a barn.

He did. That is, he built one side of it, propping it up with braces
from behind, where they would not show. The window was there, and some
boards; so that, seen through the camera, it looked like a small part of
a big out-building.

Some hay was piled on the ground to one side, away from the camera, and
it was on this hay that the escaping soldier would land. Then Ruth was
to come to him, and go through some scenes. But these would be interior
views, which would be taken in the improvised studio erected on the farm
for this purpose.

Mr. Switzer was to be the soldier, and would plunge through the barn
window head first. He was called on to rehearse the scenes a few days
after the semblance of a barn had been put in position and the hay laid
out to make his landing safe.

"Are you ready?" asked Mr. Pertell, who was directing the scene. "All
ready, there, Switzer?"

"Sure, as ready as I ever shall be."

"All right, then. Now, you understand, you come running out of those
bushes over there, and when you get out you stop for a minute and
register caution. Look on all sides of you. Then you see the barn and
the open window. Register surprise and hope. You say, 'Ah, I shall be
safe in there!'

"Then you run, look back once or twice to see if you are pursued, and
make a dive, head first, through the open window on to the hay. All
ready now?"

"Sure, I'm ready!"

"How about you, Russ?"

"Let her go."

"All ready, then! Camera!"

Russ began to grind away at the film. Mr. Switzer had taken his place in
the clump of bushes, his ragged Union garments flapping in the wind. He
came out, looked furtively around, and then, giving the proper
"registration," he advanced cautiously toward the barn.

"Go on now--run!" cried Mr. Pertell through his megaphone.

The German actor ran. He made a beautiful leap through the window, and
the next moment there came from him howls of dismay.

"Donner vetter! Ach Himmel! Ach! My face! My hands! Hey, somebody! bring
a pail of water! Quick!"

CHAPTER IV

A REHEARSAL

Mingled in German and English came the shouts of dismay from Herr
Switzer inside the dummy shed, through the window of which he had leaped
on to the hay.

"Oh, what is it?" cried Ruth, clasping her hands and registering
"dismay" unconsciously.

"He must have fallen and hurt himself," ejaculated Alice. "Do, Paul, go
and see what it is."

"Stop the camera!" yelled Mr. Pertell through his megap