Boy's Cinema (1933)

12 "Look after hiVn sheriff," whispered White Eagle. "And do not believe all that is said about my peoples. These Redskins are not of my tribe." The sheriff rode back to town and soon raised a posse. One of the first to volunteer was Gregory. At a gallop the posse charged along the trail and at last they came to the smashed coach. Arrows were sticking into the woodwork, and the two bodies that were dragged forth had been scalped. "It's the work of Indians right enough,"' opined Gregory. "Yeah, I reckon so." agreed the sheriff. Anyone else inside the coach?" There was no sign of the girl. The sheriff __ was puzzling over this when a member of the posse hurried to him. "We've found White Eagle's; hat and an arrow resting on it. It's his sign for us to go the way the arrow points." Another member of the posse, who had been examining the ground, reported that a number of horses had been led away to the East. "Take Charlie an' Otto an' follow *\ hite Eagle." decided the sheriff. "The rest of us will go after the main bunch. Bud and Hank will stay by the coach." Man Against Panther. WHITE EAGLE had found the guard and the two passengers. A quick glance showed him they were dead, but there was no sign of the girl save her bonnet. Lacs that could read every sign on the ground were soon at work. He could build up the swift attack. How the stage had been taken by surprise, and. out of control, had crashed into a boulder to overturn. The passengers had tried to defend themselves and had been instantly killed by knife or arrow. The horses had been driven away with the exception of the one wounded beast. He saw the spot where the driver had lain and knew his theory was right. He found the trail leading east and swiftly he went down on his knees. There was a queer light in his eyes as he stood up. He stood there like a graven image, staring before him, deep in thought. White Eagle went towards his horse and then saw a small heel mark in the sand. The marks went west. After trailing the marks for some distance he returned and fixed the arrow to show his direction. I he small heel marks were very uneven and he could tell that the person to whom they belonged must be in distress, but there were no other marks beside them and from that White Eagle found hope. Closer and closer the Indian brave came to the white cliffs and now the trail was hard to follow as small stones and boulders covered the sand. Perhaps he would have lost the trail if a girl's cry of terror had not sent him running in great strides towards a cave among the rocks. Dark and gloomy, but White Eagle had tli.- eyes of a cat. Blackness, then a space lit up by a shaft of light that beamed down from a tunnel or crevice in the cliff face. Backed against the wall, with hands to her cheeks, was a girl. She was staring with fascinated horror at a large firry creature that was prone on its belly preparing for a spring. A panther or mountain lion. A power- ful, dangerous beast and probably mad with hunger. The girl had stumbled into its lair. \< the creature tensed its sinews for a spring, White Eagle hurled himself to the ri Janet Hand watched with amazed February 4th, 1933. BOY'S CINEMA eyes the most thrilling and terrible battle. A clawing, snarling cat and a bronzed giant. Almost she fainted when the claws of the panther ripped away White Eagle's breeches and buried themselves in the flesh of the leg. The Indian had got his hands round the creature's throat. Fighting desperately, man and beast rolled to the ground. She saw the buck- skin coat torn to ribbons. Surely this brave man would be killed Janet could have escaped, but she seemed too paralysed to move. The fighters broke free. White Eagle was streaming with blood. Janet thought that the end for both of them was near. The panther sprung but not so fiercely and those mighty hands fastened again round the creature's throat. With super- human strength White Eagle lifted the panther high, then hurled it against the rock side of the cavern. A harsh scream of pain and the panther came back to the attack. Again and again White Eagle flung the animal against the rocks, and at last with all his remaining strength his hands got a throttling grip. The three men had reached the cliffs; they had lost the trail—when out of a hole in the cliff face rushed a girl. She screamed at them and beckoned to the cave. "Come on, boys!" gasped one of the men. "Get him out of here." shrilled the girl. "Don't stand staring. He may- be dying. He saved my life." Gently they carried White Eagle out of the cave and then Otto rods off alone after the posse. Dave Rand shouted for joy and relief when he heard that his sister was safe. White Eagle staggered to his feet when Rand and the sheriff rode up. Brother and sister were clasped in each other's arms. Janet poured out an excited tale of her adventures. "He saved me from an awful animal," sobbed Janet. "I think it was a lion. She pointed to White Eagle. "He's terribly hurt " "White Eagle, I can never thank you for what you have done." Rand, with one arm round hi3 sister, went up to the lacerated hero. "I can't say " White Eagle managed to smile. "You are my brother. There is no need for words between us." "No, but time for deeds." Rand swung round on the posse. "Boys, we got to make a sling and get White Eagle back to town." On the way back Rand asked the sheriff if he had any news. "The Redskins got clean away." The sheriff bit savagely at his old pipe. "They always do, doggone it. They steals hossas, they raids ranches an' holds-up stages—an' always thev vanish. We followed them for a spell, an' then a bunch o' wild horses crossed their trail. We lost them. Say, Dave, might I ask your sister a few ques- tions?" Janet had been found a horse, and she was riding close behind the sling of ropes that supported the wounded brave. The ropes were fixed to the saddles of two of the horses, but in spite of their walking gait, she knew White Eagle must be suffering intensely. Not a moan escaped his lips. She dropped back at her brother's call. "How brave he is," she whispered. ' Strange that he should be an Indian, because he looks so white and his features are so English." "It's often puzzled us," the sheriff inswered "Miss Rand, could you tell me anythin' about the attack?" Every Tuesday "I was inside the coach." She shud- dered at the memory. "There was a lot of shooting and yelling, then the stage overturned. I think I was flung from the coach when it overturned. I have a vague remembrance of crawling behind a boulder, and when I came to again all was quiet. I staggered to my feet and I saw dead men everywhere." She buried her face in her hands. "All I wanted to do was to get away—and I ran blindly. I found myself in brush, and at last I came to the cliffs. There was an opening in the rocks, and I. wanted to get out of the blinding sun, and then I heard a mighty roar " "There, there, Janet, don't excite yourself," comforted her brother. "We can guess what happened after that. Try and forget all about it." The wounded White Eagle was taken to the Rand bungalow and the doctor was fetched. White Eagle had lost much blood and was badly mauled, but the doctor announced he would soon be well, provided the lacerations were kept clean. Janet said that it would be her duty to nurse him back to health. But before White Eagle would go to sleep he insisted that the sheriff should come to see him. "They were not Indians," muttered White Eagle as the sheriff bent over his bed. The sheriff shook his head, imagining that White Eagle was delirious. " How do you make that out, Big Brave ?" "The tracks show that all the horses had shoes," White Eagle «spoke with difficulty. "Indian ponies are not shod." "Afraid that don't prove a thing*" The sheriff shook his head. "They might have stolen those horses." " Indian know—one day he prove it." White Eagle sank back. "Now he sleep —get strong—then he go and find bad men." "Delirious, poor chap!" whispered Rand to the sheriff. "Best let him sleep." David Rand paused at the doorway to glance back. The eyes of White Eagle were closed, but the hand of Janet Rand was soothingly stroking the broad forehead. The Sun Maiden and Qrey Wolf. THE fine physique of W 7 hite Eagle caused the wounds to heal rapidly. Janet was a very practical young nurse, and she tended the man, who was her hero, as if he were a child. White Eagle would repose in an arm- chair on the veranda and always his eyes rested on the dainty curls of his nurse as she read aloud to him, but he was careful to look away when she glanced up. Perhaps Janet may have seen some of those glances, because she wondered at times why her heart raced so madly. Within a week White Eagle was able to go for a walk, and, a day or so later, for a short ride on his great white stallion, Silver. Naturally, Janet rode with him. Only one incident marred the peace. A Pony Express rider's horse came in badly wounded, and the body of the mail carrier was found very near the hold-up of the stage. An arrow pro- truded from his chest and the mail was missing. Captain Barton sent out a trooper, but this man vanished. The officer was alarmed and sent six of his men with a special despatch. They got through to St. Joe, and a rider took the mes- sage towards Washington. The cap- tain urged that more soldiers should be