Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

^ »->■ <mtj.'jm^ JU^ ■ m Every Tuesday at St. Louis. Then I heard about tlie gushers starting up again, and about Trent making desperate bids to got Wally's proofs that he was my son away from him. I decided that until I could clear myself financially I should have to remain in hiding." Fargo nodded slowly and smiled. The wliole case was resolving itself with complete simplicity, and he had a satisfied feeling that everythirig would turn out right for everybody. Even the sheriff would be able to have Trent's hold-up gang under lock and key. A more ordinary man might have put Collins and the three other confederates in irons then and there, but Fargo was not an ordinary man. On the con- trary, he adopted unusual methods which alwa3s nuide him successful in the final issues of every case he investi- gated, and this one was going to be no exception. "But why steal your Son's papers?" he asked, his ej'es half closed. Lee started and looked at him closely. I'^argo had a disconcerting habit of taking people by surprise. "I suppose I ought to explain that," Lee .said. "Especially as I tried to get young Jim Trlarvin put in the cala- boose. You see, Jim was working in Wally's interests because he had fallen in love with Betty, and I knew him of old to be a stiff proposition. So when he made for the deserted hotel in the oil city I followed. "I waited until his back was turned, and so timed tilings that the sheriff and his men were approaching. Then I took the box containing the papers from where he had put it on the counter, and left in its place a flint arrowhead that I had found lying on the ground some days before. I reckoned that Jim would pick up the arrowhead and be found with it in his hand when the sheriff arrived. "Things worked out even better. Jim put the flint in his pocket, and he was arrested. But the plan failed. He escaped. "There was nothing else to do but to keep him hanging about with me. If I surrounded nn self with a certain amount o\ mystery by wearing a mask ^o as to throw him and others otl lhe scent—I did not want WaM> to recognise nie, for one thing—that was all part of my game. I was mainly concerned in pre- venting Jim from find- ing out that Robert Lee was still alive, for if I had let liim know he would havo insisted that I sliowcd up to th(> "sheriff so as to establish Wally's claim. And the moment my face was seen in Black Rock the commissioner's clerk would have planted that writ on me, and the lands would have been swallowed up in my liability with Trent " Fargo wasted no further time in consider- ing the matter. He turned to Jim at once. "You're free," he announced. "The sheriff never really had any- thing on yoi, only ho hadn't the time or the patience to probe to the bottom of what had been happening." Jim turned to Betty impulsively. Now that BOY'S CINEMA he was clear of the shadow of a crime he had never committed he wanted to say something he had been saving up ever since he had met lier. "Betty, I " Fargo's voice cut across the room like a knife. "Cut it out!" he said. "Leave all that for some other time. What do you think this place is—a bower of roses?" A yell of laughter went up from those standing around. It was followed quickly by a shout of warning, and a shot sounded abruptly. With an oath two of the deputies made a rush for the door through which Collins had vanished a split second before. Again Fargo's voice dominated the situation. "Let him go!" he said calmly. "See that the other three are handcuffed securely now. I don't want them to escape." Lee stepjied forward quickly. On his face was a look of alarm. "He's gone to warn Trent and help him collect the rest of the gang," ho said. " I saw them once all together, and there must be at least twenty. Un- less you stop him there will be blood- shed. They'll come back and massacre the lot of us. Fargo lit deliberation. "No doubt said coolly. jar with studied they will come back," he For one thing, Trent will want to clear tfiis building of incriminat- ing documents. But as for blood- shed " He paused and a thoughtful look came into his eyes. "Perhaps you will all e.xcuse me," he went on. "I have one or two arrangements to make. Lee, you had better take your son and Miss Kincaid to the hotel. It will be safer there." He went to a. door leading to the back of the premises and disappeared through it. "He's got something up his sleeve," said Lee, watching him go. "What it is I don't know, but that man holds t!ip fj-iimp rn\-i\ \i\ tll'S lit^l© g.imp " 23 The Attack. TRENT gathered his band of followers around him in the f'lresS behind the deserted oil city. As each one passed before him he held up a small flint arrowhead as evidence of his identity. "Things have come to a crisi.s, men," Trent said, addressing them. "It: has been discovered that I am at the Ilea el of the hold-up organisation, and WeHs Fargo, the detective, is at my solooii making inquiries. "The whole of ray private papers are in the building also. You know what that means." A murmur of apprehension went up. They knew well enough. The names of all of them, together with enough evidence to send them to penal servi- tude, were at Wells Fargo's mercy. "I can got you out of this if you'll stand by uic to the limit," Trent went on quickly. "If you don't, then Fargo will get us. What do you say?" A shout went up. There was no doubt as to their support. They were impli- cated to the hilt, and they knew it. "Then look to your guns, and see thak they're fully loaded. That saloon uuisfc be burnt to the ground so that not a particle of it remains. And Wells Fargo must burn with it. Come on." With Trent at their head they rodo out of the forest on to the trail and proceeded at a gallop towards Black Rock. Barely had they covered \m\i (he distance before Trent suddenly he!d up his hand for a halt. He shaded his eyes and looked down the trail at a small cloud of dust that moved towards them. "It's Collins!" he exclaimed, and broke into a gallop once more. Collins drew rein by Trent's side a minute later, and Trent could see ihaft on his face was a look of fear. "What is the matter?" he asked quickly. "lias anything serious happened ?" "'That Wells Fargo is uncanny," Collins <^nirl Iti .in ;ig-!tntcd voice. " He'<I The room was like a battlefield. Jim sprang at Trent and laid his enemy backwards across a table. Again and again he crashed his fist into Trent's face. February litll, 1930-