Boy's Cinema (1935-39)

20 BOY'S CINEMA tVy Tuesday That was a fluke," decided Alabam. " See if you can hit the middle of die black," lie said to Crash. Crash smiled as if he were being talked to by a child, then he raised the gun. Crack! It was a bull's-eye. "That was a fluke," decided Alabam. Crash fired five shots in quick suc- cession. Alabam gasped because the bull had been almost cut out. The dare-devil stunt man learned fast. He had not been there many days when the sergeant gave them a demonstration of the "civiliser." the hold that Johnnie bad used that night at the roadhouse. The sergeant made every recruit take a full punch at him with left or right, and then he would sway his body, move his hands quickly, and the recruit would score a bad miss and then find himself flat on his back. But when the sergeant ordered Crash to try a poke at him with his left, something went wrong, because the sergeant failed to grip Crash and was himself laid out on the turf, much to his annoyance and the amusement of the recruits. Doris Tennyson had two frequent visitors. Johnnie used to frown a little because Crash seemed always to bring better flowers than he did. but he did not worry very much, because Doris and himself were unofficially engaged. Crash did not know that, and he thought he had just as good a chance as his rival. ('rash proved one of the most pro- ficient pupils to learn during niotor- oycledrill. He was certainly one of the most daring. One had only to ask- Crash to charge a stationary car, crash the machine, and then jump from the saddle over the car, and he would attempt it. One afternoon Crash called on Doris and Johnnie was not there. Doris uttered an exclamation of delight at the gift of violets, but she did look a little surprised when she was kissed. Being a modern young miss and liking Crash, ?1ip smiled back, but he did noi miss October 31st. 1936. the slight reproving gleam in the blue eyes. "I like you," said Doris. "That's'fine." " And I'm awfully glad you're going to be Johnnie's riding partner," she added, her eyes never wavering from his. "Will you do something for me?" "Sure." He was puzzled. " Will you look after Johnnie and see that nothing ever happens to him?" Crash Donovan had got his answer. But he was a man, and one can forgive him if his smile was a little forced. "So you like him that much?" "Yes, please." "Okay." "Thanks, Crash." This time Doris herself did the kissing. "Well, I guess I'd better go home," Crash said with a twisted smile, "and see he's tucked into bed." And though Doris knew that Crash liked her very much, she did not know that the big man loved her as he had never loved a girl in all his life. But she did know that if Crash had pro- mised to look after Johnnie, he would do it. Crash was one of the first to get his badge as a highway cop. On the last day of the class Chief Tennyson called upon Donovan to give an exhibition of trick riding, and the thousands present had to admit that it was one of the most thrilling, death-defying spectacles they had ever witnessed. At the end there was a grand drive past, and it concluded with the staff and recruits giving a song: "Hail to the Highway Patrol. The bovs who ride for the gofd and blue!" Hail to the fellows who strive To make the highway safe for you! And give a cheer for our chief and our State; To serve them well, that will be our goal. Every hour, through storm and darkness, You can depend on the Highway Patrol." The patrolmen were given a long week-end's vacation and then they had to report for duty. Road Duty JOHNNIE ALLEN and Crash Dono- van took the road together. Alabam Thomas almost wept over the sever- ing of his partnership with Johnnie, but he had to obey orders. The chief had found out that he was a licensed radio operator, and appointed him with an increase of pay, to take over a new portable outfit. Alabam would rather have had less pay and stayed with Johnnie. Sitting in a trailer all day and listening to messages and sending out orders was dull work. Crash found that a patrolman's life was full of variety. Some days little would happen, but on others every sort of trouble woidd crop up and the radio would be busy all the while. Arrest of a charabanc driver who had knocked down a little girl; a five-mile chase after a speed merchant; a robbery at a small store; a bad smash at cross-roads; and then a fight with car thieves. Risks or the bullets of gangsters did not matter one iota to Crash Donovan, but he did not like it when one evening another patrolman lost his nerve. This officer had been the first on the scene at a particularly nasty smash in which a woman and child had been killed through the crazy driving of a tipsy wagon- driver. Some evenings there were in- structional classes, and it would happen that all officers were present on the night of the accident for a lecture on map reading. In the middle of the lecture the radio announced an accident in which three people had been smashed to pieces in a head-on collision. The patrolman got to his feet as white as a sheet and collapsed in a faint. "I'm afraid that's the finish for poor old Dave," whispered Johnnie, who was sitting next to Crash. "That happen often?" "When their nerves blow—they never ride again. Well, it's all in the day's work. Guess the lecture will be off now. Any plans. Crash ?' "I'm gonna get out of this uniform and get a good stiff drink." "I got a better idea, and it isn't all mine." laughed Johnnie. "You're com- ing round to have supper with Doris and myself." Arm in arm they went to have an excellent supper with the girl—whom the two thought to be the swellest cook and the grandest girl in the world. That night the two were on night duty from midnight, and about eleven-thirty thej bade Doris good-night and hastened back to headquarters. Punctual to the second they went on patrol duty, and had not been gone a quarter of an hour when they received a radio warning. "Attention all police units— attention all police units. Watch for gang of dangerous smugglers headed south from Long Beach on route one-O-one. Driving Kiev sedan, licence number two S—' S like in sugar—three-four-six." They had their orders what to do on such a call, namely, to go to any cross- roads that they thought might be the route taken by the wanted car, stay there for a while and wait for any further orders. The two patrolmen hid their machines in some bushes, and after a while a car dashed over the cross-roads at a tremendous speed.