He had been furnished a striking proof of this a few days earlier when he had published those snapshots showing Chief of Police Hodgins asleep at his desk. There had been a big rise in circulation that day. Papers had sold as fast as the newsboys could hand them out. Everybody in Oldham had appreciated the joke on the fat chief of police and rushed to procure copies of those amusing pictures. And the very next day the sale of the _Bulletin_ had fallen off, showing Carroll conclusively that it was Hawley’s snapshots alone which had brought about that sudden and all too transient wave of prosperity. Therefore the proprietor of the _Bulletin_ was sorely tempted now by the Camera Chap’s offer; but, putting his own interests aside, he shook his head in emphatic negation. “I admit that it might help our circulation along, old man,” he began; “but you see----” “It would probably bring you a lot of advertising, too,” Hawley broke in. “Really, Fred, I shouldn’t be at all surprised if this camera campaign resulted in a bunch of nice, fat advertising contracts for the _Bulletin_.” “I doubt that,” said Carroll. “It is true that increased advertising generally follows increased circulation; but it wouldn’t in my case. As I told you the other day, most of the big advertisers of this town are connected in some way or other with that bunch of grafters the _Bulletin_ is fighting, and they wouldn’t advertise in our columns no matter what figures our circulation books might show.” “Maybe they wouldn’t,” the Camera Chap rejoined; “but there are lots of others who would. I wasn’t thinking about the local advertisers. I have in mind the big concerns--the breakfast-food people, the purveyors of potted ham, canned soups, cocoa, and mixed pickles; the manufacturers of safety razors, automobiles, shaving soaps, ready-made clothing, et cetera. That’s the kind of advertising we’ll get for your sheet, Fred.” Carroll laughed grimly. “Don’t you suppose I’ve been after all those people already? There’s nothing doing with any of them. I’ve called personally on those whose advertising offices are in near-by cities, and spent a small fortune in postage stamps corresponding with the rest. Not one of them could be made to see that it would be to his advantage to advertise in the Oldham _Bulletin_.” “Of course not,” exclaimed Hawley; “not while your circulation is as low as it is at present. Naturally, they’ve no desire to throw their money away. But wait until we’ve boosted the _Bulletin’s_ circulation sky-high. Then we can talk contracts to them, and I’ll wager they’ll be ready enough to listen. “So, you see, Fred,” he added laughingly, “you really can’t afford to turn down my application for the position of staff photographer on your esteemed paper.” CHAPTER XV. A DETERMINED STAND.