Danger Trail #2 is an issue of the series Danger Trail (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1950.
Synopsis for King Faraday: "Hangman's House"
Wandering the city, King Faraday is surprised by an old quarter hitting the ground in front of him. He recognizes it as an old signal from his war days and seats himself in a nearby car with his old paratrooper buddy Jimmy West. West recruits Faraday for a government job: criminals have faked an eminent scientist's death and have imprisoned him in Hangman's House. It's up to Faraday to rescue Arnold Leroy, the next Einstein, before America's enemies discover the knowledge he possesses.
Later, Faraday waits for Jimmy to pick him up. However, Jimmy's being tailed and speeds by King to escape his pursuer. The criminals kill Jimmy and his driver in a shootout, but Faraday rushes over to take out the murderers. Faraday is brought to the police station but is soon released and heads to the airport to meet a Colonel Danby, who gives the detective a photograph of Leroy and a list of contacts he must reach in forty-eight hours. While on the plane, Faraday and Danby debate the merits of hypnosis, and King manages to hypnotize himself. Reaching the destination, Faraday jumps out of the plane, parachuting into the water below.
Making his way to the town near Hangman's House, Faraday gets himself thrown in the notorious prison by picking a fight at a local bar. As they boat to the prison, Faraday sees a body in a sack being thrown from the walls. The detective is put in a cell but, using his quarter as a lure, manages to overtake a careless guard. Faraday steals the man's pistol and forces him to lead the way to Arnold Leroy's cell. Reaching the scientist's quarters, the guard turns the tables and struggles with Faraday. Faraday, however, knocks out the guard and opens the cell. Out of his mind from torture, Leroy is hypnotized by King, putting the old man to sleep. Faraday hypnotizes the guard into believing he will see two dead bodies and hypnotizes himself in order to enter a deep sleep. The guard, believing he has killed two important prisoners, puts the bodies in sacks and throws them from the walls.
Faraday awakens underwater and rescues the professor. However, they are soon found by the officer Faraday had fought earlier in the bar. Faraday pulls the officer into the water and steals his boat. They almost manage to escape, but they crash into a pursuing boat. Somehow escaping again, King and Leroy float to shore, where they are rescued by their secret contacts.
Appearing in King Faraday: "Hangman's House"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Arnold Leroy
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Jimmy West
- Colonel Danby
Locations:
- Hangman's House
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Shadows Over London"
In London's Paddington Station, Matty Raven, special investigator, leaps out of the way of deadly gunfire. A female witness saves Raven's life, and the shooters speed away. Two police officers quickly reach the scene and question Matty. He's in London on assignment to find a missing agent named Edwin J. Bentley. Raven has no idea who tried to kill him; only an old friend, Vince Cass, knew he was coming. The woman and Raven part ways, but he is suspicious and tails her.
As he follows the woman, she turns and notices him. Suddenly, the gunmen return, and Matty flees the scene. Running to a construction site, Raven climbs onto a pipe to hide. The crooks arrive, and he throws a coin to draw away their attention. While they chase the distraction, he overhears the fact that they were sent specifically to kill him. Raven leaps on the closest gunman and demands information, but the man stammers until his partner jumps into the fight. Outnumbered, it looks like Matty's number is up, until the police arrive on the scene. The gunmen flee, and the woman explains she called for the police. He heads to the Devonshire Hotel to relax and think about who is trying to kill him and where his missing man is.
He arrives at the hotel and inquires about the missing Bentley. Apparently, Bentley paid his rent two months in advance and disappeared. The next day, Raven goes to see his old friend Vince, and the two men discuss the Dodgers and the Giants. The two men tour London, and Raven asks his friend about the infamous Mr. X who is the talk of the town. X is a mysterious smuggler who has yet to be caught by the authorities. After seeing all the sights, the men stand on the Ministry of Information building, reminiscing about London during the Blitz. Knocked off-balance by the wind, Vince stumbles, hitting Matty, who dangles from the edge of the building. Staring at Vince, Matty realizes that it's really an imposter. The man reveals himself to be notorious Mr. X.
Before Raven is killed, the woman from earlier distracts X. Matty swings into an open window and runs through the building to see the woman being dragged toward an elevator. The police arrive, and X is trapped with Raven on the roof. Raven figures out X's plot. Looking like Vince's double, X impersonated the American. When he received Matty's telegram, he realized that the American investigator represented a major threat to his operation. As X backs up, he falls over the edge to his death.
Matty heads to the street where the woman is revealed to be a London cop in charge of finding smuggled goods. The London police realized that Bentley and X were working together and that Bentley was killed after an argument between the criminals. Raven was just a decoy all along. Bentley responds with a simple request: asking the woman's name.
Appearing in "Shadows Over London"
Featured Characters:
- Matty Raven
Supporting Characters:
- Unnamed Female Cop
- Vince Cass
Antagonists:
- Mr. X
Other Characters:
- Edwin J. Bentley
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Trouble in Trinidad"
Ross Page's ship, USS Star of Africa, docks at port on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. Before Ross heads out for shore leave, the second mate asks him to give some Algerian chocolates to a singer named Celestina at the Green Rooster. Walking the streets of the port, he sees a robber get shot. The shooter flees the scene, and Ross is accosted by two men who steal the chocolates. Ross talks the situation over with the police and heads for the Green Rooster.
He is instantly attracted to the beautiful singer, and the two go for an evening carriage ride, where Celestina reveals she has feelings for Ross. Page returns to the ship and leaves a note for the second mate, Len. He returns to walk the streets but cannot get Celestina off his mind. Later, Ross finds a note from her asking to meet her in the city. He heads for the rendezvous with flowers but is dismayed to find guns pointed at him when he arrives: the chocolates Len wanted him to deliver were more than just chocolates. Ross tells his story, and the men knock him out.
He awakens to find Celestina freeing him from his bonds and sees Len discussing the new asphalt being loaded on the ship; Len also mentions a plan to kill Page. Ross fights the thugs and flees the scene to protect Celestina. Running to find the police, Ross hears a flute and recalls Len using a flute as a distraction. The flute is haunting and makes Page forget his purpose. The playing causes a rope to rise in the air. A man climbs it and both disappear. The crowd is hypnotized, but Ross maintains his senses and observes the asphalt being moved. He grabs a sword and rushes back to rescue Celestina.
Page arrives and quickly dispatches the thugs. The couple drive off at high speed, attracting the attention of the police. Everyone arrives at the waterfront, and the thugs are killed in a shootout. Len's plan is revealed: the asphalt carried diamonds and Celestina would carry the diamonds in her box of chocolates, unwittingly keeping the merchandise safe. With the crime solved, Ross gets the girl and saves the day.
Appearing in "Trouble in Trinidad"
Featured Characters:
- Ross Page
Supporting Characters:
- Celestina
Antagonists:
- Len Davis
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Trinidad
Items:
Vehicles:
- USS Star of Africa
Synopsis for "Toreador From Texas"
Texas Williams arrives in Argentina at the city of Tierra del Toros to meet a man about purchasing cattle. The streets quickly empty of people, and the town is deserted. Texas is confused, but a beautiful woman warns him of the coming of El Barbas. El Barbas appears, a raging bull destroying everything in his path. Texas pulls his pistol to shoot the creature, but the woman stops him: killing the bull means death. He grabs her and makes the bull crash through a nearby window. They use this to escape, climbing the base of a statue where Barbas cannot reach them.
The woman explains that the bull is released once a month by El Res, his handler. The bull cannot be killed because it is considered sacred by the townspeople. To kill the bull means the killer must die. El Res arrives and rides away on El Barbas. The woman's name is revealed to be Maria, and Texas meets her fiancee, the man who owns the cattle he came to look after. Maria protests being called a fiancee to Don Felipe whom she does not love, and the couple walk away.
After seeing Maria off, Texas jumps into Felipe's carriage and they ride to his ranch, El Rancho Toros. As they ride through the ranch, Texas notes the vast cattle herds Felipe owns. He also sees a tiny house owned by squatters on Felipe's land. The squatters, Maria, her mother, and brother Ramon, lost their father to the deadly El Barbas. Felipe pities them and allows them to stay on his land. They reach the ranch house, but Tex feels unsettled by Don Felipe's veiled threats.
The next day, they tour the ranch. They witness Ramon practicing his bullfighting skills. Ramon misjudges the bull and is almost killed when Tex jumps into the ring. The American masterfully fights the bull and rescues Ramon. Later that night, a party is held in Tex's honor. Felipe decides to make the purchase of the cattle conditional on one thing: Tex must stand in the arena as a bullfighter.
The next day, Tex stands in the arena as his opponent enters; El Barbas charges through the gate. Tex dodges as the bull runs at him but loses his red cape. Backed against the wall, Tex faces certain death. To everyone's amazement, the Texan grabs the bull by the horns and wrestles him to the ground. Felipe jumps into the arena and shoots the bull in the head several times. El Res, the bull's handler, jumps into the ring to save the sacred animal, but El Barbas mortally wounds the two men in his death throes. On his deathbed, El Res reveals that he was ordered to kill Maria's father by Felipe to cover up the fact that Maria's family were the true owners of El Rancho Toros. In the end, Tex asks for his cattle, but Maria prefers to put pleasure before business.
Appearing in "Toreador From Texas"
Featured Characters:
- Texas (Tex) Williams
Supporting Characters:
- Maria Dolores Conchita de Vega y Constanza
Antagonists:
- El Barbas, the bull
- El Res
- Don Felipe del Rancho Toros
Other Characters:
- Ramon
Locations:
- Argentina
- Tierra del Toros
- El Rancho Toros
Items:
Vehicles:
See Also
Links and References
