“That’s he,” said the Doctor.  “He is crazy after pictures.  I’ll give you a dollar if you bring him to the hotel alive.”

“Is he wicked?” asked the man.

“Generally,” answered the Doctor, whose eyes began to twinkle; “but you get hold of his picture-gallery and run for the hotel:  he will follow you.  I often have to manage him that way.”

“I’m minded to try coaxin’ him in thet a-way fer a dollar.  You jist take keer uv my shoes, an’ I’ll hev him yer ez quick ez Tim Price kin foot it, if he follers well an’ hain’t contrairy-like, holdin’ back.”

Tim Price relieved his feet of their encumbrances, and started.  When his tall, gaunt figure had disappeared around the corner, the Doctor grew red in the face from an internal convulsion, and then exploded past all concealment of his joke.

“If you gentlemen,” he said to the by-standers, “want to see some fun, just follow that man.  I will stay here as judge whether the man brings in the Professor or the Professor brings in the man.”

A good joke would stop a funeral in Charleston.  The hotel was cleared of men in an instant to follow Tim and enjoy the hunt.  Tim sighted the Professor about a quarter of a mile back in the town, A darky driving a water-cart was standing up on the shafts, thrashing his mule with the ends of his driving-lines, and urging it, by voice and gesture, to the highest mule-speed:  “Git up! git up! you lazy old no-go!  Git up!  Don’t you see dat picter-feller tryin’ to took you an’ me an’ de bar’l?  Git up!  Wag yer ears an’ switch yer tail.  You’re not gwine ter stan’ still an’ keep yer eyes on de instrement fer no gallery-man to took, ’less you’s fix’ up fer Sunday.  Git up, you ole long-eared corn-eater!”

The Professor was keeping well up with the flying water-works.  His hat was stuck on the back of his head, he carried his camera with its tripod spread ready for sudden action, and every step of his run was guided by thoughts of proper distance, fixed focus, and determination to have the water-works in his collection of instantaneous photographs.  A turn in the street gave the Professor his opportunity:  he darted ahead, set his camera, and took the whole show as it went galloping by, when he reclined against a fence while making the street ring with his laugh.

Tim Price, who was watching his chance, saw that it had come.  He grabbed the camera, gave a yell of triumph, and faced for the home-run.  He had not an instant to lose.  The Professor sprang for his precious instrument.  Tim’s long legs carried him across the street, over a fence into a cross-cut lot, and away for the hotel at a mountaineer’s speed.  The Professor was small, but active as a cat.  Where Tim jumped fences, the Professor squirmed through them; where Tim took one long stride, the Professor scored three short ones.  Tim lost his hat, and the Professor threw off his coat as he ran.  The main street was reached without perceptible