per.

"Ruined! Just plumb ruined!" murmured Charles Anderson.

"But what happened? Tell us about it!" begged Joe. "You say some one ran
into you?"

"Yes. I was in the small auto taking the films you gave me to the
station, and I had just about time to catch the express when I saw this
fellow turning out of one of the side streets of the camp."

"What fellow?" asked Blake.

"I don't know his name," answered Macaroni. "But he's a Frenchman sent
here, I've heard, to help instruct our men. He's some sort of officer."

"And his machine ran into yours?" asked Blake.

"Smack into me!" answered his helper. "Knocked the box of films out on
the road, and one wheel went over it. Cracked the box clean open, and,
of course, as the film wasn't developed, it's light-struck now, and
you'll have to take all those marching scenes over again!"

"That's bad!" murmured Joe. "Very bad!"

"Did you say it was an _accident_?" asked Blake pointedly.

"That's what _he_ said," replied Charlie. "He made all sorts of
apologies, admitted it was all his fault, and all that. And it was,
too!" burst out Macaroni. "I guess I know how to be careful of
undeveloped films! Great hopping hippodromes, if I couldn't drive a car
any better than that Frenchman, I'd get out of the army! How he has any
license to buy gasolene, I can't imagine! This is how it was," and he
went into further details of the occurrence.

"I brought the films back, covering 'em with a black cloth as soon as I
could," went on Charles; "but I guess it's too late."

"Let's have a look," suggested Blake. "It may not be so bad as you
think."

But it was--every bit, and Joe and Blake found they would have to make
the whole series over, requiring the marching of thousands of men and
consequent delay in getting the completed films to the various
recruiting centers.

"Well, if it has to be done, it has to be," said Joe, with a philosophic
sigh. "And making retakes may delay us in getting to Europe."

"That's right!" agreed Blake. "But who is this fellow, anyhow, Charlie?
And what made him so careless? An accident like this means a lot to us
and to the Government."

"I should say it did!" agreed Macaroni. "And it was the funniest
accident I ever saw!"

"How so?" asked Joe.

"Well, a little while before you finished these films this same French
officer was talking to me, asking if there were to be any duplicates of
them, and questions like that."

"And you told him?"

"Ye