Ned advanced toward the shop. He tried to act as though the
camera was not taking pictures of him, at the rate of several a
second, but he forgot himself, and turned to look at the staring
lens. Then Tom, with a laugh, advanced to meet him, shaking hands
with him. Then the lads indulged in a little skylarking. They
threw snowballs at each other, taking care, however to keep
within range of the lens. Of course when Tom worked the camera
himself, he could point it wherever he wanted to, but it was now
automatic.

Then the lads went to the shop, and came out again. They did
several other things. Later Koku, and Eradicate did some
"stunts," as Tom called them. Mr. Swift, too, was snapped, but
Mrs. Baggert refused to come out.

"Well, I guess that will do for now," said Tom, as he stopped
the mechanism. "I've just thought of something," he added. "If I
leave the light burning, it will scare away, before they got in
front of the lens, any one who might come along. I'll have to
change that part of it."

"How can you fix it?" asked Ned.

"Easily. I'll rig up some flash lights, just ordinary
photographing flashlights, you know. I'll time them to go off one
after the other, and connect them with an electric wire to the
door of my shop."

"Then your idea is--" began Ned.