Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday "You're goin' back an' tell O'Dell's friends that he's decided it's foolish to keep on flghtinp; with Continental Packers," snarled Hank, "and that he's resigned as receiver for the Lewis outfit." "Why, you're crazy as a locoed steer!" Whopper gasped. ■ Says you! Now, we're turning you three hombres loose, but were keepin' O'Dcll with us until the Continental takes over the Lewis plant. And if you want to see him alive again " Hank got no further. Barney acted with amazing swiftness. His horse leaped forward as he spurred it right past the startled gunmen. Before tHey could move, he had made a complete circle round them, hanging tightly to the lariat round his shoulders. Curses rose from them as they fought to free themselves from the entangling rawhide. Barney and his men dismounted and went in .joyfully with flying fists. A ter- rific free-for-all broke out as they dragged the gunmen from their horses. Barney's great fists wrought havoc. One man hurtled back, dazed, against the rope, which was now stretched tightly between the two horses. It sprang him back like a catapult, only to receive another pile-driver to the .law which smashed him flat. Whopper was enjoying himself with Hank. He tore him,«elf free from Hank's bear-like arms and lashed out to the gunman's stubbly jaw. Hank staggered back with flailing arms, hit the twanging rope with the back of his neck, and was shot back again. "I told you you was goin' to remember my name.' wanted Whopper, "an' you're goin' to remember my fists, too." Again he lashed out. and again Hank staggered back. He was out on his feet when Whopper hit him again. "All right, boys." Barney growled, "get your guns, quick!" None too gently, he and his men lined up the dazed bandits. Prodding them with guns, they told them to get going. Completely defeated. Hank and his men staggered along the trail, while Barney and the Flying M men turned their horses loose. Barney's shirt was in tatters, but that was nothing to the state in which Hank and his men staggered painfully back to Larkin's ranch. It was getting dark when they straggled in, dead beat, and there was a scene of great activity. Several huge lorries were parked in a line, and their engines were being warmed up. 'About time you birds got here." Roger Whitlock snapped. "Where are your horses?" growled Larkin. "Well, thev ain't in my hip pocket," Hank snarled. "Oh, so you let O'Dell outsmart you, eh?" "Aw, listen " " Shut up and get some clothes on." Larkin roared furiously. He turned to the rest of his men. " Pete, you and the boys saddle up and get ready to ride. Dutch, see that the trucks are ready to roll. You better go on back to town," he told Whit- lock. " I'll check with you later. Come on. boys, get moving." With Larkin leading in a big roadster, the long line of trucks roared off through the night. They went by dustv. lonely trails, with lamps dimmed, until they came to a small, outlying ranch. There thev drew ud in a long line by the corral. Swiftly and silently the men got to work, putting up a runway from the corral gate to the door of the first cattle lorrv. Others rode into the corral and herded the cattle. Some noise was inevitable. Larkin, standing up in his car directing operations, spotted the rancher, half- dressed, runnmg out of the house with a rifle. Without hesitation the leader of the crooks jerked out his revolver and fired. The rancher fell on his own threshold, while lorry after lorry moved up to be swiftly loaded with his cattle. Larkin lit and handed round flaming torches. Grim BOY'S CINEMA riders dashed to the outbuildings and fired them; they fired a huge hayrick, which became a roaring mass of flame in a few moments: they fired a loaded hay-wagon and sent it rolling down the slope to crash into the flimsy. limbcr-builL house. Soon that, too, was outlined in flame. A few minutes later the long line of trucks, loaded with restless cattle now, roared off on the return joiirney. leaving behind a scene of death and desolation. BARNEY GETS CHASED THAT was the beginning of the reign of terror which sv;epi the Oakridge County ranges. The newspapers stated that the stockmen were unable to cope with the modern rustlers and tiieir high- speed trucks. Barney O'Dell caHed a meeting in the Oakridge Town Hall, and was on his way to it with Whopper Hatch and two more of his men, when he nearly had a nasty accident on the trail. A car came swerv- ing at much too great a speed round a corner in the rocky track. Barney's horse reared, but his iron hand prevented it from plunging off the trail. The car swerved with squealing brakes and ended up with its front wheels wedged amongst the rocks. Barney gasped as a girl scrambled out. It was Helen Lewis, looking very charming in riding breeches and a woolly jumpei-—but also in a flam- ing temper. "Do you half-wits have to take up all the road?" she cried. "Oh, so it's you!" Barney drawled. " Well. I might have known ho one else would be dizzy enough to drive along a mountain road like that." "So I'm dizzy, am I? Well, let me tell you something, Mr. Barney O'Dell. You're nothing to write home about yourself." "Thank you." Barney bowed mock- ingly. "Coming from you, lady, that's a compliment. Come on, boys, we have business in town."' Helen gripped his arm and swung him round. " I came out here to talk with you. Mr. O'Dell. and my business is also important." "I'm sorry but I haven't any time." "You're surely not going to leave us stranded here," said Helen incredulously 16 She was used to having people p.t her beck and call "You got into this diU-h without anv liclp from me, Miss Lewis,' Barncv said (almly. "Suppose you try to get out the same way." Another girl got out of the car. It was Penny Jones, a former college friend of Helen's, whose baby eyes and fjicndlv manner had made a great imprp.s.sion on Barney and Whopper and the other men who had accompanied them to the city. ■Oh, Mr. Whopper. " .she cried shrillv. ■you v>'ouldn't leave a ladv in distress, would .you? The Indians might get me." Whopper swallowed hard. "By golly Doys. that's right. Somebody ought to stay here and protect the ladies. We ain't all needed at the meeting. ' . "I gue.ss you're right. Whopper,' iaid Barney, hiding a grin. "Plash, step down and give the girls a hand.'' "Aw. noA', Barney," pleaded Whopper. ■Flash dont know nothing about auto- mobiles. Did I ever tell vou about the time when I was a test diher for the Standard Motors Company?" "You win. Whopper." Barne\ sighed. " The honour of rescuing the ladies be-' longs to you." " I came a,ll the way out here to talk with you Mr. O'Dell," Helen, snapped. "It'll only lake a lew minutes."' "And I said I was busy," Barney grunting, jnouniing. He rode off with his men. leaving Helen fuming in the middle of the trail. The town hall was crowded with cattlemen and their wives. Barney made a fighting speech, pointing out that thev faced ruin uiiless they banded together to protect their property. Than Larkin rose. "Well. I don't know about the rest of you ranchers, but I'm gettin' plenty tired of tryin' to fight the Continental outfit." "I know exactly how you feel.'" Barney admitted. "But the only way we can I don't believe I understand you, Joe I " NoveiBber llth, 1939. I .L