Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

IS "I watita talk vith the stranger. Take the girl back, boys." Bess, tears in her eyes, suffered herself to be led away without more than a fleeting giaiue at the man who had tried f-o hard to help her escape. But the iitler helplessness, the hopelefsne>s of thi^ business simply smothered her. "What are you doiu' around iiere, mister?'" demanded Raymer, his glint- ing eyes staring unblinkingly at Tom. . Tom shrugged his shoulders. "I just dont know, mister," he said, and added tj-uculently: "I beat Old Man Law to the draw down the trail, and then I saw your whiskered guard. Thought they'd got the drop ou me at first, but they saw me shoot up Old Man Law, and that seemed to satisfy them. Said I should have to meet up \vith Raymer." "I'm Raymer," said the other quietly, and looked keenly at the neat stranger for a full half-minute before he ^vent on: "Guess you are a dandy fighter, stranger—and I can always do with lighters in my line of business. You'd better come up and have a word with me." ".Sure!" said Tom, and went slowly ll)ack to whore his own gun had dropped from its holster during the fight and picked it up. ]''rom there lie went to liis horse, mounted it, and waited further orders with a non- chalance and calmness that made Raymer a lot less suspicious and a lot more satisfied. "Let's be going, then," said Raymer, and lie led the way back to the rock over which the guards were once more pacing, through the archlikc entrance to the city, iind along the narrow trail to the wider streets of the town. To attack that town woidd be mad- ness was Tom's instant conclusion. Raymer and his gang coidd hold up an army for just .so long as food and water held out. The narrow entrance, the towering mountains, and the narrow valley which all comers would have to travel were more use to Raymer than a barbed wire entanglement a hundred yards deep would have been. Raymer did not speak during the ride, which occupied more time on ac- count of the slowness of the walking horses than by the distance that had been covered. Nevada met them when they dis- moimtod and went into what Tom was to discover was the gang's headquarters —Raymer's own oPTue. "Say. we're a pretty tough lot up here, stranger." said Raymer, after a brief pause. "We share and share alike—everything. Loot, cattle and anything else that any of us picks'up— and we share any trouble. Get me?" "Sure, I get you !" said Tom lazily. "I'm in on this racket if you'll have me. Raymer." "Right, we'll try you out." said Raymer. "Get off and find a billet. Make yourself acc|uaintcd with the boys. Any man who walks free aroimd this district. stranger, carries my authority, and there won't, bo any trouble right inside Ghost City unless you start it. I might say I end all troubles." The careless throat made Tom smile gently, but he made no comment. He went out. "Say, Raymer. we don't know much about that guv,'' said Nevada doubt- fully. "No. but I .reckon to sum up a man plenty.' gnnifed Raymer. "All the same, keep an eye on him for a bit until he's sort o' proved himself out, Nevada." September 5th, 1931. BOY'S CINEMA Nevada touched his gun and walked out of the woo'-lcii house with all the careless stride of a iiutn who has nothing to do and no more to think about. But there was no sign of the stranger. Raiding the Bullion Wagon '. THERE- was invariably an air of cpprension in Ghost City. Ray- mer ruled the place with his guns, and when they were not handy there were plenty to be found in pos.session of his men. The v.omcnfolk consisted of the men's wi\cs and a few luckless people wiio had strayed into the city and had never been allowed to leave. Their belongings became the property of Raymer and his gang, and there was nothing any of tliem could call their own. Bess lived with a gentle little woman whom everybody knew as Rose. To mark a perfect truth. Rose was the one woman in the city whom Raymer wished he could release, for she was the one who treated him with tlie utmost contempt. Rose was returning wiili a pail of water at the moment Tom Langdon had spotted Bess through the window of their house, and she alone saw him clamber in through the window. But she saw Nevada coming her way, and waited expectantly for liis question- ing. "Seen anything of a strange guy round here, Rose?" asked Nevada truculently. "Sure, over by the horse corral." said Rose, in just the same blunt fashion. Nevada nodded and strolled ofT, with his hands idly around the butts of his guns. In the meantime, Tom had found that Bess had changed into clothes designed for her sex, and for the first time he had the opportunity of seeing how pretty she was. She had an oval face, hair like ripening corn, and a set of perfect pearly white teeth. Only her eyes—sad. wistful, almost rcsentfid— siioiled what wotdd have been a won- derful picture. "I am glad to have the chance of tliankiiig you. stranger," she said the luomont Tom entered. "Btit—it wns no good." "Guess you're a prisoner." said Tom. as a statement of fact rather than as a question. "But I did not come here to be thanked. I '' "You must be very careful. Raymer doesn't like the men even to speak to me." put in the girl, watching the window anxiously. " Sh'sh ! Here's Rose." " Rose ?" "She lives witli me—looks after tlie house. She's wonderful—she is always trying to help me to escape. But the guards always sec me, and then Raymer comes otit after me." Tom was nodding when the door opened and Rose entered. She looked .sharply at him for half a minute be- fore she spoke. "You'd better look out. mister." she said, in her blunt way. "Raymer's men are watching you." Tom nodded again with an indif- ference that made both Bes.'r and Rose look keenly at him. "I am here for a purpose." lie said calmly. "I'm not going until I have done what I want to do. I want to find a fellow called the I,ararnie Kid. Know him ?" Bess shook her head instant ly, and Rose allowed the question to |iass with- out answering. The tragedy that was Every Tuesday so plainly vvritten on Bess' pretty face drove away any other thought from Tom at that moment, and he prepared to go. " When I got out of here wrth this Laramie Kui guy 1 guess I'll take you with me," he said. "This sure isn't; the place for two good women. I'll see you later." "You won't see us again if you don't take care, young man," was Rose's blunt reminder. ''Kurt Raymer is a tough guy, and there's plenty of room around hero for burying strangers who have business in which there is no profit for Raymer !" "Rose!' pleaded Bess. "That's my way of warning him," growled Rose. "Clear off, young man, whilst the going is good." Tom, with a faint smile, opened the window, looked carefully to right and to left, and slipped out. In a moment nioro he was lounging idly round the front of the house into the street, his hands deep in his pockets, a straw being cliewed lazily at the corner of his mouth. It was Raymer himself who spoke to him first, iind that was not until Tom had obeyed a curt nod of the gang leader's head signalling him to enter the office. Tliere were a number of men there, all obviously awaiting Raymer's orders. And they had not to wait long. "The bullion wagon is going by id the morning, boys," began Raymer, and even then there w.as a veiled threat in his tone that was unpleasant to listen to. "We gonna pick up that btillion. If the driver antl the guards put up any resistance just remember we don't «ant any prisoners. Get that, stranger';' "Sure," said Tom. "Mighty nuisance—prisoners." "You'rt going along with us, stranger, as a sort of trial," went on Raymer. "If you come through this raid okay, guess we'll count you in on the share-out. I shall be watching you ! " "Okay with me," said Tom breezily. "What time do we start?" "You'll know when to start," growled Raymer. That was all that Raymer had to say just then, but it was quite enough to set Tom Langdon thinking. He would have to take part in that raid on the bullion wagon, or betray himself right away a.- not being the fugitive from the law that he proclaimed himself to be. The risk that he would run of get- ting shot by the driver or the wagon guards did not trouble him one iotia. It was the possibility of the driver and the guards being shot that worried him. Everything would apparently be all right 'for them if they did not "offer tlif gang any resistance. But that "no prisoners " order w.as grimly impressed upon Tom's mind. It meant only one thing—death. Tom waited until night fell, and friendly darkness came to assist him in moving w ithout being seen. He knew that the rocky entrance to Ghost City would l>o guarded just as well at night as by day. and there was absolutely no chance whatever of gettingthrough tlio valley that way. He spent a coui)le of hours looking around. At the end of that lime he dis covered the real truth of the matter- that Kur'i Ra\nier was as safe in Ghost City as ho would have been in a fortress There was absolutely no po.ssibilify of attack from any quarter other than by the valley, and it would only need half m