Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday came In. He was tall, with a huge fore- head and hollow cheeks. "This is Fritz, my head croupier," Arno explained. "He remembers everybody and evcrytliing." He turned to Fritz. "Somebody was in here on Wednesday night playing with hundreds. Who won?" "Cooper," Fritz answered promply. "It was at dice. He won about three thousand —perhaps a little more. Money was changing hands very fast." "I see." Arno nodded, satisfied that Fritz was not making any mistake. "And wlio was betting in hundreds?" "A man from the old Gantley mob—I don't know his name—and a young fellow named Nevis." Arno nodded and let Fritz go. He was thinking hard. "We must have been pretty busy on Wednesday," he said. "Usually we don't get landed with money like that. My own brother checks all the numbers." "Where do I find the Nevis boy?" Mike asked quickly. Arno shook his head. "I don't know," he answered. "But my boys would. I'll send you out with them in a car. They'll help you." Arno spoke grimly. He went to a desk and came back with a small automatic pistol. He went on, "They're a bad crowd, Mike—very bad. You'd better take this along with you." "Thanks," Mike said, stuffed the gun Into his pocket and went on his way. The moment he had left the building, Arno went into another room. A younger man was sitting there, counting money and making entries in an account book. It was Arno's brother, Phil. "So you were in the Roberts kidnap- ping, my brother," Arno said softly. " I've just sent a pretty good guy up to see your friends Nevis and Lewis. I sent him up there to be rubbed out, so that you won't go to the chair. You'd better go up there, too—and don't come back! I never want to see you again, Phil, for as'long as you live." And he turned his back and walked abruptly away. THE SCOOP ALL unsuspecting, Mike climbed into the car that Arno had provided, and went with two of Arno's men to a place somewhere in the north of the city. The car drew up in a dark side street, and Mike got out. Arno's men got out after him. "You'd better wait here, Mr. Cassidy, while we see the lie of the land," one of the men said. "We'll come back and tell you what's doing." " Okay," said Mike. He hung about on the kerb, while -the two men vanished into the shadows. For a while nothing happened. Then Mike heard a slight movement behind him, and started to turn, his fingers closing around the gun in his pocket. But he never got a chance to see what was happening, for the next instant a blackjack hit him on the back of the head and drove him to his knees. He shook himself, seeing a thousand bright lights dancing in front of his eyes. Then the blackjack came down a second time, and everything went black. He did not know how long he was un- conscious, but when he woke he found himself being jolted from side to side and heard the drumming of aia engine in his ears. He was in the back of a motor-tnack. His hands and feet were bound tightly, and he was covered with a piece of sack- ing. He managed to work the sacking clear of his face, and looked around. A man was sitting a few feet away, and next to him was another piece of sacking. The man saw that Mike's eyes were open, and started to talk quickly. "Listen," he said. "I'm Phil Arno. My brother didn't know anything about this, see. But he knows that if I get caught BOY'S CINEMA I go to the chair. I didn't have anythinK to do with the snatch. It was just tiiat they passed me fifty per cent for getting rid of the dough." Mike blinked at him. Phil Arno seemed badly scared, ;ind was saying things that he had best k(>ep quiet about. "Where's the girl?" Mike asked. "Right here." Phil Arno indicated the other piece of sacking. "Listen, I want to make a deal with you. I'm on your side. If I get you out of this jam will you help me?" Mike gave him a quick look. He was speaking the truth. He was a weak type of individual, without the queer kind of courage that was necessary to make a big- time criminal. Mike decided that he didn't have anything to do with the kid- napping. "I'll help you," Mike said. "Get my hands loose." Phil Arno shook violently. "Can they burn me?" he asked in a ter- rified voice. "I'll see that they don't, Phil," Mike answered. "Kidnapping is a capital offence, but I'll see that you're all right. Don't forget, I run a powerful newspaper." "Yeah—sure! Sure!" Phil looked towards the front of the truck. Two men were in the driving-seat. ■They were Nevis and Lewis. Mike indicated them, with a jerk of his head. "You'd better hurry," he said. "They don't look the kind of guys who are nice to play with." Phil Arno nodded and pulled out a knife. He cut the ropes from Mike's wi'ists and ankles, then freed Ellen Frazier. "Where are they taking us?" Mike asked. "They said to a dock near the Morris- town bridge," Pliil Arno replied. "It's mud and quicksand on the bottom. They've used it before, they said." "Right!" Mike crawled to the back of 17 the truck and lifted the tarpaulin. "We're going pretty fast, but \v(;'vc '^ot to jump for it. Let your body go quite limp wh' n you let go. You'll roll over, but you'll bo all right. Ellen, you first." The girl looked at him, frightened. Then .she looked forward at tlie mm in the driving-cab. A windowed partition prevented them from hearing what was going on, but if they happened to look round—well, it was the finish. She crawled to the back of the truck, hung on for a minute, then let go. Mike and Phil Arno followed a few seconds afterwards. " Ellen!" Mike called in the darkness. "Are you all right?" "I'm all right," she answered. "How about you, Phil?" Phil groaned. "My leg!" he said. "I think it's broken. I can't walk!" Mike ran to him and picked him up. At the same moment he heard the truck slowing down. Their escape had been dis- covered ! The truck turned as Mike led the way through a gate towards some deserted farm buildings. One of the men used a spothght and picked them out. A couple of shots echoed across the fields. "This way!" called Mike, and dodged behind an old barn. The truck stopped, and the spotlight shone in a steady beam past the corner of the barn. Mike laid Phil Arno down some distance away, then crouched, waiting. Ellen was close behind him. Nevis came towards the barn, his gun ready at his hip. Mike picked up a stone and threw it a little way away. "Come out of that, you rat!" shouted Nevis, and turned to aim his weapon in the di'-ection the stone had fallen. It was all Mike wanted. He reached out and grabbed Nevis by the shoulder. Quickly he jerked him back behind the WRIGL keeps you on top of your form/^ '^.. \(^> Countless good footballers take a packet of WRIGLEY'S healtiiful GUM on to the field. They find chewing WRIGLEY'S the best way of keeping fresh fight through a gruelling game. There arc two flavours, Spearmint and P.K.—both of them delicious. November :;oth, I0S9.