Boy's Cinema (1935-39)

Every Tuesday grim-faced man standing there covering them with a gun. "Come on—all of you ! Get moving ! Stick your hands high I" he ordered. One man tried to draw his gun on Crash and a gun cracked. The rascal screamed and nursed a smashed wrist. "So you want to play, eh?" sneered Crash. "Come on—higher—reach " A screeching of tyres and another police patrol. "^ Alabam saw a* patrol officer holding up four desperate-looking fellows, and he noticed blood oozing from one mar's arm. Then his eyes opened as lie noted that the patrol officer certainly wore a helmet, but the rest of his attire was out of keeping. "What goes on here?" " Hallo, Noisy!" laughed Crash. ".Say, this is great fun !" "Great jumping horseflesh—you!" gasped Alabam. "Yes. I'm deputising for Johnnie." Crash never took his eyes off the crooks. "A little trouble back at the Colonial Club." "You don't mean—he's " "Don't worry. Johnnie's tough. Got him in the shoulder. One of these thugs drilled him." Alabam whipped out handcuffs, and was busy manacling the men together when they heard the scream of a police siren. A police car drew up, and Crash had to smile because it was bristling with police ami machine-guns. Johnnie, Ins arm bandaged, was one of the first out at the car. "Nice work, Crash!" There was a hoarseness in his voice. It was a mix- ture of admiration and emotion. "Guess I had you wrong." "Forget it!" Crash stuffed Johnnie's gnu back into its holster. "Does this give you a new slant on the patrol?" Johnnie asked with a wry grin. Crash nodded. " It does have its moments. Say, how much do they pay you roadhogs?" " (tin- seventy a month." " Every month ?" "Yes." Crash Donovan whistled. "I could use a little of that dough in\ -<-lf." "Alabam," Johnnie called out. "What do you think? Crash is think- ing about joining the patrol." "You aren't serious?" Alabam had seen the crooks bundled into the police car, and his part of the night's a hi ay was ended. "What's the idea. Crash?" Ciash Donova.1 laughed in his hearty, mocking manner. "Will, I got a hunch I'll make a better-looking cop than some I know." In the morning Crash Donovan went with Alabam to see Chief Tennyson. "You helped to round up a very des perate gang whom we've been after for months." The chief held out his hand. "It'll be a pleasure to have you on the strength. I will have your application put through the right channels imme- diately.'' The Hardening Process JOHNNIE, in mufti, his arm in a sling, was sitting on a seat in a park, but not alone. Close to him was Doris Tennyson. "You must be getting bark to hospital." "No hurry," laughed Johnnie. "Now my arm's almost healed I'll be back to work in three or four days." "That's what you said a week ago. You've pot to take care of yourself, Johnnie." "You're worse than Crash Donovan." protested the wounded hero. " He comes into the hospital every day, and if BOY'S CINEMA I move as much as a finger he wants to put me in a strait jacket." "I like Crash very much now," the girl admitted. "He told me quite a lot the other day about your brother Sam saving his l'fe out in the Balkans. Ciash is pretty busy these days. He told me yesterday that every time he took another examination he got a head- ache. " "Well, he passed them all with flying colours." "Thanks to Officer Allen's tutelage," proudly whispered Doris. " By the. way, when is your father gdiiig back to take charge of the train- ing school?" questioned Johnnie. "To-morrow." Doris looked gloomy. "And I've got to go with him." "I'm glad." "You want to get rid of me?" Johnnie chuckled. " You don't know all the regulations, Doris. You see there's one that says that all members of the patrol must go back to training headquarters once in every twelve months, and I think I could be persuaded to apply for this "You mean you have applied," cor- net ed Doris with a happy smile. The next morning, in an orderly- room, (he sergeant was calling out the names of all recruits who had been detailed to undertake the course. Naturally Donovan's name bad to be called twice before he came panting into the room carrying a bulky suitcase. "Where's Michael Donovan?" " Here." "Sir," corrected 'he sergeant. " Sir," (Jrash said with a grin. "Thanks for letting us know," the ser- geant grinned back. "Take off your hat and sit down." Crash sat down next to Alabam, who was also going on the course. "Well, well, if it isn't, the dare-devil demon of the carnival!" jeered Alabam. "How'd you get in here? You know you have to pass a Civil Service exam- 19 ination. I didn't ever know you could read and write." "But the. guy next to me could," chuckled Crash The sergeant rapped on his desk to enjoin silence. "I've just got six weeks to make patrolmen out of you recruits, and from the looks of some of you, it's going to be a man-sized job." lie gav< a glowering look that was supposed to instil dread and respect. "Bring your bags and follow me." Crash Donovan was delighted to find that his room mate was Johnnie Allen, and he had scarcely unpacked when an orderly appeared to say that all recruits and those taking the course were to go at once to the main lecture hall. Here Chief Tennyson had a few words to say: "In addition to your first duty, which is regulation of motor vehicles, you have other responsibilities which you must. understand. You must protect the lives and property of the people of this state. even at the risk of your own. You must be ready to instruct them in the things that make for safety on our highways. You must learn courtesj patience—efficiency at all times. You will be put through what we call the hardening process." "What's that?" Crash hissed in Johnnie's ear. " All that the word ' hardening ' im- plies." Johnnie winked. "You go! la be tough to take it." Ciash had to agree after one day of the hardening process that you wanted the hide of a rhinoceros and the consti- tution of an ox. Gymnastics, physical dull. boxing, all-in wrestling. route marches, rifle practice and motor-cycle drill. Alabam and Johnnie were detailed off to assist with the instruction, and the former was detailed to conduct tie' n volver elass. He demonstrated to the besl of his ability how to draw a gun and aim at various targets. If the recruit, got six bullets on to the target he passed them through the first test. Crash had got his man pinned- down on a settee. October 31st, 1936.