With Billy Wilders, his friend in the bank, to help him, he had boyishly built that roll for just this heart-warming little ceremony. He might have written checks to square the account of each, but he wanted to make their eyes stand out, just as he was doing. He had looked forward to this half hour more eagerly than any of them guessed; he had, with his eyes closed, visualized this scene over more than one cigarette, his memory picturing vividly another scene wherein these same young men had cheerfully emptied their pockets and planned many small personal sacrifices that he, Luck Lindsay, might have money enough to come here to New Mexico and make his one Big Picture. Luck felt that nothing less than a display of the profits in real money could ever quite balance that other scene when all the Happy Familyhad in the world went in the pot and they mourned because it was so little.
"Aw, I betche Luck robbed a bank er something!" Happy Jack stuttered with an awkward attempt to conceal his delight when his name was called, his investment was read and the little sheaf of currency that represented his profit was laid in his outstretched palm.
"It's me for the movies if this is the way they pan out," Weary declared gleefully. "Mamma! I didn't know there was so much money in the world!""I'll bet he milked Los Angeles dry of paper money," Andy Green asserted facetiously, thumbing his small fortune gloatingly. "Holding out anything for yourself, Luck? We don't want to be hogs.""I'm taking care of my interests--don't you worry about that a minute," Luck stated complacently. "I held mine out first. That wipes the slate--and cleans up the bank-roll. I maintain The Phantom Herd was so-o-ome picture, boys.
They'll be getting it here in 'Querque soon--we'll all go in and see it.""Now we're all set for a fresh start. And while you're all here I'll just put you up to date. on what kind of a deal I made with Dewitt. We come in under the wing of Excelsior, and our brand name will be Flying U Feature Film--how does that hit you? You boys are all on a straight board-and-salary basis--thirty dollars a week, and it's up to me to make you earn it!" He grinned and beckoned to Jean Douglas Avery and her companions in the next room.
"Mrs. Avery, here, is our leading woman--keeping the name of Jean Douglas, since she made it valuable in that Lazy A serial she did a year or so ago.
Lite is on the same footing as the rest of you boys. Her father will be my assistant in choosing locations and so on. Tommy Johnson, as I said, is another assistant in another capacity, that of scenic artist and stage carpenter. Pete Lowry, here, is camera man and Bill Holmes will be his assistant. The rest of you work wherever I need you--a good deal the way we did last winter. Annie-Many-Ponies stays with us as character lead and is in general stock. Rosemary--" he stopped and smiled at her understandingly--"Rosemary draws fifteen a week--oh, don't get scared! I won't give you any foreground stuff! just atmosphere when I need it, and general comforter and mascot of the company!"Luck may have stretched a point there, but if he did it was merely a technical one. Rosemary Green was hopelessly camera-shy, but he could use her in background atmosphere, and when it came to looking after the physical and mental welfare of the bunch she was worth her weight in any precious metal you may choose to name.
"You better put me down as camp cook and dishwasher, Luck Lindsay," Rosemary protested, blushing.
"No--thank the Lord you won't have to cook for this hungry bunch any longer.
I've got a Mexican hired and headed this way. There'll be no more of that kind of thing for you, lady--not while you're with us.