Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

10 "Well, you've done me a gicat favour, pardner, and you'ie welcome to stay with the Syndicate outfit if you care to. Just wander around tor a while, will you —we'll have a talk lator." "Thanks," said Jim, with every appearance of gratitude, and went out on to the veranda with a swinging stride. But once outside the building he crept along to the window of the living- room, which was open, and, crouching beside it, listened intently. Sam Lanning was evidently uneasy. He and his dead brother had becn^ coerced into joining Matt Taylor's precious syndicate, bnt neither had ever had any liking for the fellow, or for their association with him. "What are you going to do with that girl?" he demanded anxiously. " The same as I'd do with any other dangerous enemy," was the immediate retort. " When she's served my purpose she'll just disappear." "Taj'lor," exposulated Lanning, "we've had enough of killing. It wa.s rotten to shoot down her father in cold blood, but I w-on't stand for it being tlone to a woman." "That's quite enough from you!" blazed Taylor. "I'm giving oi-ders here. Will you listen to me?" "No, I won't!" " Then get out!" A six-shooter gleamed in the light of tlie hanging oil-lamp, and Sam Lanning went out, passing Breed in the door- way. "Shut that door!" snapped Taylor. "Listen, Breed: Lanning's getting dan- gerous ; give him the same medicine you gave his brother. Understand?" Breed nodded, and the listener out- side the window crept away. Lanning had crossed the veranda and Avas making for his horse. He had mounted it when Breed emerged from the building with a six-shooter in his hand; and he was taking aim at the man who was about to ride away when Jim's voice, close behind him, said urgently : "Hi, half a minute I" Breed turned his face—ftnd in that instant a sledge-hammer blow caught liim clean on the point of the jaw and sent him sprawling osi his back, com- pletely knocked out. Jim flew across the yard to Lanning. " Breed was ju.st going to shoot you in the back—Taylor's orders," he said. "Let's get him out of here, then I'll explain to you." Sam Lanning nodded and slid to the ground. Together they crept back to the unconscious form of Breed, and between them they carried him into an outbuilding, where Jim roped him securely hand and foot, while Lanning stood on guaid in the doorway with his gun. "You say Taylor ordered him to get me?" inquired Lanning, as Jim re- joined him at the door. "Yeah—just like he got your brother." "What?" gasped Lanning. "But it was Helen Clayton " "It was that trussed-up guy back there," interrupted Jim with a jerk of his thumb. "I got the low-down when I heard Taylor instruct Breed to do the same with you." "So Taylor killed my brother?" sai<l Lanning savagely. "I'll settle with him now!" "Wait a minute," urged Jim. " D'you want to commit smcide ? Besides, Taylor belongs to mc. Listen, I'm a Ranger, and I was sent down to bring in Helen Clayton for the murder of Ed Lanning, but this clears her. You do as I say, and I'll aPe the law gives you September lOth, 1031. BOY'S CINEMA an even break. You can ride out of here all right, but I can't. I want you to go to Rangers Headquarters at Ster- ling City, and tell Captain Edwards I need him here immediately." "I'll do it!" "If you kill your horse, the Rangers will give you a new one—and you can sleep well in Sterling for as long as you like." The Way of a Ranger. OV^ER the lower half of the door of the outbuilding Jim watched Sam Lanning move stealthily acioss the farmyard to his horse and ride away. Then he looked up at the ranch-house— and Helen's face vcas plainly visible' at an up.5tairs window, in the light of the moon. Witliout a moment's hesitation he made his way cautiously to a post of the veranda, swarmed up it to the roof, and within a very few minutes was clamber- ing in at the open window of the guest- room. Helen started back in alann, thinking at first that it was one of Taylor's creatures thus intruding—or even Taylor himself. With her back to the locked door she cried w'ildly: " Get out!" But Jim said masterfully: "Miss Helen, I want you to listen to me. You've got to listen to me!" "You get out of here!" she retorted, recognising his voice, and she punched him in the face with her little ineffec- tuahfists. But he gripped her by both arms and drew her across to the win- dow, where he swung her round so that they could see one another's faces. "I'm not what you think I am," he said in a low voice. "I'm a Ranger, and I was detailed here to arrest you for the murder of Ed Lanning." "I didn't kill him!" she shrilled. "I didn't l<ill him!" "I know you didn't," he replied earnestly. "I just found out who did. Look!" Still holding her tightly with one hand, he plunged the other into a pocket and displayed his badge. But at this moment Taylor ran out into the yard below, calling: " Where's Breed ? What's become of Breed?" Several of the crook's followers came running to him—and then Breed called out from the darkness of the outbuild- ing in which he was lying on his back in bonds. Inmie<4iately there was a rush for the doorway. "Now we're in for it." groaned Jim. "They've found Breed!"' He told her hurriedly of the things he had overheard, and of the mission upon which he had dispatched Sam Lanning. "But suppose Laniiing should double- cross you, and not bring the Rangers back?" she exclaimed. "My men can't be far away; let me go after them." "You'd be shot down before you got fifty yards. There's men all round this house." "Jim," she whispered feverishly, "what can we do?" "I got an idea," he answered reas- suringly. "Get a piece of paper and write a noto to Highpockets. Tell him to follow Silver, and sign it yourself. Guess it's about our only chance." He himself found a piece of paper for her in one of his pockets, and while she scribbled a note with his pencil he pulled the curtains across the open window and stood behind Ihem with his gim, ready to fire at any instant; for there was quite a commotion in the outbuilding whore Breed had been found. Every Tuesday That shiffy-eyed creature had re- covered consciousness while he was being trussed up, and he had heard far too much. ■' That cowpuncher you brought in with Miss Clayton," bm informed Matt Taylor, while being freed of his bonds, " is a Ranger—and he knows who killed Lanning!" Tas'lor's language was not fit to be heard, but his quick wits convinced him that iJreed was not mistaken; every- thing fitted in only too well. " Put a guard rotind the ranch, boys," he directed savagely. " If he gets away, v.e're finished!" He darted out iiito the farmyard, and the others followed. Breed stretching his cramped limbs as he went. A score of men were summoned, and the farmyard • and outbuildings were searched, but in vain. It did not occur to Taylor, or any of his men, that Jim could be up in the bed-room with Helen. The search widened, the yard beneath the bed-room window became deserted. Jim, with the note in his pocket, said to Helen: "The coast's more or less clear now. As soon as I get out, close these curtains." "Be careful, Jim!" whispered Helen, as he clambered over the sill. "And I'm sorrj- I distrusted you." From the edge of the veranda roof, where he crouched flat, Jim whistled, and Silver came cantering up. His master slid off the veranda roof on to the broad white back and descended thence to the ground. He thiust the folded note under the bridle, and whispered in the intelligent animal's ear, and Silver immediately went galloping , off in the direction of Hidden Valley, while Jim climbed back to the bed-room. "I got Silver away all right," he told Helen, "but we'll have to make a stand till the gang comes. Here, take this gim and stand over there. I'll knock anybody who comes close." Out in the roadway Silver was speedily sighted by Taylor's men, and by Taylor himself. "He's sent that horse for help!" howled Taylor. "We've got to stop him!" Guns spat and bullets whizzed after Silver, but the horse was soon beyond range of mere Colts. Horses w'ere mounted, and more than half of Taylor's men set off in pursuit, while the rest, under their leader's direction, went back to the ranchhouse. But Jim had been quick to take advantage of the diversion thus created, and all the doors of the ranchhouse wei* locked and all the ground-floor windows were shut and fastened. Taylor, almost mad with fuiy at being defied in this fashion, shouted orders, and there followed a siege in which a girl and a Ranger held the building against the peisistent attack of ten men. A tree-trunk was being used as a battering-ram against the heavy front door when Highpockets, Tubby, Nevady, and the rest of Helen's men came galloping up. Silver had found them by the river, and Highpockets had found the note; but on the way to Syndicate Ranch there had been a battle with those who had pursued the white horse. Taylor's men were routed, and two of them were left wounded in Hidden Valley, but the rest tore back to the ranchiiouso. there to join forces with the attackers, who abruptly found themselves between two firee. For hours the struggle continued. Breed went down, shot through the heart, and Nevady Vas badly wounded before Taylor resorted to subterfuge. He instructed half of his men to keep (Continued on pace 37.) I