ed to an old-fashioned well with a sweep, which stood not far
from the house. "What'd you use--a post-hole digger?" he asked. "What
sort of water did you strike?"

Before any one could answer him he strode over to the well, and, as he
looked down into it, a puzzled look came over his face.

"Well, I'll be jiggered!" he cried. "'Tain't a well at all! Only an
imitation!"

And that was what it was. Some canvas had been stretched in a circle
about a framework, and painted to represent stones. The well itself
stood on top of the ground, not being dug out at all. It made a
perfectly good water-scene, with a sweep, a chain, a bucket and all.

"I'm supposed to stand there and draw water for the thirsty soldiers,"
explained Ruth, coming up at this point.

"Huh! How are you goin' to git water out of there?" demanded Sandy.
"It's as dry as a bone. Why, I've got a good well over there," and he
pointed to a real one, under an apple tree.

"That's in the shade--couldn't get any pictures there," explained Russ.
"The well has to be out in the open."

"But what about water?" asked Sandy. "Hang me if I ever heard of a well
without water!"

"We'll run a hose up to this one," explained Pop Snooks. "A man will lie
down behind the well-curb, where he won't show in the camera. As fast as
Ruth lowers her bucket into the well the man'll fill the pail with water
for the soldiers to drink. It'll be quicker than a real well, and if we
find we don't like it in one place we can move it to another. This is a
movable well."

"Well, I'll be----" began Sandy, but words failed him. "This is sure a
queer business," he murmured as he strode off.

The hard work of preparation continued. All about the farm queer parts
of buildings were being erected, extra barns, out-houses, bits of fence,
and the like.

In what are called close-up scenes only a small part of an object shows
in the camera, and often when a magnificent entrance to a marble house
is shown, it is only a plaster-of-Paris imitation of a door with a
little frame around it.

What is outside of that would not photograph; so what is the use of
building it? Of course in many scenes real buildings figure, but they
are not built for the purpose.

In one of the war plays a small barn was to be shown, and a soldier was
supposed to jump through the window of this to escape pursuit. As none
of the regular buildings at Oak Farm was in the proper location, Pop
Snooks had been ordered to build