Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Eh;ery Tuesday gangsters in the pay of Boroff, and. recognising Uiem. he immediately guessed that the trawler was not in distress at all —guessed that the supposed conflagration aboard that vessel had been cunningly faked in some way the instant Borotl's hirelings liad made out the Adamic. Boron had certainly acted quickly on receipt ol his code message, Bclden re- Jlcct(;d. He must have sent these men southward in the trawler without delay, and with instructions to keep a keen look-out for the Adamic and to intercept her at all costs. Sucn were the thoughts that passed through Belden's mind as he watched Borofl's hirelings climbing over the rail of the Adamic with the assistance of the freighter's deck-hands. But the start that he had given and the expression of enlightenment that had dawned on his face went unnoticed by Terry, Captain Simpson and those deck-hands. Their attention was concentrated on the men from the row-boat, and as the last of the castaways was helped aboard one of the group ot rescued mariners spoke in breath- less accents. "We was fishin'," he told Captain Simpson. " an' fu'e broke out in the engine- room. There's no hope of savin' the trawler The blaze is spreadin' fast and she's done for." The skipper directed a question at him. "You didn't leave anyone behind you, did you? " ho asked. "No, sir." came the answer. "We're all present an' accounted for, and if you'll set us down at your next port o' call we'll be much obliged." Captain Simpson at once ordered his deck-hands to look after the "fishermen," and the men who had been picked up were being escorted towards the Adamic's ^o'c'sle when Terry glanced at Belden. "Well, that's that," he stated. "We might as well proceed with our inspection of the cargo." Belden seemed to rouse himself like a man awakened out of a reverie. "Yes," he rejoined. "Yes, we might ■as well " He led the way to the after-hold, and less tnan a minute afterwards he and Terry were down in the dark depths of that compartment. Here Belden set light to a lantern that was suspended from a cro.ss beam and the flame from the lamp's wick was dispelling the shadows from the farthest corners of the hold when sud- denly an outcry was raised at some point up on the deck. It wa,*; an outcry which was accom- panied by a brief scuffle. Then came the blast of a shot, the echoes of the report being succeeded by a tense silence, and as that silence fell upon the ship Terry Kent wheeled towards the ladder of the hold into which he and Belden had descended. The Coast Guard lieutenant and the cargo clerk had moved away from the foot of the ladder. They were four or five paces from it when Terry swung around to make for it, but in the instant that he turned he saw an armed man crouching on the steps—a man whom he recognised IS one of the castaways who had been picked up by the Adamic's crew. "Reach for it. wise guy!" the fellow snapped. He was covering Terry with a blue-black Colt revolver, and the revenue ofHcer had no choice but to obey his injunction or make a rendezvous with certain death. Slowly he raised his hands, and the man on the ladder then climbed down mto the hold warily, keeping a watchful eye on the Coast Guard lieutenant as ne negotiated the steps rung bv rung As for Terry, he stared at the armed ruffian »rmily, and bit out a curt interrogation when the crook had gained the floor of the hold. "V/hat's the big idea?" he demanded. The gunman leered at him "You'll find out." he retorted, and then io Terry's amazement addressed Bclden in I familiar tone. "Hi, pal," the rogue greeted the super- BOY'S CINEMA cargo. "We're here to take over that stuff. The boys are getting everything under control above and below decks, an' the trawler will be alongside any minute. She ain't on fire, o' course. We just exploded a harmless smoke-bomb in her engine-room, that's all, and Tliorg an' some more of the gang are still on board her." " I suspected as much," Belden muttered. Terry looked round and surveyed the cargo clerk narrowly. Belden on his part returned the lieutenant's gaze with an insolent air, and was grinning mockingly when the man with the gun spoke to the revenue oflicr again. "Come on, .you," the armed rogue said. "Get up the ladder." He drew aside as he uttered the words, and, tight-lipped, Terry moved forward to comply with his command. In another moment Terry v;as ascending towards the after-deck, and, the gunman preparing to climb after him, Terry happened to glance down and see him place his hands upon a rung from which he himself was about to lift his right foot. He did lift his right foot, but only to bring it down again with all his force, stamping on the hand in which the gangster was clutching the revolver. The crook gave tongue to an exclama- tion of pain and let go of the six-shooter. Next second Terry dropped back on to him and bore him to the floor, the pair of them sprawling full length beside a pile of heavy crates. Terry was up again almost immediately, and as he rose he saw Belden stooping to > ■ 17 clutch at the Colt that had fallen from the gunman's lingers. Ere the clerk could secure the weapon Terry was within striking distance ol him. and caught him a clip that stupefied him and sent him slithering towards a number of oil-drums that stood well to the left of the ladder. Belden finished up in a heap and lay there dazedly. But the man Terry had disarmed was now scrambling to his feet, and with an oath he launched him- self on the Coast Guard licut(;naiit and packed home a swinging right-hander that took the revenue officer on the side of the head. Terry cannoned into the ladder, then twisted round as his antagonist was run- ning at him with the object of battering him into insensibility. His back braced against the ladder, the revenue ofliccr stopped the gangster's rush by bringing up one leg, plantiiig his boot in the crook's midriff and heaving him off. The fellow tottered away, but recovered himself and returned to the attack. Terry was ready for him now, however, and ripped a left to the point of the man's chin. It was a punch that checked the ruffian's advance, and it was a punch that Terry followed up with a terrific right, his clenched knuckles smashing home on his opponent's jav/-bone with the impact of a sledgehammer. The disarmed gunman's face was jerked sideways by the pounding shock of the blow, and, his knees buckling under him, his eyes becoming glassy in their expres- sion, he pitched to the floorboards of the Boroff's hirelings sprang up at the sound of Terry's voice, and, finding them- selves covered, they recoiled from the lieutenant in a discomfited manner and lifted their bands October l«th, 1930. \