Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday l)!ici('iicl;i. I <lo not: wish lo (lis(iirl) my fTiicsts." Willi a {■liinci- ill, tiio .slu'i-ifl'. Ciuntiioy fol- lowed him inside. Don Aliso wiis sliiiking witli rape. "For many geiuM'ations iny family has livivl on this ranch. Now you lirin^f mo a papor wliicli says 1 do not own it." "Tiiat's right," Oourtnoy shruggod. " Tho Covernmoiit surveyors re-chcH^kcd your boun- darios and found I hat most of your ranch is on my pioperty. The Slalo doesn't lecopniso your claim, and imie.ss you prove lethal owner- ship within ten days you'll have to turn the property over to mo." Don Aliso jKUinded the tahle furiously. "Ever since you have come to San (^irlos, you and this scheming Ben Wallace have try to steal my lauds!" His voice rose atid he tore Courtney's letter into small i>ieces. "Thees ees my home! You and your crooked political frieii's can never drive me away from it-—" He reeled hack, chilching at his face, as Comtney, without warning, raised his whip and slashed him with it. He staggered right back to tho open window, his hands over h[^ eyes, while Courtney watched him sneeiingly. Then Ben Wallace, who had been listening with Kance Poller outside, acted swiftly as the old Don. beside himself with |)ain and anger, reached for his gim. The forenia.i snatched the revolver from his hand and in one swift movenu'ut brought the butt crashing down on his head. Don Aliso slumped forward. "Nice work, Ben." smiled John Courtney, then the smile vanisheil from his face. Horror appeared in his eyes as Ben Wallace, ■\\ithont a word, raised the gun, aimed calmly and pulled the trigger. With a bullet in his heart. John Courtnej- crashed to the Boor and sprawleil beside the miconscio\ts rancher—and the gun that had killed liim thiulded between them as Ben Wallace, smiling coldly, tossed it into the room. The nuisic outside stopped suddenly as the heavy report of the revolver sounded. Wade Barton and Nita. with the sheriff beside them, headed the crowd that pushed into the room. They fomid Don Aliso, liis hand to his head, looking stupidly fiom the gun which he had picked up to the body of John Courtney. "I did not kill him, sheriff." he groaned. The sheriff took the gun from him and broke it open. "You're going to have a tough time explaiuiu' this hot gun and eitipty shell," he rasped, "1 put you under arrest for the murder of John Courtnev." BOY'S CINEMA WADE'8 PLAN NTTA gave a little cry and ran to her father. "My falher did not kill," she exclaimed. " I le <'au explain." Wade stood l)y silently, missing nothing, as the sheriff relorled : "Well, if lu. iii<lu'l kill him. who killed him '.'" " ! do not kiujw," said Don .Alisi) dazedly. "When 1 refuse to leave my honu' and start to tear up the ))a|jer this f'ourlney ga\(> tuc, he strike me aci'oss the fiuc willi his whip Doul)t was wj'itten on the sheriff's face as Don Aliso continued; he luriicd lo I'kmi Wallace when the rancher had finished his jame-.sounding ex|)laualioii. "Could you and Ranee see this window from outside, where you were waiting with tlu' horses ?" "Yeah, but we didn't notice any suspici(5ns- lookiug characters snooping around," said Wallace cahuly. "All we could see was Don Aliso and ('ourlney in the slud\-. 'J'hey seemed to be arguing about somelliiiig. but w(> wei'e ioo far away to heai." "Ben, did you see the shootin'?" "No, he stepped away from the window just before the shot was fired." The sheiiff nodded. "Will you boys testify at the inquest to what yon saw?" "We sure will," said Ranee Potter. "Yes." agieed Ben Wallace. The sheriff turned to the dumbfounded rancher. "Accordin' to all the evidence, wlieri John Comtney served this paper on you. an argu- ment followed, and you killed him." H<^ shrugged. "Now. wlicther you were right or wrong I don't know, bill I'll see that you get a fair trial." "A fair trial!" said Don Aliso furiously. "The gringo law which fakes my rancho from me will make sure I do not live long enough to get it back!" The sheriflF, frowning, stepped forward to take his arm. Then a stocky figure leaped between them, gmi glinting. It was Pedro, the chief of Don Aliso's cowboys. "Put up the hands, evei'yone!" ho barked. "Manuel, their guns!" The sin-]Drise was complete. Everybody, in- cluding Wade, who had no wish to interfere, raised their hands. Manuel swiftly disarmed them. "Pedro, you better not get iiiixed up in this." the sheriff snarled. "Heli^in* a mur- derer escape from the law is a mighty serious offence." "Keep the inoiilli shut, itheiilT!" H(iur<|"°d I'edio, motioning hin «,'inijlo><'r lo (he doo, . "I will do till' talking. Now, everylxjdy buck into llii; living room, pronln!" 'V\\o ciowd l)U( l;rrl, (Ik- Mexicans grimiin;; opi'tily. In aiiolher iiiomenl Woti Aliso. afler kissing his daughlcr swiftly, was gone. I'c<l,o biickeil away, gini still inenueing llieiii; then I hey heard the clutter of hoofs dirniniHhiiit: ni lh<- iiiglit. " ('ome on. get your horsex, Jiieii!" Hen Wallace sjioiited. "We've got to eatrh hirii I ' But nobody inove<l. " I'll give a thou'-.in'l dollars leward for the man who eaijtmes D.iii Ali.so!" he said angrily. Si ill nobf)dy moved. Even the slierilF knew lie \iould get no help from the [jeoiis. "You and Potter t;et Courtnev on a liorf<c." he said to the red-faied foreman, and tnrne I to Wade Barton. "Oh, say, you were alon;,'- side me when I first went into the .studv Ballon. 1 want you in town in tlie inoniin' for the inquest." Wade nodded c;isually. "All light, sherifr. I'll be there." When the sherifF had gone, he found Nita staling at liirn with tears in her dark eye>. "You don't ically think that iriy father killed Senor Comtney?" she asked. "I've only known your father a i-hoit time." Wade shrugged, " l)ut I don't believe he'd kill anyone. D'yoii mind if I look round?" "No, senor, and thank you," she said grate- fully. She was .still standing by the window, her face strained and anxious, when Wade came back. "There was someone outside that window. He left in a hurry. His footprints show that he joined someone at the hitch-rack." "If you tell this lo Senor Warren, will it not clear my father?" Nita asked eagerly. "The sheriff would never believe me." said Wade slowly. " You know, Wallace and Potter both lied. They must have had a very good reason to get your father out of t!ie way." When he learned that Wallace was engaged to his late employer's sister his eyes gleamed. "You know, Wallace offered ine a job. Ju-t as soon as the inquest is over I'm going to take it. I've an idea Courtney's murder aiid the survey are all mixed up together, some- how." At the inquest next day. Wade heard a charge of minder in the first degree brought against the fugitive rancher. He heard the sheriff telling Sandra Courtney that he was posting a five hundred-dollar reward for Don Aliso. "I took the liberty of postinff an additional tlio\is;niil dollais reward, Sandra." Ben He hit out stoutly, knocking them in all directions FebniarY 17th, 1940.