"Hold them in! Hold them in! Pull on the lines!" cried Sandy, who was the first to spring to action. He set off on a run toward the horses.
Russ, too, leaping aside from his camera, started off to the rescue, and the others followed. Mr. DeVere was not in this play, and had remained at the farmhouse2.
Ruth, however, not being required in this particular scene, though she would come in the film later, had strolled down the meadow toward a little stream, to gather some flowers.
It was in her direction that the frightened horses were running, and as Ruth heard the shouts, and caught the sound made by the clicking machine, she looked up. Then she saw her sister's danger, and without a thought of her own stepped directly in the path of the oncoming animals, waving up and down, frantically3, a bunch of flowers she had gathered.
"Don't do that! Jump to one side!" cried Sandy, who was now nearer the mowing machine. "Look out, Miss DeVere!"
"But I want to stop the horses!" Ruth cried. "I must save Alice!"
"You can't do it that way! They'll run you down, or if they don't the knives will cut you! Jump to one side—I'll try and catch them!"
Ruth had the good sense to obey. She did not really mean to make a grab for the horses, but to stand in their path as long as she could, hoping to make them slacken speed. But she had forgotten about the projecting knives, which, even in their sheath of steel, might seriously injure her.
Alice, white-faced, but still keeping her wits about her, tried to follow the shouted directions, and pull on the reins4. But either the horses had the bits in their teeth, or her strength was not enough to bring them to a stop. On they raced, and, as the meadow was a large one, they had plenty of room. Alice might be able to guide them until they tired themselves out, but there was danger that they would turn into a fence, or that the machine would overturn and crush her under it.
She had half a notion to leap from the iron seat, and trust to falling on the soft earth. But she feared she might become entangled5 in the reins, or that she would slip, and fall under the flying feet of the horses, or even on the clattering6 set of knives. And of these last she well knew the danger, for Sandy had warned her of them. So she decided7 she would keep her seat as long as she could.
Sandy was racing8 up behind her. Above the thud of the horses' hoofs9, and the shrill10 sound of the clicking knives, Alice could hear him coming on, trying to save her. And how she prayed that he would be in time.
The mowing machine was opposite Ruth now, who had stepped back out of the way of harm. And as Alice passed her sister in the machine the latter cried:
"Oh, Alice! If you should be hurt!" There was the sound of tears in her voice.
Alice did not answer. She had all she could do to look after the plunging11 horses.
Sandy was not at such a disadvantage in his race as at first it would seem. He was light on his feet, and a good runner, though much tramping over plowed12 fields and rough hills had given him a rather clumsy gait in walking.
But the horses were not built for racing, either, and they were dragging a heavy machine on soft ground. The iron wheels of the reaper13 were made with projections14, to enable them to bite deeper into the earth, and thus turn the gears that operated the knives. And these iron wheels were a heavy drag.
So it is not surprising that, after a comparatively short run, the horses slackened their pace.
"Sit down! I'm comin'!" cried Sandy, and now Alice could hear him panting behind her.
In another instant she felt a jar on the machine, and then someone reached over her shoulder, and took the reins from her hands.
"I'll pull 'em down!" cried Sandy, balancing himself on a part of the machine, back of the seat on which Alice was riding.
The young farmer sawed hard on the lines and this, added to the fact that they had had enough of the hard run, caused the animals to slacken speed. They slowed down to a trot15, and then to a walk, finally coming to a halt. And just in time, too, for right in front of them was a big stone fence, into which they might have crashed.
"Oh! Oh dear!" gasped16 Alice. "I—I think I'm going to faint!"
"Don't! Please don't, Miss!" begged Sandy, more frightened at that prospect17, evidently, than he had been at the runaway18. "I—I don't know what to do when ladies faint. Really I don't I—I never saw one faint, Miss. Please don't!"
"All right—then I won't," laughed Alice, by an effort conquering her inclination19. But she felt a great weakness, now that the strain was over, and she trembled as Sandy helped her down from the machine. In another moment Ruth and the others came up, and Ruth clasped her sister in her arms.
"You poor dear!" she whispered.
"Oh, I'm all right now," said Alice, bravely. "Perhaps there wasn't as much danger as I imagined."
"There was a plenty," spoke20 Sandy, grimly.
The dog, the cause of all the mischief21, had disappeared. The horses were now quiet enough, though breathing hard, and soon they began to nibble22 at the grass.
"Well, my dear girl, I'm sorry this happened!" exclaimed Mr. Pertell, as he came running up. "I never would have let you go through that scene if I had dreamed of any danger."
"No one could foresee that this was going to happen," returned Alice, who was almost herself again. "I'm all right now, and we'll finish the act, if you please."
"Oh, no!" cried Mr. Pertell. "I can't allow it. We'll substitute some other scene."
"No," insisted Alice. "I'm not afraid, really, and I think the picture will be a most effective one. Besides, it is almost finished. We can go on from the point where the horses started to run; can't we?" she asked Russ.
"Oh, yes," he agreed, with a look at the manager, "but——"
"Then I'm going to do it!" laughed Alice, gaily23. "I'm not going to back out just because the horses got a little frisky24. They will be quiet now; won't they, Sandy?" she asked.
"I think so, Miss—yes. That run took all the tucker out of 'em. They'll be quiet now," and he rather backed away from Alice, as though he feared she might, any moment, put into execution her threat to faint.
"Alice, I'm not sure you ought to go on with this," spoke Ruth in a low voice. "Papa might not like it."
"He wouldn't like me to begin a thing and not finish it," was the younger girl's answer. "I'm not afraid, and I do hate to spoil a film. Come, we'll try it over again," and she pluckily25 insisted on it until, finally, Mr. Pertell gave in.
The horses were driven back to the place from which they had bolted and Alice again took her place on the seat of the mowing machine, while Russ worked the camera. This time everything went well, but Sandy Apgar was near at hand, though out of sight of the camera, to be ready to jump on the instant, if the horses showed any signs of fright.
Paul Ardite, too, was on the watch, Ruth noticed. However, there was no need of these precautions. The horses acted as though they had never had any idea of bolting, and the film was finished.
Mr. DeVere looked grave when told of the accident, and after a moment or two of thought remarked:
"I wonder if I had better let you girls keep on with this moving picture work? It is much more dangerous than I supposed. I am worried about you."
"You needn't be, Daddy dear!" exclaimed Alice, slipping her arm about his neck. "Nothing has happened yet, and I'll be real careful. I should be heartbroken if we had to give it up now. I just love the work; don't you, Ruth?"
"Indeed I do; but twice lately, danger has come to you."
"Well, I'll have one more near-accident and then the 'hoodoo' will be broken, as Mr. Sneed would say. Three times and out, you know the old saying has it."
"Oh, Alice!" cried Ruth. "Do be sensible!"
"Can't, dear! I leave that to you. But, Daddy, you mustn't think of taking us out of moving pictures. Why, some of the best and most important of all the farm dramas are to come yet. There's the one with the burning barn—I wouldn't miss that for anything! Please, Daddy, let us stay. You want to; don't you, Ruth?"
"Oh, yes, of course. Only there seems to be so many dangers about a farm. I used to think a country life was calm and peaceful, but things happen here just as in a city."
"Indeed they do," laughed Alice, "only such different things. It's quite exciting, I think. Mayn't we stay, Daddy?"
"Oh, I suppose so," he consented, rather grudgingly26. "But take no more chances."
"Oh, I didn't take the chances," laughed Alice. "The chances took me."
During the next few days several farm scenes were filmed by Russ, and a number of partly finished plays were completed, the reels being sent to New York for development. Word came back that everything was a success, only a few minor27 errors being made, and these were easily corrected. A few scenes had to be done over.
"But I'm glad it wasn't the one with the hose," said Mr. Bunn, with a sigh. "Really I'd never go through that again."
"Ha! I vould like dot—if I vos on der right side of der hose!" exclaimed Mr. Switzer.
The day had been a busy one, filled with hard work for all before the moving picture camera. When evening came the players were glad of the chance to rest.
"Let's walk down the road," suggested Alice to Ruth. "It is so pretty and restful on the little white bridge, just before you come to the red schoolhouse."
They walked down, arm in arm, talking of many things, and soon were standing28 on the white bridge that spanned a little stream, which flowed between green banks, fragrant29 with mint. Here and there were patches of green rushes and beds of the spicy30 water cress.
"Oh, it's just lovely here!" sighed Ruth. "It is too beautiful. I wish we could share it with some one."
"Here comes someone now, to share it with—a man," spoke Alice, motioning down the road, which was shaded with many trees, through which the moon was now shining, making patches of light and shadow.
"Perhaps it is some of our friends," murmured Ruth. "I believe Russ and Paul started out for a walk before we did."
"That's not two persons; it's only one," declared Alice as she continued to look at the advancing figure. "And see, Ruth, he—he limps!"
She caught her sister's arm as she spoke, and the two girls drew closer together. The same thought came to both.
Was this the man who had run out of the barn?
"I believe it's the same one," whispered Ruth.
"And I'm perfectly31 positive," answered Alice. "Oh, Ruth, now is our chance!"
"Chance! Chance for what?"
"I mean we can find out who he is, and perhaps solve the mystery."
"Alice DeVere! We're going to do no such thing! We're going to run back home—that man is coming straight toward us!" cried Ruth, and she began to drag Alice away from the bridge.
Meanwhile the limping figure continued to come along the road, going alternately from bright moonlight to shadow as he passed clumps32 of trees.
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收听单词发音
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1
mowing
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| n.割草，一次收割量，牧草地v.刈，割( mow的现在分词 ) | |
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farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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3
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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5
entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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7
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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8
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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9
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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10
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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11
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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12
plowed
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| v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过 | |
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13
reaper
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| n.收割者，收割机 | |
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14
projections
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| 预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物 | |
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15
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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16
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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17
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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18
runaway
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| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 | |
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19
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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20
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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21
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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22
nibble
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| n.轻咬，啃；v.一点点地咬，慢慢啃，吹毛求疵 | |
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23
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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24
frisky
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| adj.活泼的，欢闹的；n.活泼，闹着玩；adv.活泼地，闹着玩地 | |
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pluckily
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| adv.有勇气地，大胆地 | |
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grudgingly
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27
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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28
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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29
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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30
spicy
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| adj.加香料的；辛辣的，有风味的 | |
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31
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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32
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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