ecked
persons building a fire, pretending to catch fish from the ocean, and
cooking them.

All this the moving picture boys, or Mr. Hadley, faithfully registered
on the films, to be later thrown on the screen for the delight of the
public.

"I wonder if the folks who look at moving pictures realize how they are
made?" said Joe, as they stopped work for the day.

"I don't believe so," answered Blake. "There are tricks in all trades,
it's said; but I guess the moving picture business is as full of them as
any."

The next two days were busy ones, as a number of elaborate acts had to
be filmed, and the boys were kept on the jump from morning to night. Mr.
Hadley, also, had all he could do with the camera. There were fishing
views to get, scenes on the beach, where a number of children were
induced to play at games in the sand, building castles and tunnels,
boating incidents and the like.

C. C. did not fall overboard again, though he often was sent out to do
some funny stunt that was to be used in the play.

"I wonder when we can go to San Francisco?" queried Joe one afternoon,
following a particularly hard day. "I want to see that shipping agent,
and ask him if he can give me any clue to my father."

"Maybe we'd better speak to Mr. Ringold," suggested Blake, and they did,
with the result that the theatrical man informed them that the end of
the week would be free, as he had to wait for some costumes to arrive
before he could produce any more dramas.

"I want to get a good wreck scene," he said, "and that is going to be
rather hard."

"Will it be a real wreck scene?" asked Joe.

"Yes, as real as we can make it. I'm negotiating now for an old schooner
that I can scuttle out at sea. All the company will be aboard, and
they'll drift about for a long time without food and water."

"Am I supposed to be in on that?" asked C. C., suspiciously.

"Of course," was the theatrical man's answer. "This is a circus company
returning from abroad that is wrecked, and you are the clown. Be as
funny as you can."

"Wrecked?" queried C. C.

"That's it."

"And I'm to be funny?"

"Certainly."

"Without food and water for days, and I'm expected to be funny!"
exclaimed the comedian, with a groan. "Oh, why did I ever get into this
business? I'll not do it!"

"Oh you're only _supposed_ to be starving and thirsty," explained Mr.
Ringold. "If you want, you can take some sandwiches and cold coffee with
you, and have lunch--but