“Why!” gasped Randy, “that ought to be censored! It’s the kind of a picture that gilds crime. Those pictures are the most dangerous I ever saw.”
“The camels next,” said Vic, as a new announcement flashed across the screen. “I lived in a tent with some of them with my father when I was a small boy. My!” he added rather dolefully, “I do hope we get some word about my camels from the man Mr. Durham has hired to look them up.”
“Frank always knows what he’s doing,” replied Pep, encouragingly, “and the man he has sent to look up your camels, does, too, very likely. You’ll soon hear some news, I feel sure.”
The film showed a fenced-in space, the tops of trees beyond it. A camel was standing feeding in one corner of the enclosure. A man with a hooked pole came in by a little gate. He approached the animal and gave it a jab with the pole.
The camel turned around. As it did so, its other side came into full view. It was a clean, intelligent looking animal and as the man tapped one of its feet the camel lifted that leg and waved it.
“Say, oh, say!” burst from Vic so suddenly and sharply that Pep glanced at him in sheer wonderment. Vic had started from his seat. His eyes were dilating. He seemed about to blurt out the cause of his extraordinary emotion.
“What’s the matter?” inquired the marveling Pep, placing a hand on the arm of his companion to quiet him.
Vic was trembling all over. He appeared to be in a paroxysm of suppressed excitement. He was about to reply to Pep, when apparently he was put on his guard by a glance back of him. The spy was leaning over with an eager face to catch what he might say.
“Just get out of this, Pep; will you?” whispered Vic in a positive gasp. “I’ve something to tell you—something of great importance.”