Part 27 (1/2)

He fell forward on his face and those of his men who heard and understood did likewise.

Ruth, Alice and Estelle, who were watching the scene from a distant knoll, hardly understood what it was all about. They had thought no more shots would be fired when Paul began his charge, but one had boomed out, and surely that was a projectile winging its way toward the partly demolished hill.

”That is carrying realism a little too far,” said Ruth. ”I hope----”

”Paul has fallen!” cried Alice. ”Oh--something has happened!”

One must realize that all this took place at the same time. The firing of the shot, the realization that it was a mistake, Paul's flash of the oncoming projectile, his command to his men and the vision had by the girls. All in an instant, for a shot from a big gun does not leave much margin of time between starting and arriving even when fired with only a small charge of powder for moving picture purposes.

And, so quickly had it happened that Russ had not stopped turning the crank of his camera, nor had an a.s.sistant on the hillside, where he had been stationed to film Paul and his soldiers.

And then the projectile struck. Into the soft dirt of the hillside it buried its head, and then, as the explosion came, up went a shower of earth and stones. And ever afterward the gunner who inserted that charge blessed himself and an ever-watchful Providence that he had put in but half a charge, the last of the powder.

For it was this half-charge that saved Paul and his men. The projectile struck in the hill a hundred feet below where Paul was leading his force up the slope, and though they were well-nigh buried beneath a rain of sand and gravel, they were not otherwise hurt--scratches and bruises being their portion.

”What are they trying to do, kill us?” cried a man, staggering to his feet, blood streaming from a cut on his cheek.

”This is too much like real war for me!” yelled another throwing down his gun. ”I'm going to quit!”

”No you don't!” shouted Paul. ”Come on. It was a mistake. They won't fire any more. It will make a great scene on the film. Come on!”

He gave one look back toward the Union battery and saw Mr. Pertell fluttering a white flag which meant safety. Waving his sword above his head, Paul yelled again:

”Come on! Come on! It's all right! Up the hill with you! That shot was only to put a little pep in you!”

”Pep! More like sand! I got a mouthful!” muttered a sergeant.

”Get every inch of that. It's the best scene we've had yet, though it was a close call!” telephoned Mr. Pertell to the operator on the side of the hill. ”Film every inch of it!”

”All right! I'm getting it,” answered the camera man and he went on grinding away at his crank.

The explosion of the sh.e.l.l had, for the moment, stopped the advance of Paul and his men up the hill, but this momentary halt only made it look more realistic--as though they really feared they were in danger, as indeed they had been. Now the director called:

”It's all right, Paul! Go ahead! Keep on just as if that was part of the show.”

”It was a lively part all right!” and Paul laughed grimly. ”Come on, boys!”

And the charge was resumed.

Back of the dismantled battery, whence they had presumably been driven by the fire from the big gun, the Confederates were ma.s.sed. They were waiting for Paul's charge, and they, too, had been a little surprised by the unexpected firing of the sh.e.l.l.

But now, in response to a signal on the field telephone, they prepared to resist the a.s.sault.

”Come on, boys! Beat the Yankees back!” was the battle cry that would be flashed on the screen.

Then came the fierce struggle, and it was nearly as fierce as it was indicated in the pictures. Real blows were given, and more than one man went down harder than he had expected to. There were duels with clubbed rifles, and fencing combats with swords, though, of course, the partic.i.p.ants took care not to cut one another.

In spite of this, several received minor hurts. But this result only added to the effectiveness of the scene, though it was painful. But in providing realism for motion pictures more than one conscientious player has been injured, and not a few have lost their lives. It is devotion of no small sort to their profession.