Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday TOM SAWYER." I (Continued from page 16.) ' The Boys Vanish. T0:M sawyer was not his usual self; fate fiad niaiked his name with a fatal star. Muff" Pottoi's knife had been found beside the body— Injun Joe had .seen to that—and the old man had been arrested. Wherever Tom went he heard the murder dis- cussed, and it was the general opinion that Potter would hang. Huckleberry was scared stiff, Becky ignored the two boys, Aunt Polly was in a bad temper, and everything was all wrong. In a depressed jnood Tom, two days after the murder, met Joe Harper, a youngster whom Huckleberry and Tom occasionally permitted to join in their adventures. Joe was unhappy because his mother would make liim wear shoes and fine clothes. Joe wanted to dress like Tom and Uuck. The three strolled towards the river, and then Tom had his bright idea. Close to the bank a raft was moored, and there and then a couusel of war was held. They would be pirates, and run away from all their miseries. That night they captured the raft, their "galleon,' and under a sail of old bits of sacking, moved down stream. Next morning found them camped on Jackson Island, four miles'dovvn_ stream. For two days they played pirates, and it was great fun; then Joe began to grieve about hi.s mother, and Tom began to think of his Aunt Polly, whilst Hack kept on talking about evil spirits, and Jiow he dreamed Mutf Potter and Dr. Kobinson were watching them. On the night of the third day of their adventure Torn discarded most of his clothes and sneaked down to the edge of the island. He was a strong swimmer, and knew how to use the power of the stream. An hour later he was on the opposite bank and hurrying through tlie night to the town. On arriving home he wrote a note to his aunt, but this he pushed into the pocket of an old coat when he overheard two men talking outside his bed-room window—Sid was blissfully sleeping. Tom learnt that thoy were thought to bo dead, and that next day a funeral service was to be held. Tom tied back to Jack- son Island with all speed. What a surprise the congregation got the jiext day! The minister had just finished his sermon on the goodness of tlie deceased hoys, liow the town had suffered a heavy loss in their death, what models of virtue they had been, and everyone had wept openly, including Aunt Polly and Becky, wlien thiee heads popped up in the empty gallery of the church—Tom, Huck, and Joe, prepared to be welcomed back from the dead. Aunt Polly's tears vanished, and that night three lads were unable to sit down; but Tom was happier because Becky had forgiven him. If only he could plan some solution of the Mulf Potter trial, which wa.s duo to take place on the morrow! The murder, now the boys had returned, was the chief item of interest. Aluff Potter would hang, was the certain verdict. Tom went to the trial, and his eyes nearly darted out of his head when he saw Injun Joe there. Tom thought of his vow; but as the evidence piled up against Muff his con- science urged him to speak, and at last he .stepped forward. BOY'S CINEMA ''Huck and me knows something," he spluttered. "That night we was in the churchyard. We went there to cure our warts. Huck reckoned a dead eat in a graveyard near a bad man's grave was a sure cure. We hid in the trec"S near Hoss Williams' grave, and we saw Muff Potter and Dr. Robinson quarrelling, but it. was Injun Joe what stabbed the doctor." The truth of this statement was con- firmed by Injun Joe making his escape by a wild dive througli a glass window. Tom and Huck at once became heroes, whilst Muff Potter was released. Becky kissed Tom, but the boy was not quite happy. Would Injun Joe try and kill Huck and himself/ The Pirates' Treasure. IT was a great day, a week later, for the .school—a picnic to the strange caves in the nearby hills. Every child was given a candle, and told to keep close to the teacher. It was a most thrilling adventure, and Tom was in his element because his companion was Becky. Hand in hand they wandered through the gloomy passages, and paid little attention to the stalactites and stalag- mites that glimmered in the flickering lights of the candle. They wandered away from the teacher and became lost, i They shouted, and there was no answer, and Tom tried to pretend he w;i.sn't scared. They tried to trace their way back, but now there seemed a myriad of passages. When their candles were getting low Tom saw a light ahead, but some instinct made him whisper to Becky: "Let's surprise them, Becky." It was Tom who got the sui-prisc. He .saw not the teacher and his pupils but Injun .loe. 'l'hi> half-brocd had dug a groat hole in the Hoor of the cave, and was lifting forth a strange old casket. It was rotten with age, bccau.se the half- breetl easily wroncluni off the 'id. Hundreds of coins, which Injun rolled, picked up, and let trickle through his hand. His c-huckles of fiendish gloat- ing ended in a snarl, because Tom had given vent to his amazenient with a gasp. Next moaiont the two children were fleeing through the caves with the sinister Injun Joe racing after them. Becky soon became exhausted, and begged Tom to leave her, but the boy had a clover idea. He made her hide in a crevasse, and before running on made a groat din by kicking loose stones so that Injun Joe might not see her. But as the rased was intent on killing Tom, he had eyes for only the boyish figuni ahead. It was difficult running with a candle, but there was no draught. Gradually Injun .loe gained, and Tom almost thought h e w a s beaten. His light showed him a yawning crack in the pas- sage, a terrible fis- sure that w a s hundreds of feet doo|), and Tom could not hope to jump to the other side. He could not turn back, and al- ready he could hear the laboured breath of his pursuer. There was a ledge, and along this Tom crawled, hoping to work his way to 27 another passage, but it was almost an impossible 'ta.sk holding a candle. Al- most ho lo.st his balance, and only- saved himself by dropping the ciindlc. With a moan of tear, he clutched tho bare face of tho rock. A glimmer, and then Injun Joe, carrying a storm lan- tern, appeared. How tho fiend chuckled when he saw tho boy ! Placing the lan- tern on tho ground, he began to crawl towards the boy. but his weight was more than Tom's, ond suddenly part of tho ledge ga^•e way 1 Never will Tom forget his scream of fear, that sconiod to go right down into tho bowels of tho earth. It seemed minutes before a faint thud came to liis ears. Someiiow Tom .got back to safety, picked up Injun Joe's lantern, and hurried back to Beck.v. "We can't .stay hero," he whispered. "Injun Joe's falloii down a groat crack in the caves.'' His arm was round her. "Let's shout for help! Perhaps they'll hear tis." And his shout for help brought Huckleberry Finn. Huck used the caves as a dwelling-place, and ho had seen Injun Joe and had been stalking him. "I seed'him and Di-. Robinson hero one night," cried Huck. "They talked about some treasure, but I never paid much account, being too scared of the half-breed. Shovr us where j'ou saw the old box, Tom." Tom wanted to got out into the day- light, but he would not let Becky see how feared ho was. They found the treasure, but it was much too heavy to lift, and instead they marked a trail on the walls so they could find it again. Thou Huck led them back to tho sun- shine and an anxious teacher. It turned out that the gold must have belonged to river pirates in early settle- inont days, and was worth a consider- able amount. Again Tom and Huckleberry were heroes. There \-as a big reward, and it was divided amongst the three children. Huckleberry fof.nd himself wealthy—a dollar a day for keeps—but his only mis- fortune was that tho town insisted that he mend his ways, and Widow Douglas undertook his adoption. Thus all was bright again, and Aunt Polly even went so far as to let Tom go fishing with Huckleberry. Tho boys went, but they took Sid's rod when he wasn't looking, and almost caught a hiding. (This is the story of the Paramount Film, which is based upon " The Adven- tures of Tom Sawyer." by Mark Twain. The stars Include Jackie Coogan as Tom. Junior Ourkin as Huckleberry, and Mitzi Green as Becky.) ti^:e:ilj^ fox* cji^iviPSJis Tlxe RlOAlVTEI^ Tent The greatest tent bargain ever offered Size 6ft. long. 4ft. Sin. wide, 3ft. 6)n. high. Oin. walls. Made from strong wliite material. Brnss-jointed poles in 3 sections. Complete with all accessories in white * ^ Id cotton valise. Post 1/-. ■ "/ ^^ Ground Sheets to Ot, 5/11. Sent C.O.D. if desired. 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