Receding train in distance. Black Jack comes on, yanks spike from post.
Scene 15. Clearing in woods.
Desperados lounging about. Black Jack enters, unrolls note, reads, and gives orders.
Subtitle: “Stick No. 5 up at Mason’s Cut. We’ll cover up the job by making the despatcher drive No. 2 into No. 5.”
At his last word four desperados exit left. Black Jack and Bird Stevens go off right.
[Note the strength gained by inserting the subtitle in the action of the scene and having it a speech by one of the characters. How much weaker would it have been had the author put his subtitle before or after the scene, and said, “The desperados decide to hold up No. 5 at Mason’s Cut and cover up their crime by forcing the despatcher to drive No. 2 into No. 5.”]
Scene 16. Despatch-office, as in 8.
Call-boy sitting in reckless position, reading novel. Carson orders him to put up signal lamps—no ears. Carson tosses heavy object on floor near him and boy nearly falls out of chair; starts off on “hot-foot” with lanterns.
[The audience must now be kept in touch with events happening at different points. The flashes of the desperados will show them moving toward a definite object, and we are satisfied. If we were shown the despatch-office, however, with Carson seated idly at his key, the scene would appear unnecessary, so the author introduces such “business” as that of the call-boy above. The author must hold his audience’s interest while bringing his characters together for the climax. However, don’t let such “business” be important enough to distract the attention from the main plot.]
Scene 17. Mountain road.