Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

24 been asking questions, and knows that you did that murder job. He also knows all about the hold-ups and our share in trying to get Lee's lands. He's after you, Trent, and unless you're mighty careful he'll get you, too.'" Trent drew back his lips in a snarl. His face was a study of ugly brutality. "You mean he'd like to get me," he said. "We're on our way now to burn up my saloon and destroy every shred of evidence that could possibly be used agamst ii3 in a court of law. If necessary, we'll clean out the whole township. You'd better join us. You'll be safer than wandering about on your own." They rode on, gathering speed as they came within sight of the town itself. Like an avalanche of death they swept into the main street, cleared it from end to end with a fusillade of shots, and approached the saloon at a gallop. Jim and Steve, watching side by side from the windows, saw them coming. They waited until the last moment, hoping against hope that a battle would be averted. Suddenly they dropped behind the sill as they saw two forty-fives levelled at them simultaneously. The bullet.s whined in through the window and flattened themselves on the wall behind. "Let them have it!" said Jim quietly. "Give them what they came for!" Steve and Jim, with the remaining deputies, crowded to every available opening from which they could see the street, and their guns began to crack rapidly. Two of the bandits dropped almost immediately, and the remainder hung back. "Keep them busy!" came Trent's voice. "Surround the building. They can't get out. Remember, if one of them gets away we're for the pen." His men obeyed with alacrity. They spread out fanwise and closed in on all sides of the building, dismounting and taking cover behind any protection that oflfered. Jim saw the move and did his best to counter it. He and his men plugged away at the attackers in the hope that they could break their formation, but their shooting was of no avail. The whole thing had been done too quickly, and Trent had so distributed his followers that fast shooting was almost useless. "Where is Wells Fargo?" Lee asked. "He said ho would see us through, but lie seems to have cleared out. Has any- one seen him?" "He left by the back way," answered a voice. "He took one of the horses from the compound and rode ofT in the direction of the sheriff's office." Jim looked grave. He was watcliing suspicious movements outside. "I hope he gets along pretty quickly," he said. "They're bringing up brush- wood and paraffin from the store opposite. I believe they've Yes, they've shot old Mike wlio r^ins the place and they're looting it." He lowered his voice. "They're going to burn us out!" "Great heavens!" exclaimed Lee in an agonised voice. "I wish I had taken Fargo's advice and moved Wally and Betty to the hotel." Jim started, and looked over to where Betty was sitting. She was struggling witli Wally, who wanted to get to the windows with his catapult. "Let me get at 'em," he was saying. "If I can only draw a bead on that chap Trent I'll bust his nose for him." 1-ebriiary 15th, IftSO. BOY'S CINEMA Jim wont across and laid his hand on VVally's slioulder. "Don't make things too difiScult for Betty, son," he said kindly. "She's quite right in not letting you run into danger. If you showed yourself at the windows for one second someone would plug you clean, and you wouldn't even see who did it before you passed out." "All right, Jim," Wally replied willingly enough. "Sorry. I didn't realise I was making" myself a nuisance." A shout came from Steve, who bad been watching the street outside. "There's Wells Fargo," he yelled. "Come and look." Jim rushed to his side, and saw the detcctiNC engaged in what was ap- parently a plea.sant conversation with Trent himself. He bore his usual calm oxprcssion, and appeared quite oblivious to the fact that at any moment some- one nligtifschd a bullet into him. "Hell pull UP out of this somehow." Lcc cut in. "I don't know how he'll do it, but he will. You mark my words." Trent's Last Bid. WELLS FARGO had made quick work of hi.s visit to the sheriff's ofTicc. .'■pending a quarter of an hour on the telephone. He returned to the saloon in time to see Trent's men ride up, and drew aside under cover of a pile of boxes to await developments. Presently he watched Trent give orders for the saloon to be sunounded, and moved forward quickly. He made a wide detour until ho was behind the building in which Trent himself had taken cover, and climbed in at one of the windows. Trent, busily taking aim at a small hole in the wall of the saloon through which Steve was firing, did not hear his approach. The first he knew of his presence was when he felt his gim removed from his hand. He spun rouJid, and emitted a sharp oath. Fargo promptly jobbed him in the ribs with hi.t own weapon. "Did you think I was still inside there. Trent?" he asked. "What a pity I'm not. Your fellows could have such a cheerful bonfire, and I dare say I would crackle quite musically. But it's not my way to be caught like that. I let Collin.i go because I know he would come straight to you and would tell you I was a fool. "Take it from me, I'm not." "I'll fix you, you twister," Trent ground out between clenched teeth, and made a quick movement to get hold of his gun. Hi.'; hands stopped in mid air as he heard the sharp click of it being cocked. "Don't try anything like that," Fargo advised. "It's unhealthy." "What arc you going to do?" Trent demanded, beginning to got scared. "Completely stonewall you," was the swift reply. "Make things so that neither you nor your men can move an inch for a quarter of an hour. At the end of that time—well, I have a little surprise for you." He motioned towards flic door. "Let's go outside. It's stuffy in here." Like one in a dream, Trent obeyed. Still with Fargo's pressure on his ribs, ho walked straight into the exposed position in front of the saloon, and the .ehooting from both sides stopped from Iho sheer surprise of the move. "Going to bo plca.-ant—or awkward?" Fargo asked pleasantly. "I'm going to tell my men to" kill you." retorted Trent savagely. .Every Tuesday "I somehow thought you would," Fargo observed. "It shows that you are a man wlio is completely lacking in imagination." He raised "his voice. "Jim Marvin!'' 'Hallo I" came Jim's voice from the saloon. "Trent threatens to tell his men to plug me. Return the compliment if he does, will vou?" "Right."" Trent paled visibly. He saw now the position into which he had been led. His main reason for coming into the open so willingly was that he knew he could have Fargo killed there, but ho had forgotten about the defenders in the saloon. If Fargo's position was dan- gerous, so was his own. They would get him before he could move a single [jaco towards cover. * "How do you feel about things now?" Fargo asked. "I'm waiting for your next move." Trent replied. "Then I'll tell you." Fargo shrugged his shoulders. "There isn't a next move," he raid. "You're through, and if you wait here long enough you'll know why." For the next ten minutes Fargo did his best to engage Trent in pleasant conversation, and the end of which time he abandoned his efforts. They stood in the centre of the street in silence, the attack stopped in a complete and iii.5olublo deadlock. Fargo was the first to move again. He turned so that ho could see up the street towards the .sheriff's ofTieo, and nodded with satisfaction. "I told you I hadn't got a next move, Trent," he said quietly. " I had already made it before I came after you. A company of state troops is coming down the road to look after you and your cut- throats. Have vou anvthing to sav to that?'-" .' " Trent hung his head. This last revela- tion had knocked all the fight out of him. "Only that I'm beat," he replied in a low voice. Fargo left the final roundingitp to the troops, and took Trent and Collins inside the saloon. Piled in one of the corners were Skcggs, Maloney. and Perriii. their handcuffs removed iti case fire had broken out. Jim greeted Fargo cheerfully as he came in. ancfthen turned on Trent. He was about to say something when Fargo's hand dropped on his ."shoulder. "Let him be," ho said. "He's through." Jim nodded understandingly and walked over to whore Betty was wait- ing for him. Ho held out his hand.-, and she took them. "Well, that's the end of the trai'. Betty," he said. "So now I'm goii.g to ask you that question." She smiled up at him happily. "You don't 1100(1 to ask it. Jim, and I don't need to answer. It isn't neces- sary." He drew her towards him. while the deputies and others looked on in- terestedly. They had forgotten every- thing else for the moment, except iho young couple before them. A shout went up. and they wliceled round instinctively. "Trent's got my guns," yelled a deputy. "Get your niits up," came Trenl'<< voice, cutting through the noise of the confusion. "Come on, men! Rush them !" .lim dropped Betty's hands abruptly and looked round swiftly to fix Trent's (Continued on page 28.)