“Maybe they wouldn’t,” the Camera Chap rejoined; “but there are lots of others who would. I wasn’t thinking about the local advertisers. I have in mind the big con[Pg 47]cerns—the breakfast-food people, the purveyors of potted ham, canned soups, cocoa, and mixed pickles; the manufacturers of safety razors, automobiles, shaving soaps, ready-made clothing, et cetera. That’s the kind of advertising we’ll get for your sheet, Fred.”
Carroll laughed grimly. “Don’t you suppose I’ve been after all those people already? There’s nothing doing with any of them. I’ve called personally on those whose advertising offices are in near-by cities, and spent a small fortune in postage stamps corresponding with the rest. Not one of them could be made to see that it would be to his advantage to advertise in the Oldham Bulletin.”
“Of course not,” exclaimed Hawley; “not while your circulation is as low as it is at present. Naturally, they’ve no desire to throw their money away. But wait until we’ve boosted the Bulletin’s circulation sky-high. Then we can talk contracts to them, and I’ll wager they’ll be ready enough to listen.
“So, you see, Fred,” he added laughingly, “you really can’t afford to turn down my application for the position of staff photographer on your esteemed paper.”
CHAPTER XV.
A DETERMINED STAND.
“Nevertheless, I’m going to turn it down,” Carroll declared firmly. “I won’t hear of your doing this thing, I’m not going to have it on my conscience that I was the cause of your being sent to jail. It’s no use arguing with me, old man; I positively refuse to let you run this risk on my account.”
“Very well,” said the Camera Chap quietly. “Of course, I have no desire to press my services on you if you don’t want them. But I shall go ahead with this camera campaign, just the same. The pictures will make an interesting addition to my scrapbook.”
“You crazy Indian! Surely you don’t mean that?”
“I certainly do. If you think I’m going to miss all this fun just because you won’t give me a job on your paper, you’re very much mistaken. Of course, I should greatly prefer to have the snapshots published in the Bulletin. I really think that they’ll be worth publishing. But since you can’t see it that way, I suppose I’ll have to be satisfied with adding them to my private collection.”
Carroll glanced searchingly at his friend’s face and was convinced of his earnestness. Then, with a laugh, he extended his big hand.