es.

The girls and Mr. Bunn leaped ashore. The "villains" followed, firing
blank cartridges.

"Fine! That's fine!" cried the enthusiastic manager, when suddenly, from
a road that ran along the shore, there sprang a number of country
officers. They had their clubs in one hand and had drawn their
revolvers.

"Surrender! Surrender!" cried the leading officer to the "villains," who
were pursuing Mr. Bunn and the girls. "Surrender! We've got you covered!
We seen you chasin' these parties! Surrender!" and the police rushed
toward the actors.

"Keep back! Keep back!" implored Mr. Pertell, leaping out of concealment
and waving his hands. But he was too late.

CHAPTER XI

A REVISED FILM

Just what idea the local police had in mind when they rushed forward
would be hard to say. Evidently, however, they believed they were intent
on rescuing the girls from some imminent peril, for the leader of the
officers, showing not a little fear, even in the heroic role he was
playing, fired a shot into the air, and cried:

"No you don't! No you don't! Nothin' like that there can be done while
Captain Wealson is around. Up an' at 'em, men!"

He and his men rushed toward the pursuing "villains," got right in the
way of the camera, and proceeded to attack those whom they thought were
guilty of some crime.

"There it goes!" cried Mr. Pertell. "The picture is spoiled! It will
have to be all done over again."

In obedience to a gesture of despair from the manager, Russ ceased
grinding at the crank of the camera.

"That's enough! Stop!" called Mr. Pertell, and Ruth, Alice and the
others who were making strenuous efforts (seemingly) to escape, came to
a halt. Many times before they had heard that command which meant that
something was going wrong, and that they might as well stop at once
without wasting effort.

"Why, I wonder what's wrong," said Alice, who had not quite grasped the
interruption. "Everything seemed to be going beautifully."

"Perhaps the film broke," suggested Ruth.

"It's the police," Paul said, waving his hand at the officers, each of
whom had clutched a "prisoner," and was holding him.

"The police?" echoed Alice.

"Yes, they came in when they weren't wanted," Paul went on.

"Oh, I thought they were part of the picture!" exclaimed Ruth. And so
she had. Often, to make a moving picture seem more realistic, a manager
will not tell the actors all he has prepared. Thus he gets the element
of surprise. B