Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

6 "'Upstairs! S'pose you're not wantin' to wear that rope all night, ch?" He pitxluced a clasp-knife, but was shoved aside by the bar-tender while willing hands freed the sufl'erer from his bonds and helped him to his feet. "Well," announced Jim, "I guess 1 gotta sleep off some o' this rye, so's I can go out and find that shertain party and catch the reward. My room's all ready, huh?" The bar-tender nodded curtly, and Jim entered the saloon and tottered up the Btaiis. Ho was no more than half-way when Breed passed him, seeking Matt Taylor, and the bar-tender, watching from below, exclaimed disgustedly: "He's loco!" and went back to his duties. The men who had surged out into the street re-entered the saloon—and Jim at last reached the landing and the wide passage on the floor above. But instead of making for the room he had engaged for the night he crept vvith the utmost 8obrioty and caution to a door which was slightly ajar—the door of Matt Taylor's office. Breed was telling his story. "And I found out where Helen Clay- ton get/i her supplies," Jim heard him Kay. "Joel Winters is one of her sym- pathisers, and there's a wagon leaving the back of his store at midnight, bound for her hidc-ont." "That's great news. Breed," rejoiced Matt Taylor, and filled a glass with raw spirit and pushed it over to him. "She's over-reached herself this time, Icltin' you hoar that and then sending you back here. Now we can get down to business! We'll stop Lynn Alder outside of town, hide in his wagon, and make him drive >is to her hang-out. We'll take them by siu'pri.sc—and when ■we've finished we won't bo bothered any more vvith Helen Clayton and her gang." Jim had heard enough to make him grin triumphantly. Resuming his imitiitiou of a drunken man, he waddled along the passage to his room, entered it, and closed the door behind him. Then, once more, his alert and rosourcc- fid self, ho went over to the window whicli he had opened. Silver was still at the liitcliing-rail bcncftth. He clkamberod out on to the roof of the veranda, slid down it to the giitlenng. a-d after a low, warning thistle, do.sccndcd neatly astride the horse's broad back. The Hold-up ! Ay niidniglit, as ^arranged, elderly .loi'l Winters as.sistcd Lynn Alder (o load the covered wagon which was drawn up behind his store. Sacks ol flour, numerous tins of corned beef itnd of fruit, together with household irtorcs, wore stowed away in the vehicle, and neither Joel Winters nor Lymi Alder hud any idea that their move- iiienls were being watched with interest by a stranger whose right eye was glued to a knot-hole in the tarred fence of the yard. "Looks like that's all," said Lynn finally. "It is," responded Joel Winters. "Good-night, Lynn—and give my re- gards to Helen." "I sure will." And Lynn Alder, a wiry, middle-eged man with a chin- bejird, swung hin)solf up into the driving-seat and picked up the reins. "Good luck I" Joel Winters called offer him. The covered wagon careered across Ihc waste behind t'ro town, and Jim crouche<l hchiixl the fence till the store- keeper had re-entered his establishment and bolted the door. Then he mounted the waiting Silver and .si>ot off round Heptcmber 19th, 1931. . BOY'S CINEMA the side of the building into the main road. He had no wish to catch up with the vehicle; his aim was to head it off, and, quite as importantly, to discover on the way the spot where Matt Taylor and his men were lying in wait. The road twisted and tnrned, and there was no moon. Jim very soon de- serted the dusty way for the grassland bordering it, upon which ho could ride without much sound. Half-an-hour out of town he heard voices beneath a clump of trees, and the rumble of the wagon behind him. He .sought the shelter of a patch of mesquite, and crept closer to the waiting horsemen. "There he comes now, boye!" ex- claimed Matt Taylor. "I>et's go down after him." Between the trees and the roadway was a huddle of rocks, fallen at some time from a ledge that guarded the bank of the Lorado River just beyond. Taylor and half a dozen men rode down to wait behind these rocks and dis- moimted, but Jim sat motionless in his saddle. The wagon approached, and Breed rushed out, flourishing gims. "Stick 'cm \ip !" he shouted at Lynn. " And get off that wagon pronto!" Lynn, instead of obeying, lashed at the horses, and several shots rang out. Lynn clapped a hand to his right arm and dropped the leins, but the horses needed no urging now. With their ears laid right back they bolted, fright- ened by the b\dlets and the shouts. "Follow that wagon S" yelled Taylor, from the middle of the roadway. And ho and his men, having rushed out from the rocks in vain, went rushing back to re-mount their steeds. But Jim had calculated things to a nicety. While the others were firing at tlie wagon he had ridden down to the horses and fired several shots over thei.- heads, startling them into a stampede. "Hi, stop those horses!" cried Taylor wildly. But the horses were not lightly to be stopped by seven men on foot. I'hcy had come tearing back towards the town, and it was not till the town was reached that they were re-captured. Jim, meanwhile, had galloped off round the bushes and rejoined the ''oad- way two hundred yards further soutli. "Catch 'em up. Silver!" he directed. And the white horse sped like the wind after the r\inaway wagon, which was swaying precariously now over the bank of the river where the road ran. A crescent moon came out from be- hind a bank of cloud in time to witness tlie daring act which followed. Silver drew level with the horses attached to the wagon, and Jim, braced ready to jump, his feet free of the stirrups, took a flying leap—and landed clean on the driving-seat beside the drooping figure of Lyim Alder, who was groani?ig. "Oh-li-h, boy!" "Wliere'd they got you?" inquired Jim sympathetically, as he snatched up the reins. "In the arm, I bclievo. Oh-h-h !" . A masterly use of the reins restored coiifidenco in tlu? runaways. Their pre- <'ipitate speed slackened gradually to a mere jog-trot, and Silver slowed down beside them. "Let'.s have a look at that arm," said Jim, and stopping the horses completely he rolled back Lynn's .shirt-sleeve and inspected a nasty flesh wound where a bullet had ploughed its way. "I'll wrap it u)) for you, partner," he anno\ince.l, and produced a large handkerchief which he bound tightly round the bare arm. "Hurt much?" he inquired. Every Tuesday "Pretty bad, but I'm sure grateful to you, stranger." "That's all right," said Jim. "Glad to be of service to Helen Clayton. Say, you'd better lot me drive this team the rest of the way." "Oh, I can handle 'em all right, I guess." "Doubt it—and besides, I want to join up with Helen Clayton's gang." Lynn stared at him suspiciously, but Jim seemed to bo in earnest, and his grin was frank and friendly. "You on the level, stranger?" de- manded Lynn. "Didn't I stop your dad-busted team?" "Yes, that's right enough." "How do you get there?" "Well," replied Lynn, deciding to trust his rescuer, "you take this trail to Sentinel Rocks, then you take the lower trail through Hidden V^alley, and cross the Lorado River." "How far is it?" "Well, after you take that curve it's about twelve miles, more or Hi, what's the idea?" The last forir words were uttered in amazement; for Jim had abruptly drawn a six-shooter and its barrel was staring Lynn in the face. "I'll toll you later," chuckled Jim. "But you've got to get down here!" Nearly three hours afterwards Jim guided the horses across the Lorado River aiul reached the southern bank. He was alone on the driving-seat of the covered wagon, and Silver was trotting beside the leaders. He saw the gulch ahead—and at the same moment was seen by two men, armed with rifles, who were perched on the wall of rock on the right of the gulch and were silhouetted against the grey sky of dawn. "That's the wagon all right, Jack," said one. "But there's a stranger driving it,!' growled the other, who was holding field-glasses to his eyes. " Stranger ?" " Yeah—take a look I" His companion took the glasses, ex- amined the distant Jim through thcra, and handed them back. "Gee!" he exclaimed. "I hope everything's all -.-ight. Let's go down there. ' They clambered down to the far end of the gulch, where they took cover behind u tree, and Jim prcsentl,v came driving tlie team neatly through tliu narrow opening. "Pull up thorn there horses, stranger!" shouted the man who had been addressed as Jack, and he and his companion stepped cut from their hiding-place with their rifles to their shoulders. Obediently enough .Jim obeyed, then held up his hands. He was not sur- prised ; he had quite expected Helen Clayton's retreat to be well guarded. "What are you doing with that there wagon?" demanded .lack. "Driving it," replied Jim calmly. "Don't fool with me!" "I'm not fooling with you. Put down them guns, will you? They make me nervous." One of the men climbed up beside him and poked the business end of his rifle into a broad chest. "Where did you get this outfit, any- way?" ho asked. "Back iibout fifteen miles. Say, do you know old man Lynn Alder? They waylaid him b.ack there, and me being a friend of his I thought I'd bring the wagon through for him." "Yeah?" said the guard who was still on the ground. "You-'d better tako