Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

"You can't go in ..icvc, Mr. Madi- son ! It's certain death !" Madison struggled lilic a man bereft of his senses. To his cars there cauic a faint echo of June's voice, appealing frcnziedly for help, and at the sound he fought more -furiously to escape those who held him. But he could not break free. [The Death Plunge. FOLLOWING liis encounter with June Madison Bob Darrow re- turned without delay to the station, and as he was passing Captain Wilson's desk the battalion chief hailed him. "Ilallo, there. Darrow!" he .said. "Did you see Madison?" Bob nodded gloomily. "Yes, sir," he answered; "but I'm afraid he wasn't interested. I guess I'm not much good at talking, and he didn't seem impressed." "That's too bad, Darrow," the cap- tain murmured, with genuine sympathy. "I'm mighty sorrj- to hear it." "Oh. I haven't given up hope, sir," Bob declared. "It was a pretty big flis<ippointment to me; but I've got faith in my invention, sir, and there are plenty of other firms besides the Madison Chemical " The 'phono bell on the chief's desk rang before he could complete the sentence, and Wilson picked up the re- ceiver. Next moment his face regis- tered an expression of consternation, and, as he hung up, Bob looked at him inquiringly. "Fire call," the captain said. "It's the Madison Chemical Company !" In the space of a few seconds the alarm-bell was tolling out through the .station, and the firemen were sliding down the polished pillars to the engine- room. Bob dashed to his quarters for his equipment, and within the regula- tion three minutes he was at his post on No. 1 wagon, his helmet on his head, his respirator handy and his axe in the leather bucket that he wore on his hip. The big engines and the escapes storilicd out of the station and swung to the right, crowds on the sidewalks IMiusing to watch them as they surged past clamorously. On this, the second call of a fateful day, no circumstance delayed the fire- men in their rush to the scene of con- flagration, and without event the fire- wagons luirtled into Firth Street and skidded to a standstill outside the doomed Ituilding. A strong force of police had been drafted to the thoroughfare, and had packe<l the crowd towards the far end of it. But Madison still remained near the entrance, strivirjg to break the hold of those who had grasped him. The fire-hoses were already being trained on the lilock of offices when Capiain Wilson reached the spot where Madison was fighting to free himself, and as he approached he heard the .scientist's voice rai.eed in a fierce pro- test. "Let me go I I've got to get to her ! My little girl !" Then he saw the captain, and : "Wilson," he groaned, "make them let inc go ! Look—up at that window on the top floor ! It's .June who's there ! She's calling for help ! I'm going back for her !'' "You can't do that, Ma<lison," Wilson answered. "You'd be overcome by that eniolfe long befori\ you could reach her. tjc'ptciiiber Ctli, 1931. BOY'S CINEMA It's the brigade's job to save human life' —if it's possible." "If it's possible!" Madison cried. "I'll take that chance if they'll let me go " He began to struggle again, and in the midst of his struggles he saw June make a Vast piteous gesture of appeal and then sink from view in a dead faint. Even as she disappeared a cloud of smoke rolled through the window where she had been standing, and a grim coil of fire snaked out with it. MadLson uttered a low moan, and, suddenly becoming limp and submissive in the hands of those who gripped him. he sank to his knees. Captain Wilson was on the point of turning away to give instructions to the men imdcr his command when, Bob Darrow came running from the vicinity of engine Xo. 1. "There seems to be someone trapped up on the top floor, captain," he panted. "I just got a glimpse of her a moment ago, and then she fainted." "Yes, Darrow," Wilson answered briefly, '' a young girl. Does there seem to l>e any chance of reaching her?" "A slim one," was the rejoinder. "The fire's got a strong hold, and it appears to have broken through the roof. Guess the very stonework won't be intact much longer, but with your permission I'm willing to risk it." Wilson's lips tightened into a firm line. Ho had the feeling that, by giv- ing his permission, he was sentencing Bob Darrow to death. But he could not blind himself to the spectacle of his distracted friend Madison, whom Bob. in the excitement of the moment, had not as yet recognised. "Go to it. Darrow," said Captain Wil.son briefly, "and good luck to you." Bob sprang to one of the fire-escapes. Already the collai)sible ladder was being run up the frontage of the building towards the top floor. Its uttermost reach was still a few feet from the sill of the window at which .lune Madison had la.st been seen, but Bob snatched up a hook ladder—a kind of rod with foot-rests and a strong grappling-iron attached to it. He began to climb the escape, swiftly as ever seafaring man swarmed up the rigging. Hundreds of pairs of eyes watched him anxiously from a mass of upturned faces, now losing him in a swirl of smoke that surged through the splintering vvindows, now picking him out again as he rose clear of the smothering fumes and fought his way upward to the very peak of the ladder. The escape had been rigged up in the most advantageous position; but the climb was fraught with hiiKird, and time and again Bob found himself gasping for air as the clouds of smoke rolled over him. But determination and the thought of a helpless girl's danger spurred him on, and at last he gained the topmost rung. He grasped the hook ladder that he had brought with him and lifted his glance to the roof. A low jiarapet sur- rounded it. aiul he decided upon this as the likeliest means of securing the grappling-iron. He raised the hand-ladder and clamped the hook on the coping stone. From hie position on the escape he could not tell that immediately behind the parapet, and close to the point where ho luul jixed (he grappling-iron, the roof was a red-hot ma.ss. Nor tlid he guess, though he knew that hie situation wa« Every Tuesday perilous, tliat the coping-stone had been undermined by the fierceness of the blaze and needed no great strain to sunder it completely. Ignorant of ':he real and imminent danger, he set his foot on the lowest crois-6tep, tested the security of the hook ladder and then pulled hirnself up to the window-ledge behintl which June Aladison had last been sighted. He reached the sill. A ma,*s of smoke enclosed and blinded him for an inetant, and a sheet of Same swept about him, scorching hands and f.ice. He was able to eee nothing inside the room imme- diately, and tiiought he might have come too late. But as the smoke and flame temporarily cleared he caught a glimpse of a crumpled figure on the floor, lying iu a epot where tiie fire had not yet gained a thorough gnp. Bob swung himself litheiy through the window, and dropped beside the girl. She was insensible, and lay on her face. Ho did not recognise her ae his acquaint- ance of the afternoon, or he might have marvelled at the coincidence of meeting her again in such different circurastancee. Stooping, hs gathered her in his powerful arms and swung her over his shoulder. She remained inert as he carried her to the window and poised her against the sill while he himself climbed through and .set his feet firmly on the cross-steps of the hook ladder. He let her fall forward on to iiis shoulder agam and held her tightly. So far so good, he thought. l}e knew that she was alive, and the state of her clothes told him that she iind not even been seriously burned, but had merely fainted with the strain of her terrible ordeal. The rungs of the main escape were seven or eight feet beneath him. He began to descend towards them, but had taken no more than a single downward step when he felt the hook ladder jerk precariously. He tightened his grasp involuntarily, and saved himself from being thrown there and then into the sti-eet far below. Then, as the possible reason for the ladder's spasmodic movement occured to him, a chill seemed to strike through his veins. He looked up towards the roof, half- knowing what to expect. The sight that met his eyes confirmed his suspicion—a s^ sight calculated to send a thrill of horror zj through the bravest man. i A long rent had appeared in the sec- C tion of parapet to which the grappling- V iron had been clamped. Before his tor- '• tured gaze the coping-stone rocked pui- ward. He was paralysed for an instant. Then the girl on his shoulder seemed to revivo a little, the keener air of the out of doors bringing her round to a semi- conscious state. A little moan camo from between her lips. The sound roused Bob. He made a ^ desperate bid to descend the last cwss- ^ steps of the hook ladder and reach the main escape, and safety. But he wad fated not to succeed. The strain of Bob's weight, combined wit the girl's, wrenched the coping-stoni entirely from its position. It toppled forward. From those in th street there aldose a shout of horror, J» shout that carried to Bob's e^rs even as he and June Madi.son were plunged towards the far-distant sidewalk (To be continued in another breatlf- taking episode next week. By permis- sion of Universal Pictures, Ltd., ^ starring Tim McCoy and Marion^; Shockley.) <4 nafl