CHAPTER XXV
THE LOST FILMS--CONCLUSION
It was not the easiest thing in the world to handle and turn over the heavy bodies of the Germans as they took off their clothes, and the dense darkness added to the difficulty, but it was accomplished at last.
The boys handled the garments with distaste. They had learned to associate their wearers with the countless atrocities that the Germans had committed and it went against the grain to put on those hated uniforms.
“It sure comes hard to put on these things,” growled Joe, as he struggled into the lieutenant’s uniform which proved a tight fit.
“I know just how you feel,” said Blake. “But this is a matter of life or death and we can’t be squeamish. Hustle now, for every minute is worth gold.”
Their prisoners, under the rough handling that they had undergone, began to show signs of returning consciousness and moaned and moved about restlessly.
“A little more of that chloroform,” counseled Blake. “We can’t afford to let them wake up yet. Just let’s get these uniforms buttoned up and then we’ll tie their hands and feet and gag them. Then it won’t matter how soon they wake up, if we make a good job of it.”
“We’re letting them off easy at that,” said Joe. “I know mighty well what the Germans would do to us if they had us in the same fix. A couple of bullets from that automatic and it would be all over with us. They go on the principle that a dead man tells no tales.”
“That’s not only their principle but their practice,” replied Blake. “But it isn’t in the American blood to kill an unarmed and helpless man. I sure would like, though, to take these fellows in as prisoners. We might be able then to get out of them what they have done with our films.”
“Nothing doing,” said Joe. “We’ll have all we can do to get back ourselves, let alone lugging these Heinies along as captives. And as for their telling us anything about the films, get that out of your mind. You know how stubborn Petz was, even when we held the revolver to his head. I’m afraid we’ll never see those films again.”
By this time they were fully dressed and they set about securing their prisoners. They tied their hands and feet so securely that they felt sure they could not get free from the bonds.
“A magician would find his work cut out for him to wriggle out of these knots,” remarked Joe with satisfaction, when they had finished. “And now for the gags.”
“We’d better leave that till the last minute,” said Blake with some hesitation. “They’re finding it hard to breathe now and I don’t want to choke them to death. But we’ll make the gags and have them ready. In the meantime, we’ll hunt through this wagon and see if we can rustle some grub. We’re likely enough to need some before we get back to our lines. And hand me that rug there under the seat. I’ll throw it over these fellows to make up for their lack of clothes.”
Joe climbed into the wagon and pulled out the rug which he threw out to his comrade. Then he felt around under the seats.
“Any grub?” questioned Blake.
“Don’t know yet,” replied Joe. “There seem to be some boxes here---- Jumping Jehoshaphat!” he cried, his voice rising to a shout. “It’s the films, Blake! The films!”
“What?” cried Blake, his voice trembling with excitement.
“It’s the films!” repeated Joe in a slightly lower tone, caution coming to his aid to restrain his jubilation. “I can tell by the feel of the boxes, the weight, the size, everything! We’ve got them, Blake, we’ve got them! Jump in and handle them yourself.”
Blake Stewart was at his chum’s side in an instant, and his sense of touch told him at once that Joe was right.
“Both lots of them!” he exulted. “Those of the battle and those taken from the airplane! Petz had them both! Say, he must be the one that specially handles those things and everything that is captured goes to him. Say, Joe, old boy, maybe we aren’t in luck!”
The two boys fairly hugged each other in their delight.
“But don’t let’s forget our prisoners!” suddenly exclaimed Blake, when their first excitement had spent itself.
They jumped down, and they found that they were none too soon, for Captain Petz had come from under the influence of the drug and was trying to rise to his feet. His companion, too, the lieutenant, was evidently awakening. There was need for quick action.
The boys easily forced the Germans down again, and adjusted the gags so that they could not make a sound. Then they got the precious films and were starting to leave the woods when a sudden uproar arose not far down the road. There was the sharp crack of rifles and the rattle of machine guns. Then, after a while, the noise seemed to come nearer and nearer.
“They’re fighting!” cried Blake. “We must be a good deal closer to the battle lines than ever we thought.”
“It’s a night attack!” fairly shouted Joe. “And our boys are driving the Huns back, for the noise is coming closer! Hurry, Blake, hurry! Let’s get close to them and we’ll be able to slip across and join our boys.”
Blake complied. But they had not gone far before they met a company of Germans coming back over the road in retreat, while behind them came with a rush part of an American regiment, and in the flashes from the rifles the boys saw the glorious uniforms that they loved.
With a welcoming shout the moving picture boys rushed toward them, forgetting for a moment the clothing that they wore. But they were quickly brought up standing, when one of the Americans leveled a rifle at them and cried to them to surrender.
Up went their hands.
“_Kamerad!_” they shouted.
“Lucky you said that quick,” growled the soldier, and he motioned to Blake Stewart and Joe Duncan to walk before him.
Just at that moment, a star shell arose and in its radiance the moving picture boys recognized Tom Wentworth.
“Hello Tom!” said Blake, restraining his impulse to laugh.
Tom Wentworth’s face was the very picture of amazement.
“The movie boys!” he exclaimed joyously. “We all thought you were killed or in a German prison. And here I was nearly putting a brace of bullets in you. But how did you manage to get those uniforms?”
In a few words Blake, with many interruptions by Joe, explained the situation.
“Well, maybe everyone won’t be glad to see you,” said Wentworth. “They’ll fairly wring your hands off. That pal of yours has been grieving himself to death. And here I was patting myself on the back, thinking I had captured two German officers all by my lonesome,” he added, with a happy grin. “But I’m gladder to have you fellows back than I would be to capture and march into headquarters the whole German army.”
“Well, you can have your officers all the same, though there won’t be much glory in it,” laughed Blake, as he gave Wentworth directions for finding the Germans in the woods, where he and Joe had left them gagged and bound.
The attack had been on a limited scale, but had resulted in a brilliant success, and many more prisoners than Captain Petz and his comrade were taken back by the victorious American troops.
Wentworth had not exaggerated the welcome waiting for the boys. Macaroni went almost crazy with delight. Mr. Hadley and the men of the picture company mauled and pounded them until they were sore, and the girls cried with relief and pleasure. Even C. C., for once, was all smiles, though he could not forbear remarking that influenza was raging in the German army and that he thought the boys would get it from the uniforms they were wearing.
Their commander, too, was more than cordial, and everywhere they went they met with congratulations from the soldier boys, with whom they were great favorites.
And to their great delight, the films, which they had feared might have been light-struck or had sustained some other damage in their wanderings, proved to be in perfect condition and developed wonderfully.
The moving picture boys were dead tired but unspeakably happy when at last they were in their old familiar quarters and prepared to retire for the night. “I guess we can call it a day,” remarked Joe. “Glad to,” responded Blake.
And now the World War is a thing of the past and many of those who were Uncle Sam’s bitterest enemies are his warmest friends.
The Movie Boys were glad to do their duty even under fire, but they were likewise glad when the time came to go home. And how glad they were to see their native land again and meet a host of old friends!
And among those friends were three boys new to these pages, Frank Durham, Randy Powell and Pep Smith. These three were in the movie game also, but in a different way. They were running a motion picture theatre, and what stirring times they had doing this will be told in another volume, called “The Movie Boys’ First Showhouse”; or “Fighting for a Foothold in Fairlands.”
And now, for the time being, let us take leave of Joe and Blake, wishing them well.
THE END
The Movie Boys Series
_By_ VICTOR APPLETON
THE MOVIE BOYS ON CALL, or Filming the Perils of A Great City. _Published January 2, 1926_ THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE WILD WEST, or Stirring Days Among the Cowboys and Indians. _Published January 28, 1926_ THE MOVIE BOYS AND THE WRECKERS, or Facing the Perils of the Deep. _Published February 28, 1926_ THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE JUNGLE, or Lively Times Among the Wild Beasts. _Published March 28, 1926_ THE MOVIE BOYS IN EARTHQUAKE LAND, or Filming Pictures and Strange Perils. _Published April 28, 1926_ THE MOVIE BOYS AND THE FLOOD, or Perilous Days on the Mighty Mississippi. _Published May 28, 1926_ THE MOVIE BOYS IN PERIL, or Strenuous Days Along the Panama Canal. _Published June 28, 1926_ THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER THE SEA, or The Treasure of the Lost Ship. _Published July 28, 1926_ THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER FIRE, or The Search for the Stolen Film. _Published August 28, 1926_ THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER UNCLE SAM, or Taking Pictures for the Army. _Published September 28, 1926_ THE MOVIE BOYS’ FIRST SHOWHOUSE, or Fighting for a Foothold in Fairlands. _Published October 28, 1926_ THE MOVIE BOYS AT SEASIDE PARK, or The Rival Photo Houses of the Boardwalk. _Published November 28, 1926_ THE MOVIE BOYS ON BROADWAY, or The Mystery of the Missing Cash Box. _Published December 28, 1926_ THE MOVIE BOYS’ OUTDOOR EXHIBITION, or the Film that Solved the Mystery. _Published January 28, 1927_ THE MOVIE BOYS’ NEW IDEA, or Getting the Best of Their Enemies. _Published February 28, 1927_ THE MOVIE BOYS AT THE BIG FAIR, or The Greatest Film Ever Exhibited. _Published March 28, 1927_ THE MOVIE BOYS’ WAR SPECTACLE, or The Film that Won the Prize. _Published April 28, 1927_
Garden City Publishing Co., _Inc._ Garden City New York
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.
Perceived typographical errors have been corrected.
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.
Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.
The original text did not contain a Table of Contents; one has been created by the transcriber for this eBook.