Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

20 at Miirge, lifU'cl hor clean out of her chair, and carried her through the little restaurant. His chauffeur stopped to look after tlio tough las that worthy staggered groggily to his feet. "Put—put—put nic down!" gasped Marge HoU, tier voice vibrant with uiigcr. The young man merely grinned, worked his way skilfully to the door, pushed it open by the simple expedient of bunging it with her daintily sliod feet, and dumped her gently at the \ ery tloor of the taxi that was waiting out- side. "You've—how dare you!" she posi- tively hissed. The next moment two stinging open- handers upon the sides of his face stag- gered the rescuer so much with the sur- prise of the attack that he was stunned for three complete seconds. The fourth saw him catch the girl gently by the shoulders, pull her to- wards him, and a not too gentle kiss fairly implanted upon her lips. "Now you'll go straight Jiomc—if you're a ladv !" .s«id the young man, with a grim laugh. "Here are your friends—beat it !" Baine and the rest of the party arrived just as Marge, under tfie pressure of her rescuer's arms, was Ix'ing pushed into the taxi. Baine him- .self ushered in another girl, and slipped in after them without a word. "Say, Mr. Bob, I reckon that was a frame-up job !" said the chauffeur thoughtfully, and stared as the other remained standing at the kerb staring after the departing taxi. " I reckon that was a stunning girl, if ever there was one !" muttered Bob, cind gently rubbed his still smarting face with the tips of his fingers. "I'm sorry I suggested she might not be a lady, Ben—but glad I kissed her ! Wh:it's the tough doing?" "Doing?" Ben grunted as he re- peated that word. "That's what I say —it was a put-uj) job. He never moved after you had picked up the lady, al- though I dare say he could have made mincemeat of me. All the same, now they've gone we'd better be moving our- selves, Mr. Bob. Might be a real rough house !" Bob Lansing nodded, and <laml)ered into the smart two-seater beside his driver in the manner of one whose mind is very, very far from being set upon the tlelights of a run back to the city. _^ Troubles Never Come Singly ! Br)n LANSING was his usual cheery self when he greeted his father the next morning, although quite deal of the night just gone by spent in studying again and mental vision of a j)retty gir lad been again a [ lie had his for too short Iiowever. He had was far a news- hole time. Senator Lan.sinii from being clu-eiy paper in his hands, and the top lines, printed in big black letters, proclaimed to the world tliat Senator Lansing's son had been mixed up iti a cheap sort of brawl the jjrevious niglit. "iiob. I suppose you know all about this?" he said sternly. "And with the elections just coming round—why, this will cost me thousands of voles !" "Sorry, dad!'' said Bob quietly. "But I just couldn't let a burly brute of a fellow pull a girl about, could I?" ■■ I don't know—I don't want to know anything about it. All I know is that you are causing me to lose a mighty lot of votes!" said Senator Lansing rest- lessly. "I don't, even understand why on earth you want to go down to that part of the citv and get " August 20tli, vm. BOY'S CINEMA "Just a little change—a little excite- ment!" iiut in Bob, with a gentle smile. "At my expense!" snapped his father. "Bob, you're going west for two mouths to my ranch in Montana—until mfter the elections, at any rate! Understand? And you'd better take Coleman with you—he seems to have a iiropensity for trouble just as much as you!" "O.K. with me, dad !" said Bob cheer- fully. "Sorry if I have messed up any votes for you, but—why, dad, you stiould have seen her I She was just the love- liest " "Brrrrrr!" growled Senator Lansing, in deepest disgust. Bob grinned, bade his father au revoir, and hurried away to inform Ben Coleman of their good luck. "Westward bound, my boy!" chirped Bob the moment he found the chauffeur. "Get a few bits together, and we're starting right away !" "What—me, too?" gasped Ben. "I mean, I haven't just got to take you to the station?" "Not you, my son !" said Bob, and struck a dramatic attitude that was completely spoiled by his merry, twink- ling eyes. "The open plains—the rolling cattle—I mean, ranges—horses, pistols, bandits, rustlers, gangsters, racketeers "A couple of hundred cows to groom every day—I know !" growled Ben. "Well, what of it? It'll be a change ! Go on—slip away and get a few things packed !" It took them less than an hour to get all they wanted, smd at the end ot ttiat time ttie smart two-soater was heading westward with two care-free young men aboard. Ben had, at Bob's command, discarded his uniform, and wore an ordinary lounge suit which would be less distinctive and more useful where they were going. "Well, this is where we leave our troubles behind !" chuckled Bob, as they struck open country. " Well, I dunno, Mr. Bob," mu,sed Ben. "'Tain't such a bad ol' place!" "Not so much of the Mister Bob— plain Bob does me now !" grunted Lansing. "Got that, Ben?" "Sure, I've got that, Mr. Bob!" "Bob, you gumph !" 'All right—Bob!" grinned Ben. " Then step on the gas and let her rip !" Ben obeyed, and the car simply flew over the miles until the city was left far behind. Tliey pulled up only to feed and drink and secure the necessary petrol for the car, so that when nightfall came they were ready enough to call halt for the day. Dawn saw them on the move again, and by the time noon came round such things as trouble seemed utterly out of place amidst the wild, open country, the rising hills, the smell of the prairies and the woods, the almost cloudless blue skies and the heat of the sun. But even in such heavenly surround- ings the most earthly things can happen. .\ loud bang from one of the back tyres brought I hem out of their idle roaming with a start. "That's work!" grunted Bob, as he jumped out. "I'll give you a hand to change the wheel. Ben." "Thank .\ou. Mr. Bob. but " "I'll ' but ' you if you oall me Mr. Bob again !" growled Lansing., "Let's get at it!" They got at it. as cheerfully as though the world belonged to them, iieilher of them giving n thought as to what would be the position if Hiey suffered another njuncture before they got into a (own and lad the damaged tyre repaired. Every Tuesday As it happened, they were destined to bo relieved of any such worries. They had just finished their job when two horsemen came from the neighbour- ing woods—two strangers who wore tho costume of men of the plains, and tho revolver-belts that always had such a picturesquely serious impression about them. "Keep out of that oar, mister I" said one of them grimly, his band on his gun. " Slip oft', partner !" His partner obeyed, and in a moment they were out of tho saddle. " We happen to be in a hurry, mister —so 'scuse us if we sort o' insist upon n trade; we take your caF, and you take our horses!" said he who had spoken first. "They're sure just about all in. But—they'll do for you. Get in, partner !" "Sure, this is real swell I" grinned his companion. With their liands reaching for the skies and neither of them witn his coat fully on, Bob and Ben watched angrily but lielplessly whilst the rougher-dressed men of the plains slipped into their car. "Look here, you oan't get away witli this!" said Bob desperately. "Can't?" growletl the spokesman, and dropped his hand to his gun. " Say, mister, think yourself lucky we don't fill you with lead just to make sure you can't talk ! And ain't wo trading you our bosses?" "Our bosses is sure right!" chuckled the other. And that was the last Bob Lansing saw or heard of them, althougli the car was raising the dust under its speeding wheels for some minutes foe their enjoyment. "That's the last trouble we could havo expected. Ben," growled Bob, and took a look at the horses. They were obviously tired out, but were not too bad. Tliey at least provided them with a means of transport and, at Bob's suggestion, they mounted tho animals and rode at walking pace until they came to a trail. Here they headed west ^igain, knowing full well 'hat they would be lucky if they reached Montana that night and could secure food. ' But even their slight anxiety in that direction could not restrain Bob from giving a whoop of sudden delight. "Water!" he exclaimed joyfully. "Come on, Ben—this is where we get off our thoroughbreds and really enjoy ourselves !" "I could do with something more'n water to drink!" growled Ben. "If I never see those hombres again. I'll " "Drink?" sniffed Bob, as he slipped from his horse. " This is going to be a real, swell swim ! Come on—slip off your clot lies and get a splash !" The pool of water was inviting after the dusty ride, and it took them only a. few seconds to whip off their clothes and slip • into the welcome shallows. There for a while they splashed about fike a couple of light-hearted schoolboys, shouting to one another if they were many feet apart, and ducking each other if they were near enough to do it. Kven Ben lost a good deal of his anger again.st the car rustlers as the refreshing waters brought new life into his limbs, and he was as cheerful as ever as fie came out of the water a foot ahivad of Bob. But a puzzled expression took fho place of his smiles os he moved to where they had left their clothes. " Say. Mr. Bob—I mean. Bob—sorne- liodv'.s took our clothes ! And I can't seo the horses!" he exclaimed. "What! .Tumping rattlesnakes, you're right!" ejaculated Bob. Hi