Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday outside, and, rushing back to the win- dow, she clutched at the bars in a frenzy of panic. Only a few jjaces away stood her father. He had been waiting for her with the car when the fire had started, and now he was mingling with the crowds who came pouring out of the (loomed night-club. With growing anxiety he scanned the hurrying passers- by in the hope of seeing his daughter among them, and. suddenly discerning Mitchel], lie sprang towards the man. "Is June out here?" Mitchell panted. "No," the older man jerked. "Where is she ? Quick, man—where is she ? Where did you leave her? You were with her last!" Mitchell stared at him stupidly. "I left her in the store-room—down- stairs," lie faltered. "I was called away while I was showing her around. Then the file started." "Good heavens, Dan, didn't you go bark and make sure that she was safe?" Madison cried. "I thought she'd be out here " Mitchell did not complete the sen- tence, for at that moment a girl's voice reached the ears of the two men. It w;is June's voice, and as they whipped round they caught sight of her pale face framed in the basement window. With one accord they ran to the wall of the night-club and knelt down, so close to tlie girl that they could have touched lier by reaching forwaitl. She was standing on tiptoe, her finger.s clenched on the bars that held her a prisoner. "Daddy I" she sobbed. "Oh, daddy, get me out of here!" "Juno," Aladison cricil, "why didn't you make your escape when you knew the building was on fire ? The whole place is blazing now!" "Can't you get to that door?" Dan Mitchell jerke<l, pointing across the cellar. "It's bolted!" Juno answered fran- tically. "I'm trapped, Dan—tiappe<l! 'J'lie smoke's beginning to pour in under the door. Get help—quickly!" "My little gill!" groaned Madison, in tho voice of a man distracted, and he turned in the direction of the night-club entrance. ^Mitchell guessed his intention and tried to hold him back. The two men were struggling when the fire-wagons from Number Five Station swerved into the street with a warning clamour of bells. Uelmetcd figures in blue ."sprang from the trucks, and, running out tho hoses and the escapes, made ready for the perilous work ahead of them. The bat- talion chief's special car drew up, and Wilson stepped out to superintend operations. He was giving a string of orders when he caught .'^ight of Madi- son endeavouring to break away from Dan Mitchell and entered the burning building. "Madison," jerked Wilson, "what's wrong? You can't go in there!" "My daughter " Madison began hoarsely, and, with that, a fireman who wii.s running past pulled up short in his tracks. It was Bob Darrow. "Mr. Madison," he gasped, " where's June?" "Locked in the vault down.stairs," cried Madison, fighting to free himself. Rob's glance leapt to the cellar win- dow, and he saw June. Behind her there was a,background of flame, for the tue had eaten its way under the door BOY'S CINEMA and was taking a hold on the stacked casks of spirit that lined the walls. "Bob!" she called, recognising him. Few men could have resisted the direct appeal in that voice, and Bob Dari-ow never even hesitated. Wheel- ing, he made a rush for the blazing entrance of the night-club. "Darrow!" the chief called. "Darrow, you can't go in there! Don't be a fool!" But Bol) did not heed him. Plunging into the flames, he fought his way to the steps leading down to the basement. Burned and half-blinded, he found the basement was a roaring furnace. The wooden staircase was enveloped in fire, and the paintwork on the steel door of the wine-cel'ar was blistered with the intense heat. Bob drew the bolt and pressed against that door. It had jammed, and ho had to use force to shift it. It stood firm again.st two assaults, but at the third attempt his shoulder hurled it open. It flew wide and .struck a pile of kegs. The barrels topple<i, and then crashed to the floor. One or two of them splintered, and their contents spilled forth at Bob's feet, so that as he stumbled across the threshold his boots were spattered with the spirit an<I the strong fumes of it assailed his nostrils. The accident had almost instan- taneous consequences. The flames that had already found their way into tho cellar swept across the spreading pools of bootleg liquor. There was a vivid flash like tho flash of an explosion, and next moment, as Bob reeled on to where June was cowering, a fierce and steady blaze reared up between him and the doorway. "Oh, Bob," June moaned, as he reached her side, "take me out of here!" She swayed uncertainly, and he was just in time to catch her in his arms as sho fell. Swinging her up, he spun round towaitls the door, but as he saw the inferno that tho spirit from the shat- tered barrels had created he know- that the only way of escape was blocked. The belt of fire that had risen by the door was im- penetrable. No man could have entered it and lived long enough to pierce it, for, swift-spreading, it had already covered a wide sec- tion of the floor. The heat drove Bob back to the window. He knew that he was trapped, and could only wait for the end, wit.1 June in his arms. That the end would not be long in com- ing he bad no doulit, for the roof had already been affected by tho flames on the floor above. A blazing mass of timber fell at his feet. (To be continued in another thrilling episode next week. By permission of Universal Pictures, Ltd., starring Tim McCoy and Marion Shockley.) I 25 I "Creeping Shadows." | I (Continued from page 20.) I Dishcr 1" He had reached tho bookcase and must have touched some .secret knob, for the bookcase swung open. "Curse you for a meddling fool!" The bookcase shut with a metallic clang. "Brian has gone mad!" moaned Gloria. "Oh, what shall we do?" "Don't worry." Dishor laid a com- forting hand on her shoulder. "Ah, now wo can got moving!" The sound of a car had taken him to the window. "Cable and a company of .special men." Cable did not waste time when ho came into the study. A signal to his men and thev lined up on either side of tho Hoyts. "In league with Sparrow," briefly explained the Scotland Yard man. "After that picture. Probably would have given Nash a dud cheque for house and grounds and then cleared oil with the Rembii'andt. What's your news, .sir?" "Quite a lot," Dishor answered. "1 tumbled to the Hoyts. and I'm pretty certain one of thorn left their finger- prints on that boll of doom. With some black thread they rang the boll, hoping to create a scare and get Brian to sell. Wo can deal with them later, so I sug- gest the boys take them away, because we've got a big job before us." Ho pointed to the bookcase. "There's a secret pas.'sago behind there, and only a few moments ago Brian Nash held us up with a gun and disappeared." " L<>t him go," Gloria implored. "Far lioltor to let him go—he must be out of his mind." Dishor made no answer. His thin fingers wore feeling over the bookcase. "Ah, here's tho secret knob," came his eager cry. " Now we'll search tliis secret passage. Bo ready for enier- (Continued on page 27.) RILEYSIflOM^ BILLIARD TABLES Wnic for pnrtiiiilars lo E. J. RILEY. LTD., Howard Works, ACCRINGTON, (linl at Drill. 35. 147. \hlr,i,jutt Sirerl, lOMloS, K C 1. BOY DETECTIVES 2 GREAT NEWS!! N.iW n.Kl.v ! The NEW IMPROVED BOYS' SECRET SERVICE OTITFITS. Hill.r v.-ilun tli.ui ivrr brforc ! Ui' ui) Ici-il.Tt'" I SEND EIGHT NOW .ami gel jours by HETURN OF POST!! Cujilriiis:-!. Novul New '■ S.S." Secret Codomc-Ur (35 diircniit coiits by .siiiuily tiirninK a dial—a most useful instrument). 2. New " S.S." Call- whistlc (for Outdoor Signals). 3. 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