There was a moment of silence following Mr.
Piper's gloomy prediction, and then Miss Shay, with a laugh, cried
out:

"Oh, what a shame! I'd keep still if I couldn't say anything nicer
than _that_."

"Not very cheerful; is he?" spoke Joe.

"About the same as usual," commented Blake, drily.

"Well, it's true, just the same!" declared C.C. Piper, with an air
of conviction.

"'The truth is not to be spoken--at all times,'" quoted Miss
Pierce.

"Good for you!" whispered Joe.

C.C. seemed a little put out at all the criticism leveled at him.

"Ahem!" he exclaimed. "Of course I don't mean that I want to see
you boys caught in a landslide--far from it, but--"

"But, if we _are_ going to be caught that way, you hope there will
be moving pictures of it; don't you, C.C.?" laughed Blake. "Now,
there's no use trying to get out of it!" he added, as the gloomy
actor stuttered and stammered. "We know what you mean. But where
is Mr. Ringold; or Mr. Hadley?"