Boy's Cinema (1935-39)

Every Tuesday sentence, for it was at this juncture that Talbot strode through the door- way with Don shambling at his heels. " Excuse me, general,'' Talbot an- nounced, " but here's this organ-player back again. He claims he has another message from the Eagle." There was a scraping of chairs as Burr, Petroff and the count rose to their feet and concentrated their gaze on Don Loring. Then the general stepped nearer to the supposed organist. "A message from the Eagle, eh?" he barked. " Say, how is it he picks on you to deliver his messages?" "I—I don't know. I only wish—he wouldn't pick on me. He makes me nervous—in those black clothes of his —and the mask—and—and " "All right, all right," Burr cut in. "What's his message, anyway?" Don moistened his lips. "Well, I—I haven't the slightest idea what he means," he blurted, "but he asked me to tell you that he'd be here five minutes after I arrived." "Five minutes after you arrived?" Burr rapped out, and then: "Come on, friends, we'll get ready to receive our visitor!" No further heed was paid to Don. With one accord, Burr, Petroff, Talbot and Raspinoff stampeded from the room, and, finding himself alone, the bogus organist from the San Antonio chapel promptly began to divest him- self of the grey suit he was wearing. Thirty seconds later he stood re- vealed as the Eagle, and, after thrust- ing the discarded suit under a couch and concealing his features with his mask, he plucked out a revolver and stepped forth into the hall. Burr was at the front door of the hacienda with Raspinoff. Petroff and Talbot were hastening away in opposite directions with the general's orders ringing in their ears. "Get the men to their posts. Tell tlu.n: to grab the Eagle the moment he enters the courtyard. Bring out the Vigilantes and pick a firing-squad for them. Huh, so the Eagle thought I'd really set them free if he surrendered! He'll know different when we stick him amongst 'em and start shooting them down." The great patio was soon transformed into a scene of activity, and the clamour that, resounded within its con- fines only died down when the prepara- tions for the Eigle's anticipated arrival had been completed. Then Jason Burr turned to Raspinoff. "ft won't be long now, count," he said, "before you have the pleasure of witnessing the mass execution of our enemies." The emissary of the Tsar grimaced. "If you don't mmd, general," he murmured, "I think I'll wait in the study until it's all over. I'm afraid I have a tendency to be a little squeamish on these occasions." Burr shrugged his shoulders, and the count turned to retrace his steps. On his way to the study he saw no sign of Don, however, for the latter had dodged into an alcove, from which he only emerged when the Russian had passed by. The coast clear, Don advanced stealthily to the doorway in which Jason Burr was standing, and, coming up behind the scoundrel, he glanced out into tho courtyard to see the general's armed hirelings assembled in groups at every vantage-point, Cossacks and gangsters intermingling. Then his eyes became focused on a file of carabineers under the command of Petroff—fur- capped Muscovites who were levelling BOY'S CINEMA their guns at a band of defenceless men, the condemned Vigilantes. Don's face tightened, and, careful to remain hidden from the view of those in the courtyard, he thrust the muzzle of his Colt towards the tyrant in the hacienda doorway. "Keep perfectly still, Burr," he drawled, "if you know what's good for you." The general stiffened in every limb, and, half turning his bullet head, he gave vent to a smothered imprecation as he saw the masked figure of the Eagle behind him. But, his glance dropping to the revolver, he made no further sound or movement. "I've kept my appointment, Burr," Don went on. "Now release my men." "Take it easy," the other croaked. " Let's—let's talk this thing over." "There's nothing to talk about. Do as I tell you, or I'll blow a hole clean through you. Release my men, give them their horses and disperse your own scum to their quarters." There was no doubting the sincerity of the threat, and with the barrel of the revolver boring into his spine, The BODY ON THE BEACH iat is the sec- iret of the sinister, haunted castle on the cliff-top ? What is the mystery behind the apparently drowned body found on the beach that Sexton Blake proved was never in the sea at all ? Here is a grand. book-length thriller that will grip you all through. Ask for No. 588 of SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY Of all Newsagents 4° Jason Burr suddenly called out to Petroff in an urgent tone: "Hey, there, I've changed my mind! Turn those Vigilantes loose—let 'em take their ponies—and send 'em liome." Petroff could scarcely believe Ins ears. He gaped at Burr from the far side of the courtyard, but failed to see the black-clad form who was surrep- titiously covering the general. "Go on, do as I say!" General Burr shouted. His instructions were carried out, the prisoners being set free; and when these had galloped from the stronghold with a bewilderment only exceeded by the wonder written on tho coun- tenances of Burr's own men, the general ordered his men to return to their cantonments. "And now, friend Burr," Don said then, "we'll talk things over." "I think it's time we all did some talking," another voice interposed. It was the voice of Count Raspinoff. The astonishing commands of Burr must have reached his ears, and, dumb- founded at first, he had at length emerged from the study to perceive the reason for the change in the general's demeanour. And now the Russian was 25 close behind Don Loring, and was hold- ing the point of a sword against the young Californian's back. The sword was one which Raspinoff wore merely as a decoration. It was questionable whether he had ever used it as an offensive weapon. Nor did it prove of much value to him now-, for, wheeling, Don struck it aside and closed with the man to hurl him to the tioov and wrest the blade from his clutch. The brief scuffle cost Don his re- volver, however, for he was unlucky enough to lose his grip on it, and m au instant Jason Burr had dived for it and snatched it up. Yet ere the general could cover him with the fire- arm the younger man had brought the (lat of Raspinoff's sword across the tyrant's hand. Burr dropped the Colt with a yelp of pain, and it was as he uttered that cry that Petroff appeared unexpectedly on the threshold of the house with four or five of his Muscovite troopers. They had entered truculently enough for the purpose of asking why the Vigilantes had been allowed to go free after proving themselves so dangerous to Burr's cause. But at sight of the masked, dark-clad figure of the Eagle they understood the situation immedi- ately, and a chorus of guttural ex- clamations broke from their throats. Out came their sabres, the steel scraping in the scabbards and flashing on high. In the same moment Don sprang hack to put himself on tho de- fensive, but in doing so he tripped over the corner of a low bench, and next second, even as he sprawled his length, the party of Cossacks rushed for him in a body to hack tho life out of him with their razor-edged swords! (To be continued in another grand epi- sode next week. By permission of British Lion Film Corporation, Ltd., starring Bob Livingston.) biiihuhiiii !.B 1 a I ■ I P ■ B i - I "OUR FIGHTING NAVY" I (Continued from page 10.) = frnBiiiwimiiwmiiiHiiiwimiiwiiBiiiwii Now, Captain Markham was under the impression that Pamela was in love with young Armstrong; moreover, he was convinced that ho was destined to be a bachelor. Also, ho was too old for a gfrl like Pamela. "Good follow, Armstrong," he re- marked when they were alone. "I think he's a dear, but " "But what?" " But I'm not in love with him." Pamela looked at the captain in a man- ner that even that dense hero could understand. An officer knocked and entered. He coughed discreetly because the captain's arms were around the girl. "Your boat is alongside, sir." "Tell thorn to make it fast," cried the captain. "Aye, aye, sir!" cn'ed the officer. When the door had closed Markham turned eagerly to the girl Hi' his dreams. "Do you really moan it'.'" Pamela laughed. " Aye. aye, sir !" It, was Markham, and not tho un- fortunate Bill Armstrong, who took Pamela Bront ashore. (By permission of Herbert Wilcox Pro- ductions, Ltd., distributed throughout the United Kingdom and Irish Free State by General Film Distributors. Ltd.. starring Robert Douglas. Hazel Terry and Richard Cromwell.) August 21st, 1337.