"Hold on just a little longer," called one of the fishermen, as he
directed the craft toward the struggling actor. "We'll have you out
presently."

"You'd--better--hurry--up!" panted the comedian, who might well be
excused at this moment from taking a gloomy view of life.

He managed to cling to one side of the dory until the rescuing motor
craft reached him. Then he was soon hauled aboard, dripping wet, all but
exhausted, and unable to utter a sound save sighs.

"Well, it was too bad," said Mr. Ringold, when C. C. was once more
ashore. "I guess we'll have to get you a little larger boat."

"Get _me_ one?" asked the actor, with the accent on the personal
pronoun.

"Certainly. We'll have to do this scene over again. I guess we could use
one of the fishing boats, though they're a little large. But we can move
the cameras back. Take one of those, C. C."

"I guess not."

"What's that?"

"I said I guess not. No more for mine!"

"Do you mean to say you won't go on with this act? Are you going to
balk as you did in the Indian scene?"

"Say," began C. C., earnestly, as, dripping wet as he was, he strode up
to the theatrical man, "I can't swim, and I don't like the water. I told
you that the time you took me up in the country, where we found these
boys," and he motioned to Blake and Joe, who were looking interestedly
on, ready to work the cameras as soon as required.

"And yet," went on Mr. Piper, "you insisted that I jump overboard then
and rescue Miss Shay. Now you want me to drift in as a shipwrecked
sailor. It's too much, I tell you. There is entirely too much water and
tank drama in this business. I know I'll get my death of cold, if I
don't drown."

"Oh, can't you look on the bright side?" asked Miss Shay, who was to
come into the drama later. "Why, it's so warm I should think you'd like
to get into the surf."

"Not for mine!" exclaimed C. C., firmly, and it took some persuasion on
the part of the theatrical manager, accompanied by a promise of an
increase of salary every time he had to go into the water, to induce
C. C. to try the shipwreck scene over again.

This time a larger boat was used, and, though it came near to capsizing,
it did not quite go over, though considerable water was shipped. C. C.
managed to stay aboard, and the cameras, rapidly clicking, registered
each movement of the actor and those who later took part in the drama.

Then some shore scenes were photographed, the supposed shipwr