oth Ruth and Alice, in this case, thought the local police
had been brought into the scene at the last moment to add a touch of
reality to the play. But, as it turned out, it was almost too much
reality.

"Say, what do you fellows mean, anyhow?" demanded the manager, of the
police leader. "What do you mean, I say," and Mr. Pertell strode up with
an angry look on his face.

"What do we mean? Ha! That's a good one! Listen to him, boys! What do we
mean? Why we mean to arrest these scoundrels, and we've done it, too!"
he added proudly, with a wave of his hand toward the persons his men had
made prisoners.

"Well, you've made a big mistake," Mr. Pertell went on.

"Mistake! Ha! I guess not!" cried the officer. "We don't make mistakes
up here! One of my men seen something queer goin' on out in the river,
and come and told me. Then I seen your boats puttin' off, and I knew
something was wrong. So I got my forces together, and we waited for
these fellows. We've got 'em, too! Every one of 'em!" he added proudly.
"Lock 'em up, men!" he ordered. "We'll show these fellows what Jersey
justice is like. Take 'em away."

"Hold on!" cried Mr. Pertell, and this time he allowed a smile to show
on his hitherto glum face. "You don't seem to understand."

"Oh, I think I do," said the police officer calmly. "I understand a
great deal more than you think I do. Come on."

"Wait! I'll explain!" cried the manager. "It's for the moving pictures!"
he added. "This is only a pretended attack and pursuit. Ask the young
ladies themselves," he said, motioning to Ruth and Alice who were now
smiling. Certainly they did not seem to be in any great alarm or
distress over their recent adventure. Their appearance must have caused
the officer to doubt the wisdom of his course.

"Weren't these fellers chasing you?" he demanded, motioning to the
prisoners. "Now don't say they wasn't, for I saw 'em."

"Oh, yes, they were pursuing us," admitted Ruth, "but it was all in the
picture."

"The picture?" questioned the officer.

"Yes. We are moving picture actresses and actors," she went on, and her
father, coming up then, though he had had no active part in the chase,
confirmed what she said.

For a moment the police captain maintained a silence, and then, as he
could no longer doubt what was said, since Mr. Pertell exhibited certain
credentials, the representative of Jersey justice said:

"Well, this certainly is one on me! We'd better go back, boys," h