hey going to fire
again?"

"It looks so," observed Russ. "But if they knock away too much of the
hill there won't be any left for the pictures to-morrow."

"I believe they want to make the top of the hill flat," said Paul. "They
are going to have some sort of hand-to-hand fight on it after the
Unionists capture it," he went on. "I heard Mr. Pertell speaking of it."

"There goes another!" cried Alice, as she saw the same preparations as
before and one man standing near the gun to pull the lanyard, which, by
means of a friction tube, exploded the charge.

Once more the projectile shot out and, burying itself in the soft dirt
of the hill, threw it up in a shower.

"That'll save me a lot of work!" exclaimed a voice behind the young
people, and, turning, they saw Sandy Apgar smiling at them. "That's a
new way of plowing," he went on. "It sure does stir up the soil."

"Won't it spoil your hill?" asked Alice.

"Not so's you could notice it. That hill isn't wuth much as it stands.
It's too steep to plow, and only a goat could find a foothold on it to
graze. So if you moving picture folks level it for me I may be able to
raise some crops on it. Shoot as much as you like. You can't hurt that
hill!"

The men at the gun signaled that they were going to fire no more that
day, and then, as it was safe, the young folks made a trip to see the
extent of damage caused by the shells.

Great furrows were torn in the earth and the stones, and the top of the
hill, that had been rounding, was now quite flat, though far from being
smooth.

The next day had been set for filming the scenes with the big gun in
them. Contrary to expectations, no pictures could be taken, as the
throwing up of the earthworks had not been finished. But a number of men
from both "armies" were set to work, and as it afforded good practice
for the militia they were called on to dig trenches, throw up ridges of
earth, and go through other needful military tactics.

The girls had no part in the scenes with the big gun, except that, later
on, they were to act as nurses in the hospital tent.

On top of the hill a force of Confederates would be stationed, and they
were to reply to the fire of the big gun. Of course, when the
projectiles struck the hill the soldiers would be a safe distance away,
but by means of trick photography scenes would be shown just as if they
were sustaining a severe bombardment.

"Is everything ready?" asked Mr. Pertell, a few days af