Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

I Every Tuesday I has pafked Thanks just the same. I'll be soeiiiK .V"'' whei 1 Rot hack." Uabhy f-'Ji'ied aftL>r him. Tlioii fie turncci Budik'iily and made a dive for the chief's door. The secretary said in alarm: "lley, you mustn't ro in Ihero without " But il was too late. Crabby had closed tlio d<ioi' firmly behind him. When Bras.s returned half an hour later, CJabby liad vanished. Brass went thioufrh the files with Miss Wayne, primed himself vyith all the latest information, then took a taxi to the airport and caught the ne.\t plane going south. lie found El Paso to be a tiny town on the Mexican border. It was bounded by the slug- gish waters of the Rio (Irande, and a small bridge connected it with the Mexican town of C'iudad Juarez. Brass dumped his bag in the vestibule of one of the hotels in El Paso, and asked for Dan Crockett. He was directed to a room on the second floor. Dan let him in, and the two shook hands. Briefl.^ Brass told Dan why he had come. "I know," Dan replied. "The chief sent me a v/ire. You know most of the lay-out, I expect." "Only what was in the files," Brass answered. "What's news?" " Something pretty serious. I had a guy all set to spill me the whole story. He was a croupier at the Silver Slipper." "Never heard of it." Brass said. "It's a gambling joint just outside Ciudad, and the mob who snatched those plates are using it as a front. I had a date to meet this croupier on this side of the International Bridge." "And he showed up all right?" Dan nodded grimly. " Yes. he showed up all right," he answered. "Floating by in the river, face downwards!" The way he spoke sent a shiver up and down Brass's spine. He did not know what fear was, but somehovi' he had never been able to regard violent death with that casualness some of the men in the department achieved. "They sound a nice bunch of kids," he commented. " They're that all right. And ever since that time tlie boys at the Silver Slipper have a good idea who I am. They've been tagging me wherever I go—even to this hotel. Come over here a minute." He led the way to the window, and pointed down into the street. In the gathering dusk two men could be seen standing by the corner talking idly. "Ike and Mike I've nicknamed them. They're always with me." Dan turned back into the room. "Do you think they saw you come in here?" "They must have done, unless they're blind," Brass answered. "But what makes you think they'll connect me with you?" "Well, I'm the only guest in this hotel. People don't come to this dump unless there'if something they've come for. I'm open to bet you an even five that you'll inherit a shadow the moment you leave." "How about getting out the back way?" Brass asked. "Easy—if you can climb a twenty-foot barbed-wire fence. This place backs on to the river." Dan thought for a minute, then nodded. "I've got an idea." He went over to the wall-phone and took off the receiver. " Hallo! Say, will you have a Western Union messenger sent over to the Lone Star Hotel ? I want him to help with some packages. Room five is the number. And you'd better make him a pretty big boy, because the packages are rather heavy. Thanks!" He hung up. "Well, that takes care of me for the time being." Brass paced up and down the floor once or twice, then asked: "Who's behind this set-up?" Dan shook his head. "I don't know yet," he replied. "But I ■will by to-morrow night. I've been working on another connection, and I think he's going to come through." "How about the Silver Slipper? What sort of a joint is it?" "As tough as they come. Incidentally, it's the only place of its kind around here that BOY'S CINEMA always pays off in silver, if that means any- thing to you." Bras.s noddinl. He was icmeinbering what the chief hud told him that notes of small denominations were being lileaclied and re- printed as tens and twenties with the stolen plates. "So they hang on to all the paper money they take, eh?" Biass said slowly. "Dan, you've got something there." "I've got something all right," Dan agreed grimly. "And this man 1 told you about is our only lead. He knows who the boss of the counterfeit gang is. That's why I've got to see him. Once 1 have direct evidence, we can arrange to have the whole outfit pinched." "It looks as though I shan't be wanted here after all," Brass said. "Can you handle the job alone?" Dan shook his head. "1 want you to come along with me," he answered. "And I want to make those fellows at the Silver Slipper think you're on the up and up. So we're going to stage the sweetest little fight that this burgh has seen in many years. Remendjer how it worked in St. Paul?" "The drunk act. huh!" Brass felt his jaw tenderly. "I remember. And I've waited a long time to get even with you, you big lout." "Fine! Eight o'clock at the Silver Slipper to-morrow night. Okay?" "Right on the schnozzle!" There came a knock on the door, and Dan opened it to admit the messenger boy. Dan did some brisk bargaining, and obtained the use of the boy's uniform. Ten minutes later he had cycled away from the hotel and had vanished into thin air. Brass laughed and booked himself another room in a different part of the hotel. Presentlj' a messenger came, returning the first boy's uniform, and Brass sighed with relief. Dan had got clear away without being spotted, for the two watchers across the street had not moved. THE SILVER SUPPER LATE that same night Brass was unpack- ing his bag in readiness to go to bed, when ho heard a slight noise at the window. He listened, and the noise was repeated. Cjiiickly ho Hwitchod off the light, then stood waiting, tense. Slowly, Miftly, the window was pushed open from oiitxide, and a dark shadow fcluiiitjered through. Brass waited until il was well into the room, and then leapt. Ho fiiidcd .sf|iiarcly on the intruder's back and bore liiiii with u cra.sh to the ground. He knelt on the man's chest, frisked him quickly for hidden weapons, then pulled i torch from his pocket and shoiH- u in :lio man's face. "(Jaliby!" he exclaimed. Gabby, the breath knocked almost out of him, and not recogni.sing Brass's voice for the moment, muttered: "I didn't mean it! I wouldn't hurt yoi:— honest!" Brass got up and turned on the lights. "That's very nice of you," he said dryly. tJabby sat up and blinked at him. Then he began to laugh. "Well, well, I hit the right room first go off!" he exclaimed, "i didn't come in the front way, because a couple of mysterious- looking guys were hanging around outside." Bra.ss eyed him sternly. "What are you doing here, anyway?" he wanted to know. "Who—me?" Gabby tried to look innocent. "Well, I figured that you needed some pro- tection, and Saxby agreed with me. Besides, I told him I spoke Spanish like a native." Brass clumped him on the siioulder. "Say, that's fine!" he said. "I didn't know that. You might come in handy, after all. We're cro.ssing the border to-morrow." Gabby looked dubious. Slowly he pulled a small book from his pocket. "Mavbe you'd better wait a couple of days beyond that," lie said hesitantlv. " Why ?" "Well, er—I've only been on this smce yesterday." He held up the book. It bore the title: "Spanish in Twelve Easy Lessons." Brass stared at him in astonishment. Then he started to laugh, and once again- he clumped Gabby on the shoulder. "With a nerve like you've got, you'll do," he said. Unknown to Bra.ss, a conference was taking place in the manager's office of the Silver Slipper the following night. Two men walked Hey ! " Dan snapped. " Those are mine I January 27tli, 1040.