Part 27 (1/2)
”Yes,” agreed Joe ”He wants to ood”
Several times after this Mr Alcando went off, by hied absences Each time he took a camera with him
It was a small machine, ood practice
”How are you co on?” asked Blake one day, when Mr Alcando returned after a trip which, he said, had taken him to Gatun Dam
”Oh, pretty well, I think,” was the answer, as the Spaniard set down his caood scenes, I believe When are you going to make the last of the spillway views?”
Blake did not answer He was listening to a curious sound It was a ticking, like that of an alar case that held extra reels of film for the little ca at the black box
CHAPTER XXII
A WARNING
”What is the matter?” asked Mr Alcando, as he noted Blake's intent look ”Is so--?” He did not finish
”That sound--in the filan Blake
”Oh, my alarm clock--yes!” exclaimed the Spaniard ”I take it out withpictures, I try to do a little work on it There is one feature I can't seem to perfect, and I hope some day to stumble on it Without it the clock is a failure I had it with ress--none at all I think I shall put it away again,” and taking with hi noise, he went to his stateroom
Blake shook his head He did not knohat to think
”He'll neverpicture operator,” he said to hiive your wholewith inventions when you set out to get views An alarh on the market now, and I don't believe there's a fortune in any of 'eht much better stick to what he set out to learn Well, it isn't any of my business, I suppose Joe and I have done all we can”
Several times after this the Spaniard went off by hi picture vieith the little ca the curious brass-bound box, with the metal projections, which he said was an alar Blake or Joe could not discover For Blake had told Joe of Alcando's confession
Certainly if Alcando did take histhe boys, for no ticking sound came from the case
The Canal was now as it had been before the big slide Vessels were passing to and fro, though in so work remained to be done Blake and Joe took soe of the various shi+ps to make their pictures of wider appeal when they would be shown at the Panama Exposition Mr Alcando did his share, and, for a tireat interest in his work, so that Blake had hopes the Spaniard would really beco, and it was not altogether effort on the part of the pupil
The ti their work to an end They had accomplished what they set out to do, and word came back from New York, where their fil the best the boys had ever taken
”Well, I will soon be leaving you,” said Mr Alcando to the chums, one day ”I have heard from my railroad fir pictures there”
”His friends are going to be sadly disappointed in hiht Blake ”It's too bad He'll make a failure of those views Well, if he does they may send for Joe and h I'm sorry to see him make a fizzle of it”
But Mr Alcando appeared to have no fears on his own account He was cheerfully optimistic
”I shall want several cameras, of different kinds,” he said to the boys ”Perhaps you can recoet some”