Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday BOY'S CINEMA 21 A fearless young fireman invents a fire-fighting machine, but a fiendish enemy does everything to steal the plans and rob the hero of the girl he worships. A grand serial of breathless suspense and thrilling drama. Starring Tim McCoy and Marion Shockley. l// READ THIS FIRST. While en route with his comradis to the scene of a fire, Bob Darrow, of the ■San t'rancisto Brigade, saves the life vf a boy who falls in front of one of the monster engines. ■ ■ iMter he calls on James Madison, head of a chemical company, to whom he puts up an id'a for a patent fire- cxtiitfjuisher. Madison is not interested, ■and hob leavis disajypointi d, after mreting Dan Mitchell, a shady promoter 'who is befriending Madison for his own ends. 'That afternoon Bob rescues June Madison from a fire in her father's office, then learns that the boy he had saved from the wheels of the fire-engine iirts Madisort's son, Jackie. In gratitude, Madison helps Bob to ■/IIIfeet his invention, the Darrow Fire- H'li/ib. Hut Dan Mitchell is anxious to s( II Madison an extinguisher of his i.irn, and to discredit Bob he sends a liiieling to "doctor" the fireman's iri- ri iition with a deadly explosive. The ruse fails to shake Madison's fitilh, particularly as Bob agrees to drive a ear that Madison is sponsoring in a big road race. Bob wins the event, vith I'at Herlry, a fellow-fireman, as nicchaiiir. But the machine has been tfiinpered with by one of MitchtU's hirelings, and crashes just beyond the finishing-line. Now Read On. The Casualties. THE smouldcriiii? wreckage of the iJrowii Special laeing-car lay on I its side near the fencing of tho (track, and as the dust raised by the crash cleared away the figures of Bob .Darrow and Pat Heeley were disclosed. They had been flung from the machine and were stretched out a few EPISODE 5. "THE AVALANCHE." yards from it, neither of them showing the least sign of life as the masses of spectators in the stands gazed down at them in awe and horror. In all that vast crowd, however, none was more moved by the catastrophe than June or her father. Kor was any- one more secretly elated than Dan Mitcliell, whose conviction that Bob Darrow wa.s dead detracted from his chagrin at tlie Brown Special's triumph in the race. "Yes," he repeated to James Madison, "your car was first across the line. You won all right, but you killed Darrow to do it." Madison was standing with bowed head, but suddenly he roused himself and strode for the gangway that led to the track. Pale and trembling, June followed him, and Dan Mitchell brought up the rear. Already a party of poIicc-ofBcors, track-attendants and Pressmen were running towards the scene of the disaster, but the first to reach the spot was the official medical officer of the Speedway. Sinking to liis knees beside Bob's prone form he made a cursory examination. "Is he hurt badly?" a policeman asked. The doctor shook his head. "No," he answered, to the relief of those who heard him. "He's all right. Just stunned, that's all. He's lucky, though." Some of those who had dashed on to the track had made for; Pat, and now they called to tho medical officer urgently. "Hey, doctor, come over here. It looks like this fella is hurt plenty." The doctor hurried across to Pat, and was running his hands over him when a stretcher arrived, and it was as the medical officer was giving instructions for tJie injured Irishman to be lifted on to the stretcher that Mitchell and tlie Madi.sons gained the track. James Madison pu.ihed his way to- wards Bob, and June stumbled after him. They sank down beside the fire- mau and raised his head. "Bob!" June cried distractedly. "Oh, Bob! Are you hurt?" His eyes were closed. His blackened face looked deathly pale under iJie grime and oil that streaked it. Witii an agony of terror in her expression, June turned to a police-officer close by. "Is he dead?" she whispered. The doctor returned at that moment, having rendered first-aid to Pat Heeley, and as ho heard June's words he glanced down at her with a reassuring smile. "No, he isn't dead, MifW Madison," he put in. "He isn't even hurt. Just stunned, that's all. Got the wind knocked out of him. Hallo, he seems to be coming round !" He was right, for with a half-stifled groan Bob raised himself a little higher. Next second he found himself gazing up at familiar faces. "Mr. Madison," ho breatJiod, and then: "June—June!" "You won, Bob!" June told him with an hysterical catch in her voice. "You won !" Bob propped himself on his elbow with an effort. A look of anxiety had appeared in his eyes all at once. "Pat!" he exclaimed. "Where's Pat? Is he—is he hurt?" "Get him into the ambulance,' boys," he heard someone say just (hen, Mnd October 3rd, l'J31.