Picture Show (Oct 1920 - Apr 1921)

Picture Show, March 32/.'i, 1921. BEGIN THIS SPLENDID ROMANCE OF THE GOOD OLD DAYS TO-DAY. Effie CALL OP T/IE ROAD! The Splendid New Serial Stor of the Famous British Film CHARACTERS IN THE STORY. \LFRED TRL'SC'OTT. who lias fitted the Hall with card-playing 1 friends; and is known' amongst litem as " The Lamb." He has been brought up. by his uncle, . SILAS TRUSCOTT, who, returning one night, luids out the state of affairs, and orders his nephew to leave the house. SIR MARTIN TREVOR, an inveterate gambler, is aniongst a -party .at the Hall on the evening before Silas Truscott's return. He changes . some dice for loaded ones, and the Lamb, roused to f ury,:. attacks .liiin. The result is that Sir Martin challenges him to a duel. V£l • ' PAGXMNI PRIMUS and PAGANINI SECWDt S, an old fiddler and a young boy who are " gentlemen of the road," are joined by Alfred when he takes his uncle at his word and leaves the Hall, and Alfred appoints Paganini Primus as his second in the duel. I,\DY ROWENA, Alfred's cousin, is told by her maid, of this duel, and determines to witness it, as she wishes to sec of what mettle her cousin, whom she has never seen, is made. She and her servant, from behind a clump of bushes, watch the duel which commences with Sir Martin Trevor being full of self-con tidenre, but his sword is suddenly sent spinning in the air. The Lamb, instead of killing him, tweaks the nose of his enemy, who vows vengeance for this act. Two days later Lady Rowena sets forth on a visit to her godmother. After the duel Alfred and the two Paganjnis take to the open road and presently they conic to a tavern owned by Punch Murphy, who is proud of his fighting abilities. He wagers a guinea that there is not a man Hiving who can "tap his snout." Alfred walks quietly up to him and his fist shoots out, landing squarely on the landlord's nose. Punch pays his guinea and challenges Alfred to a proper fight. The Fight in the parn— The Genial Stranger. THE young blacksmith was genuinely concerned on Alfred's behalf. .Ho knew all there was to bo known about' Punch Murphy, and most of it. was not to the old prizefighter's credit as a sportsman. Ten yeara before, Murphy's savage ferocity and his unscrupulous tactics in the ring had been notorious. Even in a proper fight with a strong referee to see fair play Punch Murphy had not. hesitated to resort to some very ugly tricks. Then was no knowing what he would do in an informal set-to of this kind in' his own barn. With these thoughts in his mind. Hammer John walked across to tho foolhardy young stranger, who was already peeling for the fray. " "lis foolish of theo, lad," said tho blacksmith bluntly. "It took me an hour to stop his gab." Alfred grinned in his cheerful boyish way. " Then, mayhap, 'twill take me two hours," he answered. " But even so, half-a-guinea an hour is no bad pay." " It will not last so long," said Hammer John gravely. " He'll break or maim thee in the first rive minutes. He has a punch liko a mule's kick, and what's more, he'll fight foul when ho gets the chance." " I'll make a note'of that, and many thanks," said Alfred as he stripped.,off his coat, j Hammer John was about to speak again, hut checked himself as his gaze fell upon the halfstripped figure of the young man. The huge yet shapely shoulders, the muscular ju-ins, the splendid sinews gave a suggestion of extraordinary strength, combined with a catlike agility and grace. A puzzled expression came into tho blacksmith's face. " Hast ever been in the ring, lad ? " ho asked abruptly. " 1' faith, no ! " replied Alfred, with a Inugh ; " 'tis a sport I'd liefer watch than play at." . " 'Tia a pity. Thou hast the makings of a goo'd 'iin. Put yourself under me for three months/ and I'll niateh thee "against Punch Murphy for twenty guineas. Hut this is a fool's yan.o thou art ploying now. Without experience " By A. E. COLEBY and HERBERT ALLINGHAM lhv coxcomb ready " Well, trussing ? " Punch Murphy, leaving his friends, strode into the operr space in the centre of the hamNow that he was stripped he looked a formidable character. He was shorter than Allied, but the great knotted muscles stood out on his hairy chest, and he looked as solid as a rock. " It's all in, mark you," he sairl with a cunning leer, " and we stop when one of us has had enough. You'll make a note of thai. Hammer John, and not be interfering." Tho blacksmith frowned, but said nothing. He had done his best, and now the young fool must take tho consequences of his own folly. Tho two Pugauinis were watching the proceedings witli the koenest anxiety. Primus cspcciully was very nervous as his champion advanced to meet the landlord. Alfred's face wore its customary goodhumoured smile, but his keen eyes were very watchful. Punch Murphy was full of confidence. He was slow and dull-witted, and even his brute strength— -His one great asset — had been sapjicd to some extent by years of soft living. It was his over -confidence, however, which led to his downfall. He advanced recklessly, with an exaggeration of the classical pose, as of one who is about to give an exhibition. There was nothing classical in Alfred's pose. Ignoring tho rule that a boxer should tako full advantage of his height, Truscott came in crouching, standing square on with both hands advanced. Punch inado a feint with his left, and then sent in a savage blow with his right at the mark. Alfred just saved himself, and than clinched. There was a wild wrestling scramble, and then to the amaaement of nil present the landlord was lifted bodily and Hung heavily to the wooden floor of the barn. Hammer John gave a ga«p, and then a delighted, gurgling laugh. " It's all in, Punch, and I'm not interfering," he shouted, with a chuckle? Murphy scrambled to his feet, and blind with rage flew at his antngoiiist. Tho whirlwind fury of his attack cAused Alfred to give ground, and for several seconds I lie re' was a terrific rough-and-tumble, the two mentrampling-' to and fro and round about whilo the audience shrieked and yelled encouragement and advice. Then < c i i t <« suddenly the end came. Alfred, through his inexperience, missed many of the openings which his opponent gave him, but at last he brought round a swinging left which caught Punch on the very point of his bulldog jaw. • The old bruiser went down with a crash to the wooden floor, half-rolled over, and then remained quite still. Alfred stood ready, that watchful look still in his eyes. He had not forgotten the advice he received, and he thought this might be a trick. Hammer John joined those who were bending over the landloi'd and trying to bring him round. After a very brief inspection the blacksmith turned, with a smile, to Alfred. " Thy guinea is safe ! " he said drily. Alfred, quickly followed by the two Rnganin:s. A alked across to the group. Primus had put away his snuffbox and tried to look as though the result of the combat was exactly what he had expected. Tho landlord was beginning to stir. When at last his little eyes opened he fixed themon Alfred in a dazed stare. Alfred put out his hand. " Tho luck was mine," he said good-naturedly. " Xot badly hurt, I trust ? " Punch Murphy made no answer. His silence was not due to surliness. He was still dazed, and his expression indicated not so much anger or indignation as a kind of infantile wonder. He could not yet understand what had happened to him or how it had happened. He allowed himself to be helped to his foet. and thou still in a very groggy state, lurched out of the bar without a word. In a moment Alfred was surrounded by a voluble throng of admirers. The most exuberant of them all was I key Barnes. " Wonderful, 'my boy ; wonderful ! " he cried, dancing round the new champion like a eat on hot bricks. " One round ! Punch Murphy in one round ! And it took the Chicken twenty rounds to beat hiin. My boy, you're a marvel f " " "l'was a different Punch Murphy who fought tlte Chicken," said Hammer John quietly. " All the same, sir, 'twas prettily done. Thou art a natural fighter, and hath the makings of a champion, if my opinion is worth aught." " Meanwhile," interposed Primus, as ho took a leisurely pinch of snuff, " methinks there was some talk of a guinea— — " " That's true," said Alfred, with a laugh. " Conic, lads, lot's get back to the bar and make a hole in that same guinoa. Mayhap our good landlord hath a bottle of wine in his cellar." They trooped back to tho bar oP Tho Two Pishes in a body, where they found Punch Murphy slowly recovering over a glass of neat gin. He was not alone. At the little round table near the wooden settle sat a now customer. He was a young man under thirty, smartly but soberly dressed. In a bold way ho was handsome, with a pair of keen, sloe-black eyes. In spite of his attire and the easy self-assurance of his manner he did not look quite a gentleman. There was something about him — a slightly exaggerated swagger, perhaps— which marked him out as one who aped gentility, and was not to the manner born. He looked up as the party entered, anil surveyed each member of it with a bold yet friendly stare. He was a man who got on well with stranger-!, .and it was part of his bxfsinoss to make now acquaintances. Good-day to you. gentlemen ! " ho said pleasantly. • Most of tho company eyed him suspicions^ as is the rustic manner, but Alfred acknowledged his salutation with a friendly nod. "Good-day, friend. Our worthy landlord . is about to treat us to a bottle of his l>e«t wine. May bo you'll' join u*;,,! >,o . That will I ! " said tho stranger. " These parts are now to me. Rut 1 like your custom*. (Continual on page 8.)