Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

round the corner of a oyway mat flanked the building in which Dick Norman's laboratory was situated. They were four of Boroff's hirelings, had been posted there for the last five minutes and, checkmated as they were by the presence of the repre- sentatives of the Law, had been wonder- ing how they could carry out their employer's instructions without falling foul of the policemen when Terry had appeared. ■They heard the pronouncement that Terry made to the three "cops," and they saw him enter the sedan which had belonged to Boroff's organisation, and which was parked in front of Dick's establishment, together with a car that had brought the three stalwarts of the Force from police headquarters. Then the crooks ducked well back out of sight as the Coastguard lieutenant turned the sedan in the width of the main thoroughfare and drove past the side- street in which they were located. The instant he had gone by one of the gangsters spoke quickly to the other three rogues. "I got an idea," he bit out. "Come on, we're gonna tail that revenue officer." Followed by his associates, he darted to an automobile that was standing near by and scrambled into it, taking up a posi- tion behind the steering-column. Then, as his confederates piled into the vehicle, he started up the engine and drove out into the main street, the policemen there pay- ing no heed to that auto, and never dream- ing that the quartet in it were bent on trailing Terry Kent. Tile sedan occupied by Terry was now a hundred yards away, and there was a good deal of traffic in the thoroughfare. Yet the man at the wheel of the crooks' car had no difficulty in keeping track of the revenue officer, and while he shadowed the sedan he rapidly outlined to his cronies the scheme that had occurred to him. It was a scheme that met with the approval of its originator's companions, and various suggestions being made by them in regard to the details of it, it had been fairly fully worked out when they at length saw Terry pull up before a factory about a quarter of an hour's drive from Dick Norman's laboratory. That factory was the workshop of the Bell Tex Company, and, climbing out of the sedan, the Coastguard lieutenant entered a yard attached to the building. The man at the wheel of the gangsters' car brought the automobile to a halt opposite a gateway which opened on to that yard, and from their vantage point the ruffians watched Terry pass through a door of the building—to emerge again about ten minutes later, in company with a couple of workmen who were bearing a heavy compressor. Seemingly resolved to see that the com- pressor was actually despatched, Terry fell into step beside the two workmen as they carried the ponderous machine over to a motor-truck that stood in the yard. The tailboard of this truck was already folded down, and it was as the compi-essor was being heaved into the interior of the lorry that Boroff's emissaries bestirred them- selves. Quietly they alighted from their car and made for the yard gateway, each of them drawing a six-gun from his hip-pocket as they entered the enclosure. Terry and the men who were handling the compressor failed to witness the approach of the intruders. Terry, indeed, was engrossed now in aiding the two work- men, for the weight of the compressor was such that the task of loading it aboard the truck was no easy one. But at last the device was safely inside the lorry, and, the tailboard having been raised and made fast, the revenue officer addressed the Bell Tex employees crisply. "Now, get that thing to Mr. Norman's laboratory right away," he began. "He's expecting " But the sentence was never finished, for Boroff's agents were within a pace or two of the truck by then, and suddenly they DUX'S UlNb^MA pounced on the Coastguard lieutenant and the two workmen, taking them com- pletely by surprise. The foremost of the thugs struck at Terry viciously with clubbed revolver, and, the butt of the weapon smashing down on his head with .stunning force, Terry went down in a heap and lay motionless and insensible. As for the employees of the Bell Tex Company, they were promptly a.ssailod by the remaining gangsters, and were like- wise bludgeoned into unconsciousness ere they had a chance to show fight. In another moment Boroff's hirelings were running round to the front of the truck, and, clambering up into the cab of it, they planted themselves on the wide seat there, the man who had driven their car electing to take control of the lorry. He thumbed the self-starter of the truck, and a few seconds afterwards the big com- mercial vehicle was swinging out of the yard and turning in the direction of the water-front. Fifteen minutes later that truck drew up by the three policemen who were on duty outside Dick Norman's laboratory, and the ruffians aboard the vehicle eyed them nar- rowly, speculatively, wondering whether the alarm had been raised at the Bell Tex Company's premises — wondering whether news of the theft of the lorry had been broadcast and whether these three representatives of the Law had been warned of that circumstance. The crooks had been alive to this possi- bility from the outset, but had been ready to take a chance, and were prepared to 21 shoot their way out of an ugly situation if ncce.s.sary. Nevertheless, they did not relish the idea of a gun battle, and were thankful when the police officers on the side-walk showed no signs of hostility. Exchanging a relieved glance with hi.<j accomplices, the rogue at the whr-el of the motor-truck leaned out and called to the cops. "Hey, we got a compressor for a guy named Norman," he announced. "Is this the place?" "Sure, sure." one of the policemen answered. "Take it right in. Mr. Norman's laboratory is the first door on the left. You'll find him in there." The gangsters descended from the motor-truck, and. never suspecting their true motives, the police officers watched them pass round to the back of the con- veyance and drop the tailboard. Then, after a good deal of effort, the crooks lugged out the compressor and earned it laboriously across the pavement. They entered the doorway by which the policemen were standing, moved along a corridor to which it gave access, and paused at the door of Dick Norman's laboratory. The man who had driven the truck spoke to his associates. " Keep a hold on this machine, boys," he enjoined, and, leaving them to bear the weight of the compressor, he relaxed his gi-ip on the contraption and knocked on the laboratory door. His summons was answered by Dick Norman, to whom he addressed himself civilly. "We was asked to deliver a compressor here,' he informed the young scientist. Oh, yes," Dick rejoined. "I've been waiting lor it. Bring it in, will you?" The apparatus was carried in across the threshold, and on Dick's instructions was dumped in a corner of the laboratory Meanwhile, Dick had unbuttoned a smock he was wearing, and had reached into his nght-hand trouser pocket with the inten- Bitter fumes were billowing from the motor-truck as Terry raced after it mber IStli. 1U39.