"And his machine ran into yours?" asked Blake.

"Smack into me!" answered his helper. "Knocked the box of films out on
the road, and one wheel went over it. Cracked the box clean open, and,
of course, as the film wasn't developed, it's light-struck now, and
you'll have to take all those marching scenes over again!"

"That's bad!" murmured Joe. "Very bad!"

"Did you say it was an _accident_?" asked Blake pointedly.

"That's what _he_ said," replied Charlie. "He made all sorts of
apologies, admitted it was all his fault, and all that. And it was,
too!" burst out Macaroni. "I guess I know how to be careful of
undeveloped films! Great hopping hippodromes, if I couldn't drive a car
any better than that Frenchman, I'd get out of the army! How he has any
license to buy gasolene, I can't imagine! This is how it was," and he
went into further details of the occurrence.

"I brought the films back, covering 'em with a black cloth as soon as I
could," went on Charles; "but I guess it's too late."

"Let's have a look," suggested Blake. "It may not be so bad as you
think."

But it was--every bit, and Joe and Blake found they would have to make
the whole series over, requiring the marching of thousands of men and
consequent delay in getting the completed films to the various
recruiting centers.