Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

20 BOY'S CINEMA worried. " This is the picture that got Boroff worried. Yes, and he'd reason to be Look, the boxes salvaged from the Carfax show up right enough " near the water-front. It we 3 the building in which Dick Norman's laboratory was located, and within a minute of having brought the sedan to a standstill the revenue officer was entering that laboia- tory with Snapper and Jean. Dick was at work there on some chemi- cal experiment, but he abandoned the task on which he was engaged as the newcomers burst in on him, and they had soon Informed him of the consequences arising from their visit to the kelp plant near Cape Doon, Terry relating in detail the conversation he had overheard con- cerning the arnatite. The photographs Snapper had taken at the kelp plant were then produced and developed, and, examining them, Terry quickly discovered the one Boroff had been so anxious to secure. "This is the picture that got Boroff worried," he declared, scrutinising the film. "Yes, and he'd I'eason to be worried. Look, the boxes salvaged from the Carfax show up right enough. As Boroff told his men, the radio-active properties of the mineral arnatite have cancelled out the kelp that screened those boxes. To the naked eye, it was .lust a mass of seaweed that was piled up against that wall, but this negative betrays what was hidden under it." He laid aside the film and turned to Jean's brother. "I'd like to use your phone, Dick," he said. "I want to call Commander Boyle at Coast Guard headquarters and report to him at once." Dick Norman motioned to a telephone that stood on a desk near by, and ere long Terry was in communication with his superior officer. Then, after a short dis- cussion with Boyle, the lieutenant hung up the receiver and glanced at the other three inmates of the laboratory. "The commander's sending a strong detachment of coastguardsmen to that kelp plant right away," he announced. "They'll make the trip in speedboats, and with " any luck they'll get there before Boroff and his gang can fly the coop." "Why speedboats?" Dick Norman queried. " Wouldn't it be better to use cars?" Terrv shook his head. "They wouldn't get there any sooner in cnrs," he rejoined. "You know how that November lltli. lor.ft. coast road winds. I'll take the road myself, though—in that sedan Jean and Snapper and I commandeered. I may be able to reach the kelp plant before Boroff and his crew have been rounded up. You can bet they'll show fight if they're cornered, and I aim to be in at the death,'" Jean laid a hand on his arm. "If you're driving back to Boroff's lay- out I'm going with you," she stated. "Oh, no," the lieutenant answered em- phatically. "There's liable to be a heap of trouble there, and you've had enough excitement for one day. You stay here till the fight's over. And that goes for you as well Snapper. I suggest j'ou get a print from that film showing the boxes that were salvaged from the Carfax. I guess your editor will appreciate a ' shot' like that when Jean comes to write up the story of Boroff's capture." With that he took a hasty leave of Dick, Jean and Snapper, and presently they heard him drive off in the sedan; and the drone of that car's motor was reced- ing into the distance when Jean suddenly wheeled round on her brother and Snapper with a look of indignation on her pretty face. "What do you know about that?" she demanded. " If Terr.\' thinks he can order me around " "Listen, Jean," Dick inten'upted, " you've had more than one narrow escape through tangling with the Boroff crowd, and I can luiderstand Terry's point of view. He's let yovi run enough risk already, without getting you mixed up In a gun-battle. He's thinking of your safety, Jean." The girl's features softened a little, then assumed a determined expression. "Sure, I know," she told her brother. "Still, I'm not staying here. If I'm to write up the stor.y of Boroff's captiu'e for the Chronicle' it's going to be an eye- witness account." "Yeah—wit'i nictures!" Snaoper struck in enthusiastically. "Right—with pictures!" Jean assented. "Dick, is tha : car of \ours parked around the corner, or is it at home in the garage?" "It's at home in the garage." was the reply. "But. Jean " His sister did not wait to listen to any arguments. Every Tuesday "I'm borrowing it." she announced, turning towards the door of the laboraborj-. " Come on, Snapper, we've no time to lose." THE ROAD TO THE KELP PLANT TRUCULENT, footsore and discomfrted. a group of men showed up at Boroff's headquarters about an hour after Terrj', Jean and Snapper had escaped from the \icinity of the ravine into which the girl's touring car had crashed. Those m.en were Degado and his fellow- gangsters, and, entermg the kelp plant, the.^• made their way to Boroff's office and found the scientist there in company with the rest of his associates. It was in a savage and chagrined tone that Degado confessed to the failure of the pursuit he and his party had staged, and «hen the full story of Terry Kent's getaway with Jean Norman and Snapper McGee had been told, Boroff addressed his newly returned hirelings grimlj', "I guessed from your prolonged absence that something had gone wrong." he bit out, "and it is fortunate that arrange- ments have already been made for a hurried departure." He nodded to Krohn, the agent whom the Morovanian Government had in- structed to co-operate with him, "Mr. Krohn hei'e has telephoned a colleague of his," Boroff went on, "and a private cabin plane is on its way here. There will be room in it for the shipment of arnatite that is stored in my laboratory, and there will be room in it for half a dozen of us as well, including myself. It will take us to that cave hide-out farther north which has been made I'eady as an emergency retreat. "Those for whom there is no accom- modation in the plane will have to get to the new hide-out as best they can," he added, "and they are at liberty to leave right away." Degado eyed him from luider contracted brows. "And who's going in the plane, apart from yourself?" he wanted to know. "You will be one, Degado,"" was the reply, "and the others will be Sloan, Rackerby, Thorg and Mr. Krohn." "I see," Degado muttered. "And sup- posing Kent and a bunch of his men show- up here before we can pull out in that plane?" Boroff smiled a twisted smile. "We shall prepare for that contin- gency," he said. "Degado, there is a heavy truck in the big shed on the east side of the yard. I want you to drive it a mile or so down the Portland road, which is the only approach to this place by land, and I want you to block that road with the truck and disconnect the magneto wires. When you have done that you will return to the kelp .plant at the double." "I get you," Degado answered. "If anybody tries to get here by car they'll either have to pile out and move the truck, or cover the rest of the journey on foot. Either wa\' they'll be delaved appreciably." His scoundrelly employer nodded. "Exactly." he declared. "Of course, the Coast Guard may head for here by sea. In that case, we shall have to do our best to hold them off if they arrive before we are ready to leave. But I fancy it wiU be a question of having to keep them at bay for a few minutes, and when they do close in they won't find us here. All they'll find is a one-way ticket to Eternity, for I intend to mine the kelp plant, and if we're hard pressed that mine will be set off and the building will be blown to smithereens." Rackerby spoke "Aren't you overlooking the possibility of the Coast Guard making the journe'v here bv plane?"' he queried iineasilv. "They'd have been here by now if thev had been coming by plane," Boroff re- torted. 'Besides, they'd need a troop- carrying plane, and the only aircraft attached to the Coast Guard Service ate reconnaissance machines." He paused, and, turning his attention