itted his chum.

Their trip to, and arrival in, New York was unattended by any
incidents worth chronicling, and, taking a car at the Grand
Central Terminal, they were soon on their way to the film studios.

"Well, well! If it isn't Blake and Joe!" cried C.C. Piper, the
grouchy actor, as he saw them come in. "My, but I am glad to see
you!" and he shook their hands warmly.

"Glad something pleases you," said Miss Shay, with a shrug of her
shoulders. "You've done nothing but growl ever since this
rehearsal started." Blake and Joe had arrived during an
intermission in the taking of the studio scenes of a new drama.

"Is he as bad as ever?" asked Joe of Mabel Pierce, the new member
of the company.

"Well, I don't know him very well," she said, with a little blush.

"He's worse!" declared Nettie Shay. "I wish you'd take him out
somewhere, boys, and find him a good nature. He's a positive
bear!"

"Oh, come now, not as bad as that!" cried Mr. Piper. "I am glad to
see you boys, though," and really he seemed quite delighted.
"What's on?" he asked. "Are you going with us to California? We're
going to do a series of stunts there, I hear."

"Sorry, but we're not booked to go," said Blake. "I guess it's
Panama and the Canal for us."

Mr. Piper seemed to undergo a quick and curious change. His face,
that had been lighted by a genial smile, became dull and careworn.
His manner lost its joyousness.

"That's too bad!" he exclaimed. "Panama! You're almost sure to be
buried alive under one of the big Culebra slides, and we'll never
see you again!"

CHAPTER VIII

OFF FOR PANAMA

There was a moment of silence following Mr.
Piper's gloomy prediction, and then Miss Shay, with a laugh, cried
out:

"Oh, what a shame! I'd keep still if I couldn't say anything nicer
than _that_."

"Not very cheerful; is he?" spoke Joe.

"About the same as usual," commented Blake, drily.

"Well, it's true, just the same!" declared C.C. Piper, with an air
of conviction.

"'The truth is not to be spoken--at all times,'" quoted Miss
Pierce.

"Good for you!" whispered Joe.

C.C. seemed a little put out at all the criticism leveled at him.

"Ahem!" he exclaimed. "Of course I don't mean that I want to see
you boys caught in a landslide--far from it, but--"

"But, if we _are_ going to be caught that way, you hope there will
be moving pictures of it; don't you, C.C.?" laughed Blake. "Now,
there's no use trying to get out of it!" he