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The Moving Picture Girls Snowbound, a novel by Laura Lee Hope |
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Chapter 23. The Plan Of Russ |
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_ CHAPTER XXIII. THE PLAN OF RUSS The three men, with their guns on their shoulders, passed out of sight into a clump of woodland. "Now's our chance," said Alice. "We'll slip over to the other cabin, and see if we can get help. These men are evidently up here on a hunting trip, and they may have a man cook, or some sort of help in the cabin. Whoever it is can't refuse to at least set us on the right road. We don't need to mention that Mr. Merley is going to sue our father." "I should say not," agreed Ruth. "Oh, that horrid man! I never want to see him again. But isn't it queer how soon he recovered from his injury?" "Rather odd. We must tell daddy about it when we get back." "If we ever do," sighed the older girl. "If we ever do?" repeated Alice. "Why of course we'll get back. I don't believe it is going to storm any more." "I hope not." On their snowshoes the moving picture girls made their way to the second cabin. But again disappointment awaited them, for there was no answer to their repeated knocks. "No one at home," spoke Alice. "Shall we try to go in?" "It would do no good," Ruth decided. "If it is shelter we want we can get it at the other cabin. And as there is no one at home here we can't ask our way. Besides, those men might come back unexpectedly, and I wouldn't have Merley and his two companions find us in their cabin for anything!" "Neither would I. That Merley would be mean enough," Alice declared, "to charge us rent, and add that to the five hundred dollars he is going to make daddy pay." "Oh, Alice! What queer ideas you have. But, dear, we mustn't linger here. I wonder if it would do to follow those men?" "Follow them? What in the world for?" "Why they seem to have taken some sort of a trail, and it may lead out to a road that will take us to Elk Lodge." "It isn't very likely," Alice declared. "I'm sure I know the general direction in which Elk Lodge lies, and it's just opposite from where those men went. I think, now, that the storm has stopped, that we can get back on the path." "Then, for goodness sakes, let's try!" proposed Ruth. "It seems to be getting darker. Oh, if they would only come for us!" "Let us try to help ourselves first," counseled Alice. The girls retraced their steps, going back toward the smaller cabin. They stopped in for a moment to see that the blaze they had kindled on the hearth was out, for they did not want a chance spark to set fire to the place. But the embers were cold and dead, for the wood had been light, and there was not much of it. Then gliding over the crust on their snowshoes, Ruth and Alice got back to the sheltering rock. "Let me look about a bit," Alice requested. "I think I can pick up the trail again. If I could only get back to the point where we got off from I would be all right." She walked about a little and then, passing through a small clump of trees, while Ruth remained at the rock, Alice suddenly gave a joyful cry. "I've found it!" she called. "Come on, Ruth. It's all right. I'm on the proper path now." Ruth hurried to join her sister, and confirmed the good news. They recognized the path by which they had come, and soon they were traveling along it, certain, now, that they were headed for Elk Lodge. And their adventures seemed to be over for that day at least, for, on covering about three-quarters of a mile they were delighted to see, hurrying toward them, Russ and Paul. "There are the boys!" cried Alice. "And I was never more glad to see anyone in all my life!" exclaimed Ruth. "We're not lost now, and don't really need them," said Alice. "Well, don't tell them that--especially after they have been so good as to come for us," advised Ruth. "Silly! Of course I won't!" "Well, you two seem to have the oddest faculty for getting into trouble!" cried Russ as he and Paul reached the girls. "The whole Lodge is worried to death about you, and we're all out searching for you." "Oh, it's too bad we gave so much trouble," responded Ruth, contritely. "But we couldn't help it. We were lost in the storm." "We thought that likely," Paul said. "Your father is quite worried." "Is he out searching, too?" Alice asked. "No, his throat troubles him," the young actor replied. "But every other man at the Lodge is. Mr. Macksey told us to come this way, and if we didn't locate you we were to meet him at some place where there are two cabins." "We just came from there," Ruth said, "and we had the oddest adventure. I'll tell you about it when we get back. We tried to get a guide to show us the path, but as it happened we didn't need one. Oh, I believe it's snowing again!" Some white flakes were sifting down. "It's only a little flurry," decided Paul. "And it won't matter, for the path back is very plain now. But what happened?" The girls told him, and when he heard that Merley was in the neighborhood, and apparently uninjured, Russ said: "I always thought that fellow was a faker. I'd like to know what his game was." "Do you think it is a game?" asked Alice. "Yes, and I think it's more of a game than the game they are after up here. I think they're hatching some plot." They arrived at Elk Lodge a little later, and leaving the girls with their father, Russ and Paul went after the other searchers, to tell them that the lost ones were found. "You must not go away alone again," cautioned Mr. DeVere to his daughters, when all the searchers had returned, and there was a joyful reunion in the big living room. "We won't!" promised Alice. "I was really a bit frightened this time." "A _bit_ frightened!" cried Ruth. "I was awfully scared! I could see us both frozen stiff under the snow, and the dogs nosing us out as they do travelers in the Alps." "I'm glad that didn't happen," laughed Russ. "For I suppose if it had Mr. Pertell would have insisted on having a moving picture of it, and I would have been too prostrated with grief to be able to work the camera." "Well, we're all right now," declared Alice. "And such an appetite as I have!" "Did you tell your father about Dan Merley?" asked Russ. "Oh, no!" exclaimed Ruth. "Listen Daddy, whom do you think we saw?" "Not Dan Merley up here?" cried the actor. "Yes, he was with two other men--those who were with him when he was hurt by the street car." "Dan Merley up here?" mused Mr. DeVere. "I wonder what he can want? Can he be going to make trouble for me?" "We won't let him, Daddy!" cried Alice. "If he walks over here to ask for that five hundred dollars again, I'll----" "You say he was walking around?" cried Mr. DeVere. "Yes, on snowshoes," answered Ruth. "He was walking as well as anyone." "And he was supposed to be seriously hurt!" murmured the actor. "Where is that paper?" and he looked about him. "What paper?" asked Ruth. "That New York paper I was just reading. There is something in it I want to show you. I begin to see through this." The journal was found, and Mr. DeVere glanced through it rapidly, looking for some item. Russ and the two girls watched him curiously. "Here it is!" cried the actor. "It is headed 'Brings Damage Suit for Ten Thousand Dollars.' Listen, I'll just give you the main facts. It says Dan Merley had started an action in one of the courts demanding ten thousand dollars' damages for being hurt by a street car. Merley claims he will never be able to walk again, because his back is permanently hurt. And yet you saw him walking?" he appealed to the two girls. "We certainly saw him," declared Ruth. "Then that is a bogus damage suit. He isn't hurt at all. The court should know of this, and so should the street car company. I shall write to them!" "Wait!" cried Russ. "I have a better idea." "What is it?" asked Mr. DeVere. "I'll get some moving pictures of him," went on the young operator. "I'll take a film, showing him tramping around, hunting, and when that is shown to the street car company's lawyer I guess that will put an end to Mr. Merley's suit. I'll film the faker!" _ |
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