“Yes, suh,” Lalla remarked with self-satisfaction, as she preened herself before him revealing every excruciating gaud and gewgaw she could buy from the ten-cent store. “De man whut sold it to me told me dat ev’y piece was _rolled_ gold--he specify dat wus de purest kind of gold whut is!”
“Dat’s right!” Skeeter agreed. “You’s gwine be de only dazzle on dis fish camp--nobody cain’t shine while you is aroun’.”
When Skeeter beat him to the buggy, the city beau had simply lifted his hat to Lalla and walked away. At that moment the automobile arrived, and the stranger found consolation in watching the white men and their cameras.
Impelled by curiosity, the other negroes had gathered around, and the new coon saw a good opportunity to show off.
“Boss,” he inquired of Mr. Rouke, “is you-alls movin’ picture mens?”
“Is you gwine take pictures of dis here lake?”
“Yes,” Rouke replied, as he busied himself setting up his machine.
The darky took off his hat, rubbed his head, hesitated a moment, then said in a pleading voice:
“Please, suh, boss, would you wish to take a picture of me doin’ some kind of stunts? I used to wuck in de movies an’ I likes it.”
“Who? You?” Rouke snapped, gazing at the negro with incredulous eyes. “What did you do in the studio?”
“I wucked fer a feller whut took de pictures. He lemme tote his extry films, and lemme hold his hat, an’ sometimes he gimme a board wid a number on it, an’ lemme stan’ in front of de picture-box while he turned de crank an’ tuck my tintype.”
Shirley Rouke saw that this speech had made an impression upon the negroes gathered around. He hesitated a moment, then said:
“All right, Sudds. You seem to have had considerable experience as a movie actor. Now if you can get some of these other people to get in it with you, I think I will take a picture of you all.”
“Come on, niggers!” Sudds bellowed in delighted tones. “Eve’ybody is gwine hab his tintype took! Hustle! Dese here white mens ain’t got no time fer foolishness!”
Under the leadership of Sour Sudds, the picnic party was eager to get into the picture.
“Is you gwine show us how to do, boss?” Sudds inquired.
While Peter Pellet was adjusting his camera and placing his side lines, Rouke went into the fishing camp and brought out a small table and two chairs, which he placed in front of the camera.