Newsreel man (1931)

70 NEWSREEL MAN “By this time I had regained my composure and managed to blurt out: ‘What do you mean? You made it.’ “ ‘I know, but it was your camera, Bill.’ (In the frenzy of working he simply had imagined it was his own. ) “ ‘Don’t let’s split hairs about that. You’ve earned it,’ I remonstrated. “ ‘Forget it, kid. Come on, it’s getting cold, and if you’re feeling up to it, let’s be getting back to the ship.’ “Once aboard the Mojave I pleaded with Reek to take the negative, but he wouldn’t do it. We were heading for Halifax to refuel and turn over the patrol to another cutter. At the same time Reek and myself were to return to New York. “All the way back I tried to press the film upon him, but be refused it. That was a pal. The picture was a sensation with my office, and I know Eddie’s outfit felt pretty bad about it. “Now do you realize why I go on that assignment every year? I am always hoping to run into a tight place like that and do for some other newsreel man what Reek did for me. It is the only way I’ll ever balance that account with myself.” I happened to be in Reek’s office a few days later to arrange about a story and couldn’t help mentioning the incident. He looked sort of sheepish for a moment, then said: “Aw — I’d have been as scared as Bill if I’d been standing there watching that big berg topple towards me instead of being so darned busy rowing the boat.”