Chapter 20

WHAT BILLY'S CAMERA REVEALED

As it was now getting well along in the afternoon, and as the way back was a difficult one, Percival and Jack decided that they would better return without making any further explorations.

"We have found out a lot that we did not know, anyhow," said Percival, "and we can come here again."

"Certainly I never knew about that cave," remarked Arthur, "although I have been here two years."

"That is not so much to be wondered at," declared Harry. "The place is hard to get at and out of the way, and I don't believe you could get many of the boys to come here even if you told them there was a cave to be seen. I don't think I would care to come again."

"I would," said Sawyer, "but it is not an easy job all the same."

"Bother the thing!" sputtered Billy Manners. "It is nothing but a hiding place for burglars and thieves. Pity you did not find some more of the stolen property, Jack."

"It has probably been taken out. They could afford to leave their tools behind, but they would take everything else."

The boys talked about the place as they made their way back to the Academy, which they reached shortly before supper, and all agreed that it was rather too great an undertaking to visit the cave again, all being tired and glad to rest after their tramp.

"I want to see how my picture turned out, Jack," said Billy Manners after supper when it was quite dark. "Then I want to get the laugh on those fellows that said my makeshift was no good. I know it is."

"All right, Billy," laughed Jack. "I can fix you up a dark room in the cottage. I have developers and all that, though I suppose you have also."

"Yes, I have everything. Have you a camera, Jack? You never said anything about it."

"Well, I have not had much occasion to say anything or to use it, but I have one. Come ahead, get your plate and we will develop it."

On the way to the cottage they met Dick Percival, who was greatly interested when he heard what they were going to do and said:

"I'd like to see you develop that plate, for, to tell the truth, I don't have much faith in these photographic freaks. Do you think there will be anything on the plate, Jack?"

"Yes," said Jack shortly.

"All right, then. If you have faith in it I have nothing to say."

Reaching the room in the cottage, Jack locked the door to keep out all possible intruders, got out his ruby lamp and developers, and set to work.

Billy had faith in his pinhole camera, because it was his. Jack was certain that he would get a picture, because he knew about such things, and Dick was interested because Jack was, and therefore the three watched the process of developing with considerable interest.

Jack had running water and all the facilities for doing good work, and it was also apparent that he had done a good deal of it.

"By Jove! you are a wonder, Jack," laughed Percival. "I am all the time finding out new things that you can do. If we were not with you so much we would not know how much you can do. You never tell about it."

"What is the use?" said Jack quietly. "If I can accomplish anything it is bound to be found out some time."

"Of course, but most fellows would tell you ahead that they were going to do so and so and make a lot of talk about it. You just go ahead and do it without making any fuss."

"Why, no, of course not, but it is so different from the ordinary fellow's way of doing things."

The boys watched the picture appear on Billy's plate, and the funny fellow said with a grin of great satisfaction:

"There is something there all right, Jack. It is good and sharp, too, if I know anything. Why, you can see each individual leaf and the rocks stand out fine."

"Yes, I think the boys are going to be surprised," declared Jack, as he watched the developing, and removed the plate from the bath just at the right time and put it in another tray.

After fixing the image and washing the plate well with several waters, having everything convenient to his hand, he examined the plate carefully by the white light, which could do it no harm, and suddenly said in a tone of the greatest astonishment:

"My word, Billy, we are going to surprise somebody and no mistake. You don't know everything that is on this plate."

"Well, what is it?" Billy and Percival both asked, being greatly excited by Jack's impressive tone.

"I'll show you shortly. I am going to make an enlargement of this so that you will have no trouble in seeing just what I see."

"Yes, but Jack, can't you show us?" asked Percival with some impatience. "Must you make a secret of it?"

"For a little while, Dick," laughed Jack; "but you won't say anything when I show you the enlargement. You will be perfectly satisfied at having waited a little."

"All right," muttered both boys.

Jack had all the appliances for making an enlargement, and he could do it as well by night as in daylight, having flash powders which would give an instant's light or be continued for as long as he chose, together with plates, paper and everything convenient.

The boys watched him at work and were greatly interested, now and then catching the sound of the Hilltop boys singing outside, but generally paying little attention to anything except what was going on just around them.

In the course of something more than an hour Jack had completed his work and showed a much larger print of Billy's pinhole photograph than was possible from the original plate, and also a print from the latter.

"Now look at these two, first the little one and then the big," he said, "and tell me what is the difference."

"You've got an eight by ten, and mine is less than a four by five," answered Billy. "The figures are naturally four times as large. By Jinks! you have a handsome picture, Jack."

"Yes, but tell me what you see on one that you don't see on the other. You should see it on both, of course, but it stands out stronger in the enlargement, as it naturally would."

Percival looked at the larger picture and said:

"Hello! there is a man looking out from among the rocks on the ledge. Did you know he was there, Billy?"

"No, I did not. He must have kept pretty still, for that was a long time exposure. He is not as strong as the objects around him, however. How is that, Jack? H'm! I know. He came in after I had started to take the scene."

"That's it, and he kept still because he wanted to hear what you boys were talking about, and did not wish to be discovered himself. Do you see him on the smaller print, Billy?"

"Yes, now, but I did not at first. Golly! but you have eyes, Jack! You saw this on the plate?"

"Yes, and that is why I wished to get the enlargement. Do you recognize the man, boys?"

"I never saw him," said Percival, "but if that is not the man with the white mustache and the black eyebrows I am very much mistaken. My! but how he glares!"

"It is the man with the white mustache," said Jack. "I have reason to recognize him. That is the bank robber. He is glaring, as you say, Dick. There was something on his mind. What do you suppose it was?"

"I am sure I don't know. Do you suppose he was afraid we might find his hiding place. By Jove! we found the burglars' tools, Jack, and now you have found the burglar himself on Billy's plate."

"Yes, and you said there would not be anything on it," laughed the good-natured fellow.

"Why, no, Billy, I did not altogether say----"

"No, you didn't say it, but you intimated it just the same. Well, my pinhole camera has turned out all right, hasn't it?"

"Yes, and I must say that I am surprised."

"The rock fell down shortly after we had gone inside the cave, Billy?" asked Jack.

"Yes. None of us had any suspicion that such a thing would happen, and we were very anxious about you. I don't see now why it should have happened. We have not had any rains to loosen things."

"I will tell you how it happened," said Jack earnestly. "Your man here, with his fierce eyes, like those of a hunted wild beast, was plotting our death when he shoved down that boulder, for it was he who shoved it down I am certain. He probably did not know of the other exit and imagined that we would be imprisoned with no way of getting out."

"He looks as if he wished you and everybody else dead," said Billy. "He has a face to make you have bad dreams. Well, we have proved two things to-day."

"That your pinhole camera is all right," said Percival, "and that this mysterious man with the white mustache is still in the neighborhood. H'm! I should think he would avoid it."

"I hoped he might," said Jack musingly. "It is clear enough from this print that he did not mean any good to you and me, Dick."

"Yes, and as Billy says, his face is one to haunt you. Well, if he is hanging around these woods we don't care to make any more exploring trips until we are sure he is out of them. What are you going to do with the big print, Jack?"

"Keep it if the man makes any more trouble," said Jack shortly. "It will be of use to detectives in identifying him."

"I suppose I had better not show my print?" said Billy questioningly. "You would rather I would not? I don't know what you are to this fellow, Jack, and I don't want to know. You say he is not your father, and that is enough for me."

"No, he is not," said Jack, "and just now I don't care to say any more about it. Show your plate if you want to convince the boys that your odd sort of camera can do something. They may not notice the man on it. They will probably simply notice the trees and rocks, which are very sharp and distinct."

"All right," said Billy. "I would like to show it to those wiseacres just to convince them that the thing was all right, and to get the laugh on them."

"Revenge is sweet," laughed Percival.

"Of course it is," said Billy, "but I guess we fellows had better get to bed or the doctor will be giving us fits. Is there time to show this picture to the fellows?"

"I should think so," replied Jack. "I will keep the enlargement in case I need it, and I would rather you did not say anything about it to the boys."

"Of course not!" said Billy promptly.

Billy and Percival now took their leave and Jack put away his developing outfit, locked the enlargement in his bureau drawer and turned on the lights and threw aside the curtains, so that any one in any of the other cottages or in the Academy could see him.

"Still in the neighborhood," he muttered, as he sat by the window and looked out on the calm Autumn night. "I wish he would leave it. I am not safe as long as he remains. At any rate, I shall do my duty as I have always done it, no matter what happens."

An hour later Jack went to bed, and no one who saw him at that time would have imagined that anything was on his mind, his face was so calm and tranquil.