea that has ever taken shape in that harum-scarum brain of yours. If I thought that you were tired of liberty and had a feverish longing to spend the next six months in jail, I might be willing to consider your offer. But I have no reason to believe that such is the case.”
Hawley grinned. “I have no desire to go to prison, and no intention of going there if I can possibly keep out,” he declared. “But really I don’t see any reason why the venture should have such a disastrous result.”
“You don’t, eh?” rejoined Carroll with an ironical laugh. “I suppose if that chair you are sitting on were a keg of dynamite, you’d see no particular danger in drumming your heels against its sides. Do you suppose you could go out taking snapshots on the highways of Oldham in defiance of the new anticamera law, and keep out of the clutches of the police? You might possibly get away with the first picture, although even that is doubtful; but you’d surely be nabbed on your second attempt.”
“Why are you so sure of that?” Hadley inquired.
“Why am I sure of it? Why am I sure that a man who couldn’t swim would drown if he were to jump overboard from the hurricane deck of a liner in mid-Atlantic on a dark night? Because, my reckless young friend, my common sense enables me to foresee clearly what would happen in both cases. Our friend, Chief Hodgins, would stay awake night and day in order to take advantage of such a grand opportunity to get even with you. Every policeman of the Oldham force would have instructions to bring you in, alive or dead. My esteemed contemporary, the Chronicle, would publish a full description of you, refer to you as ‘the camera bandit,’ and appeal to all good citizens to aid in your capture. The whole city of Oldham would be on the watch for you. What chance would you have?”
A sparkle came to the eyes of the Camera Chap. “By Jove, Fred, that’s an alluring picture you’ve painted!” he exclaimed, with great enthusiasm.
“Alluring?” repeated the other deprecatingly.
“Yes. I hadn’t figured that it would be quite as exciting as all that. But I have no doubt the conditions[Pg 46] will be just as you’ve pictured them, and I can see that I’m going to have even more fun than I expected.”