Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

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18 pily that iiU mind was so occupied, for It iiKidc C'rabb's task i-o nmcii easier. "Well, here we coiiie to the fork,. Ra.sconib," &aid Crabb easily. "I'll take the lower pass, and you got through the Jacinto Canyon. I reckon we'll meet at the fork on the other >ide. I'leiasant journey ! ' "Thanks." said Judd indifferently, but .suddenly started and pulled himself into an alertness that -was just too late. He was staring down the muzzle of Crubb's gun. "Get your hands away from your gun, Rascomb!" snarled Crabb. "I'm taking in this money myself!" Rascomb bit his lip in' helpless rage. Crabb was fixing him with a glare that iineant grim business. "Thought you'd get down the Canyon With your half, did you?" grinned Crabb. "I'll have your gun; keep your hands up or I'll blow holes in you ,as big as silver dollars. And I'll take ithe saddle-bags, Mr. Foreman Rascomb. 'Now get moving towards the Canyon jfrail, and keep moving!" Rascomb, apparently resigning him- "pelf to liis fate, dropped his hands. (But his right hand, farthest away from Crabb, dropped stiaight into the 'apparently empty holster. In a flash I the tiny revolver lie had taken from Oswald in exchange for one of his own 'guns glittered for a split second in the sun, and from it came a tiny re- port that would have made liim laugh at a time less serious than this. But if the report was tiny, the bullet was effective. It went straight through the fleshy part of Crabb's revolver hand, and his gun dropped from his nerveless fingers, "Never thought of that pea-shooter, did you?" grated Judd, and he snatched at the gun which Crabb had taken from him but a few seconds before. "I'll have your envelope now, Crabb. And I'll take the saddle-bags again I' "You ain't getting away with this, Ra.scomb!" panted Crabb. "You get down the lower pass, and when you meet up with my boys, tell 'em I'll be getting that message through all O.K., and mighty soon now!" He was laughing derisively as with a wave of his hand he spurred his horse into <i gallop and darted down the Canyon trail. Crabb started along the other trail, ducking at his wounded wrist as he rode. But he did not get far before there was a movement in the bushes at (he fork trails, and a white sombrcrj showed for a second and disappeared. It was just luck that made Judd Rascomb turn his head at that precise second. He saw nothing of Crabb, who was hidden by the bushes, but he saw the white sombrero. "Suffering snakes, that guy was sure handy to see the parting!" muttered jLidd. and jerked his liorse hard upon its liaunches. "Boy, I dunno that this is a healthy trail for you and me. We're goinrr up the gorge again. Get going, boy!" His ride up the rocky wall of the canyon was something he would never forget. His horse did everything except the one fatal thing—slip up and break his neck. "iAo staggered, swayed, dug frantically at times for a footliold, but somehow or other always managed to put another few yards between them and the man in the white sombrero. Judd knew now that there was reason enough for the stories of the mysterious happenings in the passes between Corral City and El Jacinto, but what he did not know was what was happening down bejow him whilst he made a daring, .Octol>er Srd, 11*31. BOY'S CINEMA frantic ride for the top of the Canyon Jacinto. Crabb got to know quickly enough, for he had not ridden half a mile before he was aware that he was being chased by a rider who was certainly not Judd Rascomb. It was the man with the white sombrero, and his hail brought the wounded Crabb to a quick halt, for he could .not have hoped to have ridden a hard raoe to escape. The mystery man dismounted at Crabb's side and jerked both his guns into a handy position for action. The expression on his face was grim, even though his eyes were showing a certain amount of amusement. " I saw the cowpuncher get the money back, my friend," said the stranger very quietly, "I thought my partner was a pretty slick guy, but it appears he i.s nothing more than a muddler. Bah ! He handled you as if you were a child!" "He got the drop on me. I tell you, if you hurry you'll get him in the pass !" snarled Crabb. "You'll not get him in the pass; he's ridden up the rocky wall of the canyon, and up there he will take some getting out. I suppose, my friend, that you were not thinking of double- crossing me?" "Double-crossing you? Don't be a fool!" growled Crabb, but he avoided the steady stare of the other's eyes in spite of the vehemence of his answer. "You told me you were riding the Canyon Jacinto trail with the bank-roll. Instead, you hold up our young friend and send him with nothing through the Canyon Jacinto, whilst you were taking the other pass. It is suspicious, my friend—very suspicious !" "Oh, shucks! You're talking through your neck!" growled Crabb. "I have scattered my men, Crabb, and they are surrounding the end of the canyon where this pass meets They will shoot anybody who comes out of it. You had better return through the desert," said the stranger, ignoring Crabb's bitter remarks. "And you pick up the bank-roll?" sneered Crabb. "And I pick up the bank-roll," agreed the stranger calmly. "That is better than picking up you, my friend." "But listen hyer. If I go back alone and no message gets through from Judd Rascomb, his mangy pals are goin' gunning!" ejaculated Crabb in sudden alarm. "I " " You're a clever man, Crabb, a very clever man, except when it comes to meeting up with a real lie-man like Rascomb," cut in the other, and with a sudden jerk of his gun he blew a hole in the ccnitre of Crabb's water can. "The nearest place for a fiU-up, my friend, i-i El Jacinto. Get moving. 1 am displeased with the trouble to which you have put me. Get moving, before I start saving those mangy cowboys a cJiance of going gunning!" Crabb obeyed, there was nothing for it, but iiis thoughts were in a turmoil of unpleasantness as he set his liorse at a gallop for the desert. He was riding on to the first stretch of the desert before he became aware that hoofs were thundering upon the sunbaked ground not far away from him, and fresh alarm leapt into his heart as ho saw that the riders were the sheriff and two of his men. But as quickly as there came alarm there came relief. His eyes glinted as he spurred his horse towards the sheriff. "Hi! Sheriff!" he shouted. "I've been held up and robbed I" Every Tuesday The sheriff jerked his horse up and waited for the now eager Crabb to come up. But there was very little sympathy in the sheriff's eyes. He did not like Crabb, and in consequence paid a little more heed to the rumours in- volving his and Rankin's names than might otherwise have been the case. "Well, what happened?'' he de- manded shortly. "I was taking in a bank-roll with Judd Rascomb, foreman of Bar W, from which we've taken over a l)ig herd," explained Ciabb breathlessly. "He shot me through the wrist. Look at it!" "Looks more like a bee sting!" grunted the sheriff. "It's a bullet right enough. I've got it, suppose I ought to know!" growled Crabb, stung into a retort. "He was joined by a man with a white sombrero. They've gone up into the mountain, and I reckon if you send your man round the pass and cut them oft" they'll fight." "That means trouble; we shan't escape altogether," murmured the sheriff, with a thoughtful stare towards the towering mountains. "Then shoot 'em out. They've got revolvers, but you can get rifles," said Crabb. "I'll tell you, they've got a bank-roll belonging to Rankin and me You've got to .shoot 'em out!" The sherifl" did not reply. He drew his gun instead and sent three shots up into the air as a signal to his posse, which was scattered over the fringe of the desert. "I see Judd iRasconib also shot a hola in your water can," he observed, whilst lie awaited the coming of hia men. "Sure he did," agreed Crabb. The sheriff merely nodded, and looked round keenly to sec that his men were riding in to him from all directions. But it was from the front that the most startling rider came—a rider the sight of whom nearly .sent Crabb into a fit. It was a rider with a great white sombrero I Crabb fairly panted for breath, and his hands went down in a panic for his guns. But his holsters were empty. "That's the man with the white som- brero—shoot him down before he eet.s the drop on the whole bunch of us—I ain't got a gun !" he gasped. "I ain't shooting no man until I his to." said the sheriff. "Looks to nic, bv the way he's swaying in his saddle, that he's been hurt. Keep your guns handy, boys, but don't shoot unless he starts monkey -" "It's Slim!" exclaimed one of th» men. "Hi. Slim! Where did you get that bonnet?" "I'm all tied up, you gump ! Come and cut these darned ropes!" hooted Slim, who was one of the sheriff's po.>se. There was considerable laughter whilst the rider was freed from thft ropes, but they had to wait for Slini's explanation until lie had finished telling: the world exactly what he thought of a certain person. "I ain't seen him before, but I'm ju.st longing to SCO him again!'" he grunted. "I am goin' to sock that guv in tho jaw ! Roped me, he did, as I rode in at your signal, sheriff, and put his soiri- brero on niy head—just to give soino of you some gun play, as he put it I" "It was Judd Rascomb's pall" said Crabb with emphasis. " I don't know about that—Ra.scomb wasn't with him," said Slim. "I saw that guy last night at the ranch house, and. 1 .saw him this morning talking; to his cowpunchers. No—Judd Ra.scoiiib weren't there. It was tho inyslety galoot of tho passes 1"