Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

24 mixture I've invented will put out a , pretty fair-sized fire." Laying: down the vial he walked to the far end of the laboratory and re- turned with a largo sheet of tin which he plaeed in the middle of the floor. On this metal base lio then proceeded to build a formidable beacon out of quantities of wastepaper and in- flammable rubbish. "You're sure it's safe to start a fire as big as that in this old warehouse, Bob?" Madison asked doubtfully. "Safe?" Bob echoed. "Of course it's safe. If I didn't think it was safe 1 wouldn't do it. I hate fires." And he grinned amusedly. Alone in the old warehouse, Bob and Madison completed the preparations for the experiment. At least, they imagined they were alone, but from behind the door of a cupboard in a dim corner of the laboratory three pairs of eyes were watching every movement, and three ruffianly intruders awaiting tlieir oppor- tunity to launch a surprise rush. "There. Mr. Madison," said Bob at length. "I'll set light to this heap of rubbish now and show you why I think the experiment is perfectly safe. For I guarantee my extinguisher will quench it at once." Stooping, he struck a match and held it to the pile. Flames began to rise from it. coiling rapidly towards the lofty ceiling. "That ought to make a pretty good blaze," Bob commented, as he drew back to give the fire time to reach its height. Sixty seconds passed. Tlie pile of rubbish in the middle of the floor was fairly in the grip of the flames now, flames that writhed up in a fierce, lurid column. Compelled to retreat from the blast of heat that smote him Madison glanced at Bob anxiously. "If your extinguisher quells that fire," he declared, "there won't be any doubt .as to ils effectiveness." Bob reached for the vial on the bench. "And this is all I'm going to use," he reminded Madison. "Something less than ji pint of the mixture. Now for it!" He lifted the vial, but as he was in the very act of raising it above his head a shout from Madison arrested him. He spun round and saw that the older man was staring toward.^ the far end of the laboratory, and, following the direction of his startled gaze, ho discerned Spike Beldon and liis associ- ates slinking from the cupboard whex-c they had been concealed. The thugs rushed forward the instant they knew that their victims had taken the alarm, and before he could put himself on the defensive a smashing blow to the face drove Bob into the wall. The vial dropped from his hand with a crash, and its precious contents spilled over the floor ten paces from the inferno on which Bob had intended to throw them. But the vial and fire-extinguishing chemicals had ceased t« be of prime importance to Bob. Recovering, he flung himself at the roguo wlio had struck him, and with a terrific upper- cut knocked him flying into the midst of the blazing rubbi.sh. Flaming scraps of paper were littered over the floor. The crook, squealing in a panic, picked himself up and stumbled clear of the beacon with liair singed and clotlies scorched. ; Meanwhile Spike Beldon liad pounced on Bob and was grappling with him ' October .'ird, IMl. BOY'S CINEMA savagely, while the third man tackled Madison. Madison struck out gamely, but he was past the days when he might have been a formidable proposition in a scufllo. He managed to land a punch that rattled his assailant, but the man came back at him and launched a vicious attack that battered Madison to the floor. Madison attempted to rise, but the thug 4ifted his boot and drove it with stunning force against the older man's temple, and with a groan Madison sank again. The man who had felled him whipped round to lend his comrades a hand, and he speedily realised that his help was needed. For at that moment Bob swung Beldon up in his strong arms and hurled him down with a shock that knocked the breath out of liis burly form. The rogue who had been thrown-into the fire now received the brunt of Bob's counter-attack, and was staggered by the fury of it. . "Butch!" he panted. "Get into him. Butch !" "Okay, Merlin!" Madison's attacker rapped out, and with the words he leapt at Bob pantherishly and tackled him from the rear. A whirling mix-up ensued, and, locked with his adversaries. Bob reeled back and forth across the laboratory. Sometimes they trampled through the flaming rubbish that had been piled i;i the middle of the floor, and burning litter was scattered in all directions. Sometimes they crashed heavily into the benches, bringing down costly apparatus in their melee and shatter- ing it to fragments. Butch worked for a trip that would throw the fireman on his back, but was himself swept off his balance and dashed to the floor. Blundering over the prostrate ruflian's body. Bob now broke Merlin's hold, thrust him at arm's-length, and then slammed his fist to the scoundrel's mouth. INIerlin shot backward and hit a tall cupboard set against the wall. The cupboard rocked and swayed as he re- bounded from it, then tipped forward on to the beacon in the middle of the floor. Its doors swung open as it fell, and from its shelves bottles rained down by the score. The smash of wood and the splintering of glass was drowned in the roar of an explosion as a heavy jar shattered itself to pieces and poured a gallon of deadly chemicals into the blaze. The flash of tlio report blinded Bob for the instant, but as tlie .scene Iiartially cleared he caught a sudden glimp.so of Spike Beldon clutching at a paper on one of the benches. The fornnda for the Darrow fire-bomb. Bob realised, and with a shout ho jumped at the crook and wrested the documonr from his gra.sp. "So that's what you're after," he flung at the throe thugs, thrusting the paper into an tn.side jOTcket as ho backed on the defensive again. " Well, come and get it!" Butch and Merlin had struggled to their feet, and as Spike was joined by them he led a concerted ru.sh. a r\{s\\ that was half-chocked as a gust of flame intervened. The chemicals that had been spilled from the cupboard wore responsible for it. and it was now clejir that in a very few minutes the whole laboratory would be ablaze. The crooks continued their rush, but not with the inlention'of (ackling Rob. Kscapo was their chief anxiety now, and Every Tuesday they flung tliemselvcs at Bob only be- cau:>o he happened to .stand in their way. Bob stopped Beldon with a right to the mouth, but Merlin clo.scd with him, and. while they were at grips. Butcli dodged to the rear and drave his fist with all his force at the back of the young fireman's neck. Bob's legs seemed to give, and ho sagged to the floor in a sonscloss heap, and as the cowardly blow felled him the crooks darted from the laboratory. Debris ! °n DRIVING at reckless speed toward.'* the docks, where her father's warehouse was situated. June sud- denly heard the clang of fire-bells be- hind her. Both she arid Mitchell tu'rned their heads and saw the giant scarlet engines hurtling into view. Traffic pulled into the gutter at the imperious clamour of their approach, and, swinging aside into a cross-street, JiHie reali.sed that they were the wagons from District Station Xuinber Five, to which Bob was attached. She steered back into the m-iin thoroughfare when they had pas.sed. and resumed her journey to the Madison warehouse at top speed. It was only when she was in siglit of it that she realised the warehouse was the very building to which the Brigade liad boon called. The building was in flames. Coils of fire were breaking through its roof and rolling from the windows of its upper floors. A stab of terror seemed to pierce June as she remembered that the laboratory was on the top storey, where the blaze was fiercest. June pulled up her car on the fringe of a crowd that had gathered to watch the firemen train the ho.sos on the burn- ing warehouse. Descending from the auto, she began to elbow her way through the mob. and Mitchell was on the point of following her when he saw a man standing on a street-corner. The man w.ts Spike Beldon. and Spike was beckoning to him frantically. Changing his course, Mitchell hastened towards him. "They're in there—both of them!' Snike panted, as the promoter joined liim. !\Iitcliell scowled. "Who?" he rani)od out. " What are you babbling about, man ?" " Madison and Darrow," Spike blurted. " We got into a fight with 'em. an' they're both knocked out. A firo started in the l-aboratorv; an' they're; Ivin' up there—the two of them." ' Mitchell looked at the blazing ware- house, and his face became a shado paler. "Come on." he said, gripping Beldoti by the arm. "let's pet out of here." Tlioy turned and slipped away. Alean- whilo. under the directions of Battalion Chief Wilson, the firemen of District Station Number Five w-ero pouring hun- dreds of gallons of water on to the blaze, the powcrfid jots from the ho.ses hiss- ing uoward and fallinff like a delugo into the heart of the inferno. At that very moment. Bob Darrow was recovering consciou.'ifie.'is to find liinv self .surrounded bv flames, the heat from which was beating intolerably againsi his face and hand.s. Yet his first thoughl .IS ho siruggled to his feet was not of himself, but of June's father, and he called the older man bv name. "Madison!" he shouted hoarsely. '• Madison—where are you?" There was no response, but all at once he made out a figure lying near a bench that had not yet been seized by the fire. It was the .sen.sole.ss form (ContiBued on page 27.) id