Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

8 "Your paieiitP coiiaiiily knew how to name their children," she conunented. "I hve on a laiinh near here with my father. My name is Elaine—that is, if you're interested. " "We'll talk about how interested I am later,'' he said. "And I'll tell yon all about everything else later, too. Meanwhile, would you be so good as to step on it? I'm in a tearing Inn-ry." "All right," .she said, and duly stopped on it. The car raced along. After a few more miles, they roared past a sleepy policeman jogging along on a donkey. Brass chuckled. "The bov friend!" he commented. "What?" she asked. "It doesn't matter," Brass said. "Keep going!" She kept going, and less than half an hour later they drew up with a squeal of brakes outside the telegraph station. Biass leapt out of the car. "At last!" he said. "Now to get the whole darned nniddle cleared up!" He had hardlv taken a couple of paces from the car than two men stepped o\it from hiding. They both had guns in their hands. "Seno)," one of them said softly, "I am afraid we have caught you." He turned to his companion. "I told you this is the place he would come to after his escape. We go back to the town now." Brass groaned. He thought the two men were local plain-clothes men, and he knew liow stupid they could be. "Now. wait a mimite," he said. ".J\ist let me send a telegram. You can read it and cut out anything you don't like the look of." "No," said one of the men flatly, and dug Ills gun into Brass's ribs. "Bring the senorita !" "You don't want her." said Brass quickly. "She didn't have anything to do with this." The met] looked at each other doubtfully. "Very well," one of them said. "Elaine," Brass said, "listen can-fully. Wire Jim Saxby, United States Intelligence Bureau. Washington. Tell him I've located the counterfeiters at the Mission Santa Margarita del Rosa. Have him get into touch with the Sta'c Department and get me out of this jam. Sign it Bancroft." Elaine opened lier eyes wide. But she under- stood. "I'll see to everything," she answered. Again the two men exchanged glances. Then one of them said: "On second thoughts, the girl conies with us. too. Get into the car, both of you!" They dug their guns hard, and Biass knew he had no option but to obey. Had he known the real truth, possibly he would have made a fight for it. B\it he thought the men were genuine fjolice officers. Instead, they were Decker and Ross! SECRETS OF THE MISSION BRASS icalised that he and Elaine were in a (laugeious position when, about a mile from the town, the car swung away from the roadway, crossed some rough, open conn- tr}'. and then joined another road—the one that led up into the mountains. They had side-tracked the town altogether. "Say. this isn't tlu- way \vc- came," Brass said quickly. " It is a short cut," Decker replied smoothly. Elaine looked at Brass with sudden appre- liension. "I thought you said there were no other oais around here," she said. "That's right, I did," Brass replied. "Then how did these men get ahead of us to th<' station in this rock-crusher?" she wanted to know. Brass looked out at the road they had taken. They were climbing fast, and weie headed towards the mi.ssion. "Somebody had some inside information," he said. "And they used it lo good purpose while you aTid I were arguing the point aiul gettirjg acquainted." The car trundled on, and eventually reached the tiny group of buildings Biass had seen earlier that day. Even Elaine so far forgot her tr'/'ibles at the sight of them as to givo a cry of delight. .Jai'iiiary 27t)i. 1040. BOY'S CINEMA "What a lovely place! " .she exclaimed. "I hope you think so ten minutes from now," Brass said ominously. The car drew to a halt. As it -did so, the door of the mission opened and the priest came out. He was smiling gently. " I can't begin to tell you how welcorfie yon are," he said to Brass. Then he turned to the girl and gave her a little bow. "And you, too, my dear, although I regret the necessity of your accompanying him on this little journey." "What makes you think she had anything to do with this?" Brass asked. The priest raised his eyeVirowij and turned to Decker. Quickly Decker explained how he had come across Brass and the girl. The priest nodded slowly. "My friend.'' he said, "appiirently she had nothing to do with it until you so thought- lessly involved her by revealing the nature of our work here. My men had no choice but to bring her along, too, then." Brass clenched his fists. Decker and Ross grabbed him quickly and held him fast by the arms. "AH right," Brass said. "What are you going to do about her?" The priest shrugged. "Well, I can't very well afford to let either of j'ou remain in a position to testify against me or my friends here." he said. "And now I come to think of it. it is quite possible that the young lady might prove helpful." Elaine began to look scared. There was something sinister in this polite, smiling man in priest's clothing. "Brass, what does he mean?" she cried. "He's doing a lot of talking," Brass answered, trying to speak reassuringly. "It doesn't mean anything much."' He turned to the priest. "You don't seriously figure on getting away with this, do you?" "Of course. ' The prie.st suddenly looked grim. "What is more, you are going to sign a full confession which I have prepared, admit- ting your guilt in the murder of your friend Dan Crockett." Brass laughed scornfully. "Guess again." he said shortly. "You're not even close." "That is where the young lady comes in. I'm sure, when you have thought things over, you will sign. You would rather do that than she should be hurt, wouldn't you?" Brass narrowed his eyes. If he could have got at the man at that moment, he would have half killed him. "All right, I'll sign," he said. "Why not? I shall denj' it to the police afterwaids." The priest laughed openly. "My dear young friend." he said, "I am afraid you'll be in no condition to deny any- thing to the police. And right now you're hardly in a position to bargain." He turned and went inside the mission. The men released Bras.= , and one of them Iirodded him with a pun. "Inside." he snapped. Brass and Elaine exchanged glances. Elaine mutely asked questions with her eyes, and Brass could only nod to her to obey orders. They walked into a huge hall. To the left, a flight of stone steps led upwards to the bell-tower, and at the bottom of the steps were a pair of wrought-iron gates. Away to the right were other doors—to .some living quarters, and to some basement rooms. The priest indicated a table, and Brass and Elaine walked up to it. Brass saw that they were both in a very tight corner, and did sonie fast thinking. "I'm afraid you're going to get a shock before long." iie told the priest. "The soldiers are probably on their way up here at this moment." The priest did not seem disturbed. "What gives you that impression?" he asked. "Because I had them send a wire to Wash- ington," Brass answered. "All they've been waiting for is a word from the Government. So, you sec, yoa haven't a chance." "No?" "Slop bluffing! You're caupht, and you know it. There is probably evidence enough in this place lo get you all a twenty-year Every Tuesday stretch, and I don't think you're going to be fools by adding murder to it." Still the priest did not seem to be in the lea.st troubled. "If the soldiers are coming, which I doubt," he said, "they'll not find one particle of evidence of any kind. You see, one of the secrets of success in my business is to over- look nothing." He pointed down at the table, indicating a paper that lay upon it. "Now, if you'll just sign this, in case the police ha,ve any doubts upon the subject, 1 need not trouble you any further for a time." Brass shrugged. It was no good arguing with the man. He was a maniac, and he could see no other point of view but liis own. Brass signed, tiien threw down the pen. "It won't do jou any goofl."' he said. "Perhajis—perhaps not." The priest looked from Brass to the girl and back again. "I do not know if either of you ever pray, but if you do I suggest that you pray the soldiers do not come. Remember. I overlook nothing. I trust you understand." He signed to Decker and Ross, and the two crooks took Brass and Elaine up the stone steps to the bell-tower. On the way they passed other doors. Decker thrust them both into the tower and Ross tied them to a chair each. Above their heads hung the old mission bell, casting its shadow on the wall in the sunlight. "You're going to be all right liore." Decker said harshly. "Beha\e yourselves and ilo what the boss tells you. and ypu'll be all right —perhaps. Start anything and it's going lo be just too bad." The two men went out and closed tlic door behind them. Brass looked across at Elaine. She was pale and looked as though she were on the point of collapse. He spoke to her gently. "I'm sorry I got you into all this," he said. She tried to smile at him. "It's all right," she said. "I got myself into it. I'm rather enjoying it, really. It's— exciting !" He looked at her with admiration. "You've got plenty of courage."' he said. "And you don't have to worry. I'm going to got you out of here. Watch !" He stretched his toes until they touched the ground, and found that in spite of the tight- ness of his bonds he could slowly move him- self towards her by scraping the legs of tho chair along the boards. It took him five minutes to reach her and another five minutes to turn rouiul. "Keep quite still." he said. "And let your wrists hang quite limp." She obeyed, and his fingers groped for the knots that secured her bonds. He managed to find them and set to work on them. They had been tied well, but he persisted, and after nearly half an hour had worked them loose enough for her to wiiggle one wrist free. After that the rest was easy. She got her other hand free, then set about undoing Brass's own bonds. Finally, the ropes fell of}'. Brass took her by the arm and led her to the door. There was no sound from below. Slowly Brass pulled tho door open and stood there listening. He co\dd hear them now all right. They were still in tlio hall, talking. Brass could not hear what was being said, but he could guess. They were wondering whether it would be best to stay where they werd, oi- pack up and start their illicit printing of treasury notes elsewhere. Keeping the girl close behind him, Brass descended tho stairs to the first landing. He pushed oix'ii one of tho doors there and gave a gasp of astonishment. The room before him was laid out as a workshop. A small but efficient printing press stood in the middle of the floor, while against one wall were stacks of treasury notes of small denominations and some chemicals for bleaching. Quickly Brass went away and picked up a couple of bottles. They contained powiM-ful acids. Ho took out the corks and e!npti(-<l the contents over some nowly-printed notes. Then he found a large suitcase. It was ii