"That gate is open!" exclaimed the young farmer. "I don't see how it happened. There is something wrong here."
The bull was driven in, and then an examination disclosed the fact that the lock of the gate had been broken; by a stone, evidently, for a shattered rock lay on the ground nearby.
"This is strange," murmured Sandy. "Someone has done this on purpose, I don't like it--after what happened the other night."
"Why, Mr. Pertell and I saw a suspicious-looking man out in the road, and we chased him," and he told of the circumstance.
"And you think he broke this lock to let the bull out?" asked the moving picture operator.
"Well, he might have, but I can't think what his object would be, unless he wanted to spoil some of your moving pictures. Have you got any enemies?"
Russ thought of Simp Wolley and Bud Briskett, who had tried to get his invention, as told in the preceding volume, "The Moving Picture Girls," but they were in jail, as far as he knew. Clearly there was some mystery here, but it was not to be solved at once.
The gate was made as secure as possible, and Sandy said he would get a new lock that day.
"I reckon you folks don't want old Nero buttin' in on you again," he said to Russ.
"Indeed we don't!" answered the young operator. He was puzzled over Sandy's suggestion as to whether or not some enemy had loosed the dangerous animal.
A little later the end of the interrupted scene was filmed again, and then the actors and actresses were at liberty for the rest of the day.
"I declare, Laura!" exclaimed Miss Pennington, "I'm so nervous about that bull that I don't want any more farm plays."
"Me, either," returned her chum. "But really, the summer is a bad time to change. I think we'll have to stay with Mr. Pertell; but I can't bear this company since those DeVere girls came in."
"Nor can I. They give themselves such airs!"
Which was manifestly unfair to Ruth and Alice, but neither Miss Pennington nor Miss Dixon was over-burdened with fairness.
At first Russ had an idea of speaking to Mr. DeVere about Sandy's theory concerning who might have let loose the bull; but, on second thoughts, he decided not to. The actor had not been so well of late, his voice troubling him considerably, though he managed to go through his parts with credit.