Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Trrrriu mtmmi :u^>:>»w r Every Tuesday)^ .been unable to figure out atij' plan of campaign, but the hotel-owner was stil! turning the affair over in his mind when Edwards greeted him. Pop answered him gruffly. He had no cause to suspect Edwards, but at the same time ho was not particularly partial to the cattle buyer, and ho had never been in the habit of taking him into his confidence. " A bad business—the shootin' of Pete Rogers," observed Edwards. "A bad business right enough," Pop grunted. "A man can't call his life his own when there's folks around that are too free-an'-easy with their guns." He loft Edwards and went upstairs, and Edwards was on the point of taking himself off when his glance travelled to the registcr-dosk at the far end of the lobby. Molly was behind the counter, busy with a lodger, and at sight of her Edwards fingorod liis mous tacho and strolled across to her. Her hands wore resting on the counter, and. loaning towards her ail at once, he caught hold of thein. "How about a little kiss from the prettiest girl in Bowden?" ho coaxed. She tried to draw away, hut his grasp on hor hands tightened, and she was actually struggling to free horscif when a couple of strangers to Bowden came in through the entrance of the hotel lot)l)y. One was Dave Hayes, and the odior was Cloudy, who looked more doleful than ever. Dav& was immediately aware of what was taking place at the counter, for the first object that caught his eye Avas Molly's pretty face. 'J'lie expression on it told iiini that the attentions of tlio man who was pestering her wore by no means welcome, and he at once moved towards the desk. Coming up alongside Edwards, he brought his heel down with deliberate force on the cattle buyer's foot, and Edwards was uufortuna((" enough to po.ssess a largo-sized corn. Ho had re- leased Molly in the twinkling of an eye. and with a bellow of pain he began to hop around on one leg. Dave was profu.so in his apologies, but it was all (oo clear to Edwards that his action had boon intentional, and the cattle buyer raved and fumed. Ho broke off in his curses to utter a sharp yelp, for Cloudy had come up on tlic otlier side of him, and Cloudv was BOY'jS CINEMA holding a cigarette which ho contrived to stub—apparently by accident— against the cattle buyer's hand. Edwards, carrying his burned finger to his lips, glared at Cloudy, but after a moment he seemed to master his rage and ho assumed an ugly smile as ho turned his glance on Dave again. " You'd better be careful who.se toes you step on!" he said. "They ain't all as good-natured as me in this town." Dave turned his back on him con- temptuously and was about to address Molly when he saw a look of horror in her eyes. She was staring over his shoulder, and Dave instantly whipped round to see Edwards reaching for his six-gun. The cattle buyer's hand had actually closed on the butt. He did not pro- ceed with the gesture, however, for in the act of wheeling Dave had jerked his own gun out of its holster and now he was covering Edwards. The man looked at him narrowly for a moment, and then, with compressed lips, he backed towards a. pair of swing-doors that opened on to the bar-room. When he had gone Dave turned to Molly again and announced that he and Cloudy wanted to put up at the hotel, and ho was in the act of signing their names w'hen old Pop Williams came downstairs. " You're aimin' to stay here, strangers?" he inquired, approaching the counter, and as Dave nodded: "Well, if you don't mind, I'd like you to pay in advance, gents," ho said. "Folks pass out mighty sudden in this town, an' it ain't easy to collect money from a corpse .sometimes." Cloudy glanced towards Dave un- easily, and then fairly gave a jump as he found himself confronted by a long. lank and dismal individual who had oulered the lobby and moved between him and his pard. This man was carry- ing a tape measure, and he proceeded to take Cloudy's measurements. "I'm the undertaker." said he of the dismal countenance. "I might as well get your dimensions now aa later. It saves time when business is as bright as it is now." Cloudy retreated hastily. "Keep away from me. will ya?" he gasped. "Keep away, I tell ya !" Dave grinned amusedly, and then, as Cloudy blundered through to the bar- 6 room, he followed him and pushed him laughingly into a chair beside a small table that stood near the street-door, of the saloon. Food was what they needed, and, taking a seat beside Cloudy, Dave called a waiter—and while a meal was being prepared for them he took stock of the crowd in the bar-room. The place was well patrom'sod, and at the long counter there were enough men to keep three bar-tenders steadily occupied in serving out drinks. As for the customers, they were typical of the state of affairs in Bowden—.?omo of them hard to place either as "good folks" or "bad." others seeming decent enough specimens—and the rest as ugly a set of rufhans as Dave had ever seen. Dave's attention was diverted pres- ently by the appearance of three men who marched from tlie street arm-in- arm. They were all men of magnificent physique, but it was not this circuin stance that caused Dave to watch them with interest. For they drew notice to themselves by bawling out a ditty in loud, strident but unmelodious voices as they crossed the threshold: " Bad Bill was an hombre Who took too big a chance. So now the undertaker's measuriu" him For his go-to-hcavon pants." This ballad, which rang unpleasantly on CJIoudy's cars after his experience in the hotel lobby, was followed by a vast guffaw of laughter from the. tlire." newcomers. And then, .speaking in uni.son, they made an amiouncomont. "Introducin' the Hook Brothers," they .said. " Ed "—three hands pointed to the one on the right—" Fred "—the hands pointed to the one on tlie loft— "an' Red." Once more their gust of laughter swe[)t through tlio bar-room, and then, bowling over a diminutive waiter in their stride, they crossed to the bar and called for throe drinks in one voice. It was not until then that Dare noticed a familiar figure at the bar—an acquaintance of a few minutes before It was Burl Edwards, and Burl Edwards had his eye on him. The cattle buyer's glance wavered as Dave stared hack a? him. and, the meal he and Cloudy htLii ordered arriving just then, Dave paid no further heed to the man. Then he scribbled a note, which he pinned to the blanket that covered Dave September 6tli;, I9.m