Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

26 »» t BRANDED A COWARD, t (Continued from page 8.) The officer made a swift note on liis pad, and told the guard that an in- quiry would bo held in the morning. Then he started out on iiis inspection of the cabins. He saw nothing out of the ordinary until he reached that occupied by Bill and Skeeter. Then lie saw that Bill's bunk was empty. "Whore is Cadet Dunn?" he de- manded in a sharp tone. Skeotor raised his head above the bed- flothes, and sprang out as soon as he »aw who it was. "I don't know, sir. He went out to Hash, I think." "Tell him to report to me as soon 13 he returns." Then turned as there was a movement at the door behind him. "Cadet Dunn!" He stared at Bill almost unbelievingly, knowing him to be one of the most promising students at the academy. "What are you doing at this hour in full-dress ■'I've been out, sir," Bill explained, r.aluting. "I'm sorry I'm late, but I was hung up and couldn't get back earlier." The ofhccr looked at Jiim grimly. "Very well. You will remain in your quarters until you are sent for. 1 shall bring a charge against you for striking one of the guards." Bill stared at him aghast. "But, sir " he began, and then stopped. He had seen what had hap- pened in the grounds. "Very good, .<ir," he finished, and saluted. From the Jaws of Death. LIEUTENANT DUNN faced Bill squarely. His face lined heavily with the worry of Bill's arrest, bore disappointment. "When I received the skipper's mes- sage at Washington, I got leave to come across," he said. "There must be some explanation, something I can do to clear things up." He laid his hands on Bill's shoulders. "Come, my boy, tell me about it. You can't ruin your whole career like this." Bill swallowed hard. The last few- days had been agony for him. Ac- cused of striking a superior, one of the worst crimes in- the service, lie could see nothing before him but the end of all his ambitions, They would expel him from the Navy, and in or.e moment his whole future would be ruined. It would even be impossible for him to liave. anything more to do with Betty, for without his paj' marriage would be out of the question. "I'm sorry, dad," he replied slowly. "I have nothing to say." The old man shook his head sadly. "There's something strange here," he said slowly. "I know you didn't do it, because it wouldn't be like you. For some reason or other, you're shielding someone else. Who is it, and why?" Bill looked up suddenly. He squared his shoulders. "Listen, dad," he said firmly. "You are right when you say that I am taking the blame for someone else, and I'm going to to.l you why I'm doing it. I had a friend once and he loves a girl I love also. At one lime I had a faint hope that she loved mc in return, but this other fellow ajjpears to liave won her back completely. She sent a letter by him the other night telling me .so. Also ho was out at a time when he I'cbruary 15th, l'.)30. BOY'S CINEMA was under open arrest, and you know what that means." "I do," said his father. "Clo on." "Here is my position If I report what I know and so clear myself, I get him kicked out of the Service, and that would make the girl feel rotten. It would also look as if I'd shopped him to leave the way clear for myself." Bill lowered his voice to a whisper. "Now what would you have me do? Play a diriy trick by re.iorting, or keep things as they arc?" His father looked at him for a few moments, and in that short space of time the expression on his face changed to one of intense pride. "My boy," he said slowly, a catch in his voice, "what an officer you would have made." Bill had been given his answer. "What an officer you would have made." Not what an officer he will make. Bill's career was ended. That night he disappeared. The master-at-arms reported that a motor- boat had been seen heading towards the open sea. down the Chesapeake Kiver with a cadet on board. It was Bill's way of putting hiniself beyond the reach of awkward questions. Early the following morning, even before divisions, the admiral command- ing the academy received a message that a lady desired to see him urgently. The name on the card wiis "Miss Betty Allen." "I have never heard of her," the admiral said. "Ask her to make an ap- pointment." The junior officer who had brought tile message persisted. "She says it is about Cadet Dunn, sir," he said. "She wants to see you most urgently." The admiral's attitude changed at once. "Show her in!" he ordered curtly, and the junior saluted and witlidrew. Presently Betty was ushered in. Her ej-es were heavy, and slie looked worried and tired. She was given a chair, and sank into it listlesslj', "Mr. Dunn has disappeared," sLe said in a low voice. "I'm afraid so," the admiral reijlied. "He left last night, making his way down the river. Perhaps it is as well. t shall liave his name deleted from the registers, and that will be the end of the matter. It will save both him and the academy from the disgrace of an expulsion." "But he didn't do it!" Betty protested. "I know he didn't. Please won't you believe me?" The admiral shook his head. His atti- tude was courteous but firm. "I'm sorry. I have to administer a charge of this type ontii-ely upon evi- dence." He went over to her side and laid a kindly hand on her arm. "Don't worry about it, young lady. Everything has turned out for the best. He has done wrong according to the traditions of the service, and he has made what restitution he can by going away." Betty looked up at him, and saw that there could be no altering of his decision. He was the last possible source of appeal, and if he refused to consider the case there was no higher authority to whom she could go. She fumbled at the catch of her hand- bag, and drew out two letters. "I had hoped that it wouldn't be necessary to show you these," siie said slowly. "It means an even worse dis- grace on one of the other cadets, be- cause he's been guilty of something like forgery. Bill—Mr. Dunn—went away because of me." Every Tuesday ■'liecause of you?" The admiral looked at her in surprise. "I do not understand." "Mr. Luff was out that night when the guard was struck," she went on. " He bragged about it to his room mate, and when the room mate—he'e called Bulge, I think, but I don't know his proper name—when Bulge wanted t-o re- port what Mr. Luff had told him, Mr. Dunn forbade him to. It was Mr. Lufl who struck the guard." "Cadet Luff?" The admiral snapped out the question almost savagely. Ho did not like the type of man who would let another bear the blaine. "Can you prove that?" "Yes." Betty selected one of the letters. "This note was supposed to have been written by me, telling Mr. Dunn that I didn't care for him any more. Mr. Dunn had never eeen my writing, so he couldn't know that Mr. Luff had written it. This other one is from Mr. Luff to me. It seems that Bulge had told some of the other cadets, and they treated Mr. Luff so badly that he had to give in in the end. So he wrote me a confession and left the academy by the early morning train." The admiral took the letters and read them. The writing of each was identical. One was addressed to Bill and signed in Betty's name, and the other was ad- dressed to Betty and signed by Herbert. He rang a bell, and sent for Herbert's papers. He compared .signatures, and nodded slowly. For a long time ho sat quite still, his head bowed in thought. Then he reached out for his telephone. "Get me aircraft headquarters," he said to the operator, and then waited. "Is tliat you, Ellendale?" he went on as soon as connection was established. " Can you send out a search squadron at once ? One of my cadets is on the Chesapeake River in a motor-boat head- ing for the sea. Yes, there's been sorno misunderstanding here, and he thought he was in disgrace. It's cleared up now, and I want you to find him. VVliat's that ? At once ? Good man ! Report when you have news, will you ? Thanks!" He hung up the receiver, and turned to Betty once more. "They'll land him at the slipways in Eastport," he went on. "You can go over in my car if you wish." He held up his hand quickly to check her thanks. Meanwhile, far down the river, ap- proaching the Potomac line which marked the beginning of the open sea, Bill steered his tiny craft mechanically. He knew he had reached the end of everything, and was just not caring what happened. All he wanted to do was to get as far away from Annapolis as he could. Suddenly he glanced at his petrol gauge, and saw that the pointer was approaching zero. He looked round quickly, and sighted another vessel a short distance away. Immediately ho changed course, hoping that the skipper of the otlier craft could replenish hia tanks. The men on the other boat saw him coming. There was a swift scurry on deck. "It's a revenue man," one of them said. "If he finds this cargo of liquor aboard, he'll take us in." "Sink him," was the immediate response, and covers were ripped swiftly off a machine-gun mounted in the bows. A hail of lead pinged against Bill's craft, and he ducked hastily behind the engine housing. Clouds of spray roso (Continued on nsge 88.)