Part 4 (2/2)
”It's from Mr Hadley!” he exclaimed
”What's up?” asked Joe, quickly
Blake was reading in a uishable
”Dear boys This will introduce--upictures He comes to me well recommended--um--um” (more mumbles) ”I wish you would do all you can for hio to Panama--”
That was as far as Blake read Then he cried out:
”I say, Joe, look here! I can't make head nor tail of this!”
”What is it?” asked his chu over; his shoulder at the letter the Spaniard had so strangely brought to the to Pana to that effect What in the world does he ht you bad news in a prospective trip to where the great canal will unite the two oceans,” spoke the Spaniard in his formal manner
”Well, I don't know as you'd call it _bad_ news,” said Blake, slowly ”We've gotten sort of used to being sent to the ends of the earth on short notice, but what getsit that hat surprises me is that this is the first Mr
Hadley has mentioned Panama to us”
”Is that so?” asked Mr Alcando ”Why, I understood that you knew all about his plans”
”No one knows _all_ about Hadley's plans,” said Joe in a low voice ”He es them in his sleep But this one about Panaht,” chi ditch shortly before the runaway came past,” went on Blake, ”but that was only a coincidence, of course
We had no idea of going there, and I can't yet understand what Mr
Hadley refers to when he says we may take you there with us, to show you so pictures”
”Did you read the letter all the way through?” Joe asked
”No, but--”
”Perhaps I can explain,” interrupted the Spaniard ”If you will kindly allow me I came to New York with an express purpose in view That purpose has now suffered--but no matter I must not speak of that!” and there seeic manner
”I am connected with the Equatorial Railroad Co which he seeain control of himself ”Our co pictures le, and also e have done in the le, and make it more fit for habitation
”As one of thethe public, and, I ested The idea was e thepictures ht be obtained, so that they would help the work of our railroad, I decided Iof the details--how the pictures are made, how the cameras are constructed, how the pictures are projected--in short all I could learn about the business I desired to learn
”My company sent me to New York, and there, on inquiry, I learned of the Film Theatrical Company I had letters of introduction, and I soon e of this branch of the work--I mean outdoor pictures”
”Yes, that's his line,” said Joe ”Mr Ringold attends to the dramatic end of it We have done work for both branches”
”So I was told,” went on Mr Alcando ”I asked to be assigned a teacher, and offered to pay well for it And Mr Hadley at once suggested that you two boys would be the very ones who could best give me what I desired
”He told ers of the Mississippi flood section, and were up here resting But I made so bold upon myself to come here to entreat you to let me accompany you to Panama”