Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

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Kvery Tuesaay fields." said Schuster, "deserves a silver cross." " Yes." agreed Hardt, " we shouldn't have had even a wooden one without it. Stop motors." The command was repeated bnd utter silence filled the control-room. Hardt went over to the wireless operator in his tiny compartment. "Can you hear anything?" he rapped. "Nothmg, sir," the wireless operator informed him. "Good! I'm going up." More orders were issued and after a while the submarine rose sufficiently for its periscope to be used. The rocky coast of the island of Hoy was near; the giant finger of rock known as the Old Man of Hoy was plainly visible against the night sky. Hardt gave orders to surface, and the vessel emerged from the depths. A small boat was launched bv members of the crew, the motor-cvcle was taken ashore in it. and Captain Hardt began to put on his gloves. "Shall we run over the details for the last time? " suggested Lieutenant Schuster. •Think I'm likely to forget them?" grunted Hardt, but he handed over the typewritten instructions. ''At the top of the cliff?" prompted Schuster. "Bear north-east for circle of upright stones." "From there?" " Follow telegraph poles. Rough road." Look out for?" ' "Main road." "After three miles?" "Turn right. Carry on until road forks. Bear leit. c ',1'^^S. woman's name?' questioned Schmidt. "Thiel." "I still don't see what's so clever about the motor-cycle." remarked Schuster . "Camouflage," said Hardt. 'A man just landed from an enemv submarine wouldn't be travelling on a rnotor-bike " Password?" Hardt recited a scrap of verse. "What are you two smiling at?" he demanded. "You, sir, spouting poetry in the dark to a woman," chuckled Schuster. One after another they climbed up on to the deck, and the cold air of the mistv night was refreshing after the heat below. The boat was waiting. " You will report here at the same time for the next three nights," instructed Hardt. "Yes, sir," said Schuster. "Got every- thing you want?" " Everything." Hardt clambered down into the boat and he raised a hand in farewell as the sailor at the oars began to pull towards the shore. It was almost at the foot of the Old Man of Hoy that he landed from the boat and the motor-cycle was lying on the beach there. He went off with it towards the cliffs of sandstone, and he found a narrow winding track that led up the face of them. The going was difficult, cumbered as he was with the machine and every few steps he paused to get his breath. The bleating of sheep was in his eavz as he neared the top, and at first it startled him He stopped for the last time on the ascent and mimicked them then reached the grass above the cliffs and came to the circle of upright stones. He could see nothing of the submarin-^ when he looked back, but overhead he detected telegraph wires and he pushed the motor-cycle along under them, passed several poles supporting the wires, came to a rough road unfit for riding, and at the end of it set foot upon a main road. There he mounted the machine and kicked its engine into life. CAPTAIN HARDT OBEYS ORDERS THE school-house at Long Hope stood in a playground surrounded bv a low BOY'S CINEMA wall of stone, and on one side the wall was close to the sea above the harbour. A Territorial was on guard in the road just below the gate usej bv the children who attended the school, and he raised his bayonet as he heard footstep.'^ approaching. "Who goes there?" he challenged. "Special Constable Bob Bratt." replied that self-important person. "Pass," said the sentry. "Quiet to-night," said Bob Bratt, and walked on swinging his stick. Prom the sitting-room of the school- house the girl who had assumed Anne Burnett's identity carried a lighted lamp up winding stairs to the room she had chosen for her bed-room and went to a window with it. Captain Hardt had reached the wall on that side of the house and found a little gate in it. He had stopped his engine some little while before and had been wheeling the motor-cycle. He saw the light .in the window and the girl's face behind it, and he slipped in at the ° But Bob Bratt had seen the light, too. •head to get to Long Hope, but he wouldn't get by Bob Bratt. Good-night, mi.ss." "Good-night," said the girl Captain Hardt crouched behind an out- building till the special coastable had returned to the road and resumed his beat, and then he moved towards the back of the house. The girl went down to the living-room with the lamp, set it upon a table there, and pulled down a blind. She crossed a stone-flagged hall to the front door and looked out at it. The moon was shining faintly through the mist, but no one was to be seen. She closed the door and went back through the living-room into the kitchen, where she opened the back door. Steps led down from it to a yard divided from the playground, and at the foot of the steps was a tall dark figure, holding a motor-cycle. She went down the steps, and a voice whispered a scrap of verse. She com- pleted the verse in the same language and led the way into the house. Hardt entered the kitchen, with the machine, and she closed the door He told her, in Hardt thrust the flask into his pocket and he stalked in at a gate lower down the road. "Hi, there!" he bellowed. "Put that light out! " The girl opened the window and looked down. "Is somebody calling?" she asked. " What do you think you're doing, show- ing a naked light?" barked the special constable. "Put it out!" "I'm very sorry," she said meekly. "Haven't j-ou read the regulations?" "No." "That makes it all the worse—and you a school teacher." " Oh. it's you. Mr. Bratt!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry." "Oh. that's all right, miss." He waved his stick. " I'm singlehanded. you see. and with all the Fleet here I've got to keep ivv eyes about me. Why, a spy would give his a his own tongue, that he had seen the light, and he asked if she were alone. "Naturally." she responded; but as he followed her into the living-room he looked suspiciously about him. He wheeled the motor-cvcle over to the door and left it there. The table was laid for supper, and his dark eyes widened as he saw the food upon it. "Butter!" he exclaimed. The girl started at the sudden explosion, then smiled. "You gave me a fright." she said. "You are Fraulein Thiel?" he asked "Yes. Captain Hardt." she replied. "And from now on please speak in Eng- lish. " He eyed the food upon the table almost ecstatically. "And eat in English?" he asked. "Make a start." she smiled, and went off to the kitchen to make some coffee. October :ut, 1?.?3.