The Bobbsey Twins at Meadow Brook Read online

  CHAPTER XII

  THE BOBBSEYS ACT

  "Well, I guess the battle is over now," said Bert, after a while. Thecannon had stopped firing, and the "soldiers" no longer "shot" at eachother with their rifles.

  "See, the men on horses have captured the other men," spoke Harry. Andhe pointed to where the cavalry had surrounded a number of the footsoldiers, or infantry, as they are called, and were driving them overthe fields toward some log cabins.

  "They must have built those log houses on purposes for the movingpicture play," said Uncle Daniel. "For they weren't here the otherday, when I was over in this valley."

  "Very likely they did," agreed Mr. Bobbsey. "It takes a great deal ofwork to make a moving picture play now-a-days, and often a companywill build a whole house, only to set fire to it, or tear it down tomake a good picture."

  "If they set a house on fire," broke in Freddie, "I could put it outwith my fire engine, and I'd be in the movies then."

  "Oh, you and your fire engine!" laughed Bert, ruffling up his littlebrother's hair. "You think you can do anything with it."

  "Well, I stopped the turkey gobbler from eating up Snoop," Freddiecried. "Didn't I?"

  "So you did!" exclaimed Harry. "You and your fire engine are allright, Freddie."

  The soldiers who had fallen off their horses, or who had toppled overin the grass, to pretend that they were shot in battle, now gotup--"coming to life," Bert called it.

  The battle scene was over, but the men were not yet done using thecameras, for they took them farther down the valley toward the logcabins. The soldiers were now grouped around these buildings, and Bertand Harry could see several ladies, in brightly colored dresses,mingled with the soldiers in uniform.

  "I wonder what they are doing now?" asked Bert.

  "Oh, taking a more peaceful scene for the movies," answered hisfather. "They have had enough of war, I guess."

  "That would suit Flossie," remarked Uncle Daniel with a laugh.

  The valley was now quiet, but over it hung a cloud of smoke from thecannon. The wind was, however, blowing the smoke away.

  "Can we go up to the log cabins and watch them make more pictures,father?" asked Bert.

  "Well, yes, I guess so; if you don't get in the way of the cameras. Doyou want to come?" asked Mr. Bobbsey of Uncle Daniel. "You don't oftenget a chance to see moving pictures out here, I guess. Better come."

  "No, not now, thank you," was the answer, "I must get back and lookafter my tomatoes. They need to be picked. But you can go on with theboys."

  So Mr. Bobbsey took Bert and Harry up to where other moving pictureswere being made. The boys did not understand all that was being done,but they watched eagerly just the same.

  They saw men and soldiers talking to the ladies, who were members ofthe moving picture company. Then they saw soldiers, who pretended tohave been hurt in the sham-battle, being put on cots, and bandaged up.

  "This is a make-believe hospital," Mr. Bobbsey explained to the boys."They want it to look as natural as possible, you see."

  The boys watched while "doctors" went among the "wounded," giving them"medicine," all make-believe, of course. Then one of the ladies,dressed as a nurse, came through the rows of cots which were placed inthe open air, under some trees.

  "How do you like it?" asked one of the moving picture men of Mr.Bobbsey, coming over to where Bert's father was standing. The man hadbeen turning the crank of one of the cameras, but, just then, he hadnothing to do.

  "It is very interesting," said Mr. Bobbsey. "We heard your firing andcame over to look on. Are you going to be here long?"

  "Only a few days. But there will be no more battle pictures. They costtoo much money to make. The rest of the scenes will be more peaceful."

  "That would suit my little girl," said Mr. Bobbsey, with a laugh. "Shedidn't like the cannon and guns."

  "Oh, have you a little girl?" asked the moving picture man, who seemedto be one of those in charge of the actors and actresses.

  "Yes, I have a little girl," Mr. Bobbsey replied.

  "And these two boys?" asked the camera man.

  "No, only one of the boys is mine," and Bert's father nodded at hisson. "The other is my nephew."

  "Do you live around here?" the man went on. "Excuse my asking you somany questions," he continued. "My name is Weston, and I have chargeof making these moving pictures. We need some children to take smallparts in one of the scenes, and, as we have no little ones in ourcompany, I was wondering whether we could not get some country boysand girls to pose for us, or, rather, act for us, for we want them tomove, not to just stand still. And I thought if you lived aroundhere," he said to Mr. Bobbsey, "you might know where we could borrow adozen children for an hour or so."

  "I don't live here," Mr. Bobbsey replied, "but I am staying on mybrother's farm. What sort of acting do you want the children to do forthe moving pictures?"

  "Oh, something very simple. You see, one of the ladies in our companyis supposed to be a school teacher before the war breaks out. We havetaken the war scenes already--that sham battle you looked at was allwe need of that.

  "The school teacher goes to the front as a nurse, but before she goes,we want a scene showing her in front of the school surrounded by herpupils."

  "I see," said Mr. Bobbsey.

  "Now we have the schoolhouse," said Mr. Weston, "or, rather, there isan old schoolhouse down the road that will do very nicely tophotograph. We have permission to use it, as this is vacation time. Wealso have the lady who will act as the teacher, and, later as the RedCross nurse. But we need children to act as school pupils.

  "I thought perhaps you might know of some children who would like toact for the movies," the man went on. "It will take only a littletime, and it will not be at all unpleasant. They will just have to actnaturally, as any school children would do."

  "Well, I have four children of my own," said Mr. Bobbsey, as hethought of his two sets of twins, "and my brother has a boy. There arealso several children in the village. Perhaps it could be arranged tohave their pictures taken."

  "I hope it can!" exclaimed Mr. Weston. "I'll talk to you about it in afew minutes. I must go see about this hospital scene now."

  He hurried away, while Bert and Harry looked at one another.

  "Do you want to be in the movies?" asked Mr. Bobbsey.

  "I don't mind," spoke Harry, smiling.

  "Neither do I," added Bert. "Freddie would like it, too, but Flossiewouldn't come if they shot any guns."

  "They wouldn't shoot guns where children were," said Mr. Bobbsey."I'll see what your mother, and Uncle Daniel and Aunt Sarah say."

  Later that day the moving picture man explained just what was wanted,and as Mrs.

  Bobbsey and Aunt Sarah had no objections, it was decided to let theBobbsey twins, as well as Harry, take part in the moving pictures. TomMason, Mabel Herold and some others of the country village were alsoto be in the scene.

  It was taken, or "filmed," as the moving picture people say, the nextmorning. Down to the old schoolhouse, on the country road, went thechildren, laughing and talking, a little bit shy, some of them.

  But the actress who was to pretend to be a school teacher was so nicethat she soon made the little children feel at ease. Flossie andFreddie loved her from the first, and each insisted upon walking alongwith her, hand in hand.

  "That will make a pretty picture," said the moving picture man. "Justwalk along the road, Miss Burns," he said to the actress, "withFlossie on one side, and Freddie on the other. I'll take your picturesas if you were going to school."

  This was done. Flossie and Freddie soon forgot that they were really"acting" for the movies, and were as natural as could be wished.

  "I--I've got a fire engine!" said Freddie, as he trudged along withthe actress-teacher.

  "Have you, indeed?" she asked pleasantly. "Don't look at the camera,"she cautioned Flossie. "Just pretend it isn't there."

  "And I've got a doll!" Flossie said, not to let Freddie get th
e bestof her.

  "And my fire engine pumps real water," Freddie went on, "and Isquirted it on our cat and on the old turkey gobbler."

  "Oh, but why did you do that?" asked the actress. "Wasn't thatunkind?"

  "Oh, no!" exclaimed Freddie, his eyes big and round. "The gobbler waspinching our cat's tail, and Snoop was scratching the turkey. I had tosquirt water on them to make them stop."

  "Oh, I see!" exclaimed Miss Burns with a jolly laugh.

  "Well, anyhow, my doll can open and shut her eyes," said Flossie. "SoI don't care!"

  "That's enough of that scene," said Mr. Weston. "Now all you childrencrowd up around the school steps, as if you were going in after thelast bell had rung. Pretend you are going into school."

  The village children were a little bashful at first, but Bert, Nan andHarry, taking the lead, showed them what to do, and after one trialeverything went off well.

  The children grouped themselves about the actress-teacher, who claspedher arms about the shoulders of as many as she could reach. It made apretty scene in front of the old school-house, with the green treesfor a background. The use of the school had been allowed the movingpicture company for the day.

  "Now play about, as if it were recess," directed Mr. Weston, after thefirst scene had been taken. "Be as natural as you can. And you grownfolks please keep back out of the way," he asked, for Mrs. Bobbsey anda number of the fathers and mothers had come to see their childrenpose for the moving picture camera.

  By this time the children had lost their bashfulness, and were actingas naturally as though they really were at school. They played tag andother simple games, while the camera clicked their images on thecelluloid film. Miss Burns, as the teacher, took part in some of thegirls' games.

  "Now I want a larger boy and girl to walk down the road together, theboy carrying the girl's books," said Mr. Weston. "You'll do," he wenton to Nan, "and you," to Harry. Soon the two cousins were strollingalong, having their pictures taken.

  "I want to go with Nan!" cried Freddie "I want my picture taken somemore."

  "Not now, dear," said Miss Burns, who was not in the scene with Nanand Harry. "Wait a little."

  "No, I want to go with Nan now," insisted Freddie, and he broke fromthe hand of the actress and rushed after his sister.

  "Oh, he'll spoil the picture!" cried Bert, solicitously. "Come back,Freddie; that's a good boy!"

  But Freddie did not intend to come back.

  "Nan, Nan! Wait for me!" begged Freddie.

  Nan did not know what to do. She had been told to walk down the road,pretending to talk to Harry, and to take half an apple which he wouldhand her, in view of the camera.

  "That's all right--let the little fellow get into the picture,"directed Mr. Weston. "It will make it all the prettier."

  So Freddie had his wish, to walk beside his sister. But he had notgone far before he saw, on the edge of a little brook, a bright redflower.

  "I'm going to get it!" he cried. "I can hold it in my hand. It willlook nice in the picture."

  "No, no!" cried Nan. "Stay with me, Freddie."

  "Going to get the flower!" he shouted, as he ran on ahead.

  And, just as he reached the edge of the brook, his foot slipped, anddown he went with a great splash, into the water.

  "Oh, Freddie's fallen in! Freddie's fallen in!" cried Nan, rushingforward.

  "I'll pull him out!" cried the man grinding away at the crank of thecamera.

  "No, you stay there and get the moving picture," said Mr. Watson. "Itwill make a funny scene, and Freddie is in no danger. The water isn'tdeep! I'll get him out!"

  "That's the second time Freddie's fallen in," said Bert, as he rantoward the brook.

  "Help me out! Help me out!" sobbed Freddie, splashing about in thewater.