Boy's Cinema (1933)

Every Tuesday A second later, and he was swarming up it quickly. He tapped at the window, and a startled exclamation came from the girl, who was brushing her hair in front of the minor. " \\ bo's there i" "Don't get frightened—it's only Blaze Howell—the tram robber !" Blaze laughed gently. The window opened, and Doris looked at hint in startled amazement. "'What are you doing here?" she asked in a low voice. "It's dangerous for you " " D'yca mind if it is?'' Blaze asked quickly, and was rewarded by the blush that came to her checks. "Of course I do," she answered. "I had to come—just to make sure that you believe in me," Blaze said Urgently. " I won't stay long. You don't really think that I—that I killed the guard arid took that money, do you ?" "Not if you say you didn't," Doris ;ui-wired. "No. you're too brave a man to do anything so terrible as that. Of coarse, I believe you !" "That's fine!" Blaze answered softly. Now. while Blaze and Doris were talking thus, another conference was going on in the main btmkhouse. which also had to do with the train roblicry. But the talk was going on very different lines. . The men who hail taken part in the fake holdup to welcome Collins, were BOY'S CINEMA seated around the table of the bunk- house, listening intently to a mun who sat at the head of the table. He was a sullen-faced individual, with a mop of flaming hair that gave him the name of "Red " Saunders. He was the ranch foreman, the next in command to Owens, the manager. He was talking to the men around the table in a low, tense voice. " What we want to know is, what's Owens done with that money that went from the guard's van," Red was saying, in an ugly voice. "This was the arrangement, boys, as well you know. We was to pretend to hold up the train, and while the fake hold-up was going on. I was to settle with the guard and get the money out of the train-safe. Well. I settled with the guard all right, and busted open the safe. The money was there " "Then why didn't you grab it?" The harsh voice came from the door, and the men looked towards it in startled fear. Parke Owens, the ranch manager, stood there, his legs straddled, his hands on his hips near the butts of his guns, his dark eyes boring into the eyes of Red Saunders. None of them had heard his silent, entry, and his sud- den, harsh voice held them tense. " I did; but I heard the sound of that other guy holdin' you up from the roof of the train." Saunders snarled. "D'ye think I was going to grab twenty thousand bucks there and then, when there was a chance of an investigation ? I hid the cash-box in a biu-h, and ran to join you guys as if I was pait of the hold-up." "Then WHO took the twenty thousand dollars?" a chorus of voices asked. "J low the beck should I know?" Red growled—but his pale eyes rested in ugly fashion on the face of the ranch manager. Owens advanced to the table, his dark eyes glittering, his chin thrust out. in lighting fn^hu.r. tared al Sinn ders. " You seem (o be doing a deal of talking those days. Bed." he -aid in a smooth, deadly voice. "Now you guys jest listen to me awhilcs. I'm base of this outfit, see? What. I say rocs, and if anyone here open- In- mouth too wide "—-hil eves rested significantly on face an instant —"well, he'll be right sorry '." 17 "Someone's got the money." he con- tinued. "And we've got to find out who it was, and get it back." It was a lot more urgent for Owens ' to get that twenty thousand dollars that I he and the rest liad planned to "rob from the train safe than he admitted to any of them there. On, his return to the bunkhouse just now, he had just come from an interview with Geoffrey.: Collins, the ranch owner, who h.ad said that he wanted to see the books of tlio ranch the next. day. and to check over the money that should be in the safe. Owens was mighty worried—because there was no money whatever in the ranch safe. He had used about twenty thousand dollars for purposes of his own. He had paid eighteen thousand dollars cash as first payment for the M-Bar-M j Ranch, which he intended to set up in i opposition to the Collins ranch. And now it seemed that he was going to be caught out—unless he could replace that twenty thousand dollars in the safe before morning. The other twenty thousand dollars from the train-safe was going to be used for that purpose, and, of course, he had no more intention of splitting the proceeds with his henchmen than he had of flying. And they were beginning to suspect him—for not one of them there but believed that he j had actually found the cash that Red bad hidden, and was hiding the fact from them, while he himself believed that Red was trying to double-cross him. : He scowled at Red now, then shrugged with sudden impatience, and strode out of the ranch-house; Rut at tlie door he paused, and swung round to fate them. "You remember, Red." he said signi- ficantly-. Wc'ii' trot to find that money —muy pronto—mighty quick !" The door closed behind him. "Yeahl" Red growled viciously. "How the heck can WE find it, when he's plumb certain where it is himself. That guy would double cross his own grandmother, and I'm plumb sure doin' us down some way " He stopped abruptly as the door swung open, and Parke Owens' . I appeared again. There was nn excited expression on the manager's -warthy feai ures. "Come out here, boys, ipped in a low voice. Hastily they scrambled room, and outside the quick !" ho across the bunkhouse. Jn a moment Blaze was crouching on the roof of the train. Below him were the frightened passengers and the menacing hold-up men. April 8th, 1033.