Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

20 REPRIEVE IT was in vain that Terry Kent strove to escape from the murderous clutches of the giant known as Thorg. He had been taken completely at a disadvantage, and Boroff's massive hireling was beliind niffi —in such a position that the coastguard lieutsnanrt could not possibly come to grips with him. Had Terry been able to clinch with Thorg and fight him on even terms he might have succeeded in turning the tables on the ruffian despite the latter's herculean strength. On more than one occasion in the past he had proved himself a match for that dumb, hulking brute, countering mere brawn with an agility and a dexterity of movement that had cancelled out the advantage in weight that the muscle-bound colossus possessed. But he could not swing round on his for- midable antagonist now, and, maintain- ing his grasp on the revenue officer, Thorg held him under the water until the pangs of suffocation took toll of the younger man's stamina. Gradually Terry's struggles diminished, and at last ceased altogether, and it was as the"-lieutenant became limp and inert that Thorg abandoned his hold on him and reached for the ledge that ran along the nearest wall of the water-logged cavern. Leaving Terry floating in the brine in a seemingly lifeless attitude. Thorg scrambled on to the ledge and rose to his feet. Then, drawing in a long breath, he peered down at the body of his victim, dim-seen in the gloom which pervaded that subterranean realm. The giant's thick-lipped mouth ex- panded in a triumphant grin as he sur- veyed Terry's wallowing figure, and he was still standing there with that grin on his ugly face when he heard someone approaching hurriedly from the back of the cavern. Degado loomed up into view, and, join- ing Thorg, barked a question at him. "Where's Kent?" he demanded. For answer Thorg pointed into the water, and, following the gesture, Degado made out the indistinct form of the coast- guard lieutenant. Then he switched his eyes on the huge, bullet-headed scoundrel who had accounted for the revenue officer. "Dead?" he queried sharply. Thorg shrugged his great shoulders, and Degado concluded from the big fellow's manner that he had reason to believe TeiTy Kent had expired, but was not posi- tive on that score. " Get him!" Degado ordered curtly. "Boroff was with Jansen when I got to Number 2 Cave, and when I told him what had happened Boroflf said he wanted Kent taken alive if possible. Dive back into that water and bring Kent out. We'll see If we can revive him." Thorg did his bidding, and, re-entering the water, dragged Terry close to the ledge. A few seconds later the coastguard lieutenant was stretched out on that ledge and Degado and Thorg were apply- ing artificial respiration, and. though their efforts produced no effect for the space of several minutes, Terry presently began to show signs of recovery under their vigorous ministrations. " He's coming round! " Degado ex- claimed then. "Here, Thorg, give me a hand with him and we'll carry him to Boroff's study. The chief said he'd have a word or two with him there." Thorg did not comply at once. Instead he touched Degado on the arm and motioned towards the fore-end of the water-logged cavern, where the cunningly- devised shutter had dropped into place to bar access from the sea. Degado glanced in the direction of that shutter, and after frowning in a perplexed fashion for a moment he hazarded a guess at what was passing through the mute giant's mind. "You're thinking of the coastguard that was with Kent in the Government speed- boat?" he interrogated. "The guy he called Moore? " BOY'S CINEMA THE CONCLUDING CHAPTERS OF :— Every Tuesday Thorg nodded, whereupon Degado spoke again. "I told Boroff about him." he an- nounced. "I mentioned that Kent had instructed him to back away and keep in the clear. But BorofT figured we needn't worry about that bluejacket. The guy can't get in here, and Boroff seems to have some plan that will prevent any of the coastguard from bothering us." With that he caught hold of Terry's ankles, and. Thorg thrusting his hands under the lieutenant's armpits, the revenue officer was lifted and borne along the ledge to the back of the cavern. There now ensued a journey in the course of which Terry's captors carried him through a succession of other caves. It was a journey that finally terminated in the rocky chamber that was Boroff's private sanctum, and the munitions king was waiting there in company with the remaining members of his organisation and with Krohn, emissary of the European Power which had negotiated for the pur- chase of the disintegration gas Boroff had invented. In the interval Terry Kent had been stirring feebly in the ciasp of Thorg and Degado, but he was still in a semi-con- scious condition when those two rogues arrived in Boroff's study with him and dumped him unceremoniously on the floor of that lamp-lit apartment. Boroff bent his dark and malevolent eyes on the figure of the lieutenant, then directed his attention upon Degado and Thorg. The latter was dripping-wet from his recent immersion, and was clad only in the pair of swimming-trunks he had been wearing under the clothes he had divested some time previously. " What delayed you? " Boroff inquired of Degado. "I was about to send some of the men down to the main cave after you." EPISODE 12 :— The Deadly Circle RALPH BYRD AS TERRY KENT "Thorg nearly drowned Kent," Degadc explained. "It took us a little while tc revive him. He's coming to all right though." He had hardly spoken those words when Terry Kent opened his eyes and looked about him in a dazed manner, star- ing imcomprehendingly at his unfamiliar surroundings and at the villainous crowd gathered in the underground compart- ment. At first he could not remember what had happened to him before he had lost consciousness, and at first he could not gain a clear impression of the inmates of the strange room in which he lav, for a mist seemed to envelop them. But as he collected his wits he distinguished that crowd more clearly, and, his gaze coming to rest on Boroff, he suddenly recalled the events leading up to his unequal combat with the latter's gigantic minion. Meanwhile the assemblage of crooks had observed that he had recovered from the stupor in which he had been sunk, and with a sinister smile playing about his cruel mouth Boroff stepped close to him. "Permit me to welcome vou to my humble quarters, lieutenant," he drawled mockingly. "Believe me. your presence here is a source of intense satisfaction to me." Terry's handsome face became tense, and. though he was still weak, he sum- moned up enough strength to jerk him- self to his feet, and made a resolute if foolhardy attempt to hit out at the leer- ing scientist. But the blow that he aimed went awry, and ere he could draw back his fist to repeat the effort Thorg and Degado pounced on him and wrenched him away from Boroff. "Take it easy, Kent," Degado snarled. " You'd better not try to get tough here! "' Terry ignored the threatening injunc-j tion and endeavoured to wrest himself] from the hands of the two men who hadj seized him. But he speedily realised that even if he managed to free himself froc' the grip Degado and Thorg had fastened on him he would never be able to copel with the rest of the gang, and after a|