Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

BOY'S CINEMA Every Tuesday Thrills and suspense pack the pages of this vivid drama of the French Foreign Legion. Gary Cooper, Ray Milland and Robert Preston are the stars MUTINY " IN THE AIR " FAR down in the heart of the Sahara Desert, the French militaiT outpost known as Foit Zinderneuf stands isolated in a wilderness of sand—a remote strong- hold against which many a band of fierce and fanatical Arabs have unavailinglj hurled themselves when their leaders havie preached the gospel of war; a stronghold located more than half a day's ride from Tokotu. where a formidable concentration of mobile troops belonging to France's army of Africa is always held in readiness for any eventuality. Gamsoned in rotation by successive companies of the renowned Foreign Legion, Zinderneuf had been manned for weeks past by a detachment officered by a certain Lieutenant Martin, and, though no raids had been launched against it by hostile desert tribesmen in the coiu-se of those weeks, all was not well at the fort. Indeed, it might have been better for everyone concerned if there had been fighting to be done during the weeks that had elapsed. For action would have kept the garrison occupied, and made life at Zinderneuf bearable, and there would have been no idle minds to hatch mischief. As it was, Zinderneuf had become a hell- on-earth to the legionnaires established there—to all of them, at least, save Ser- geant Markoff, second in command; Ser- geant Markoff. who was responsible for a dangerous and rebellious .spirit that was spreading through the gan-ison of the fort. Fever, sweltering heat, the monotonv of the burning landscape that encompassed the embi-asured walls of the stronghold— these were factors which the rank and file had been prepai-ed to withstand, and which they could have withstood. But Markoff was a factor which the majority of them could not endure. Of Russian origin, Markoff was a bully and a tyrant whose savage cruelty was a mania, a mania which had been curbed by his superior officers back in Tokotu, and which had been held in check bv Lieu- tenant Martin in the first weeks of the detachment's occupation of Fort Zinder- neuf. But for days now Lieutenant Martin had lain ill in his quarters, hovering between life and death, and ever since the lieutenant had taken to his bed Markoff had been in viitual control. The sergeant's authority had still been kept within bounds to some extent by Lieu- tenant Martin, who was popular with the /■ men, and who contrived to keep some sort of grip on the situation /in his conscious moments. Never- theless, there had been frequent instances of Markoff's almost in- sane brutality — chief among which was his treatment of two legionnaires who had attempted to desert, and who had been gicked up half dead with thirst y a couple of loyal Arab scouts attached to the fort. The two legionnaires in question <j( totxT mil, I'jr'.li. were deserving of punishment, but were also entitled to demand that they should be transported to Tokotu to air their grievances before a court-martial. Markoff however, had taken military law into his own hands, and, after taunting them piti- lessly, had flogged them back into the limitless sand wastes and condemned them to a lingering end. That same night, in the caserne or bariack-room of the fort, the name of Markoff figured prominently in the con- versation of the rank and file who sat down to the last meal of the day. It was a name uttered for the most part in accents of bitter loathing, and it was a name which was being coupled with speculations on the condition of Lieutenant Martin when the hated sergeant suddenly showed up in the doorway. A man of powerful build, with a close- cropped head and a blunt face whose baleful aspect was heightened by a livid scar on his cheek, Markoff's appearance was the signal for an abrupt cessation of the discussion that was afoot in the caserne, and as he barked an order at the legionnaires gathered there, they jerked themselves to their feet. Then he ran his eyes over them—eyes that held a peculiar glint of exultation which the men were quick to note. "Lieutenant Martin is dead!" Markoff announced abruptly. "He died a few minutes ago, and until another officer can be sent to replace him, I am in full com- mand !" He paused, and the expression in his eyes seemed to change from exultation to malevolence. "Yes, I am in full command," he I'e- peated, "and from this moment discipline at Fort Zinderneuf will be more severe than it has ever been. I pi^omise you that!" Without another word he turned on his heel and strode from the baiTack-room. and, following his departure, a blank silence reigned in the caserrie for the space of some sixty seconds, a silence that was broken all at once by a big legionnaire whose name was Schwartz, and who was of German birth. "Don't tell me he took your appetites away!" Schwartz flung at his comi^ades. "Huh, he'll take away more than that before long—if you let him. Listen, the blow we dreaded has fallen. Lieutenant Martin has gone, and we're at the mercy of Markoff. At least, we will be if we knuckle under, for you may be sure he'll be in no hmn' to send for another officer to replace the lieutenant. But the point is —are we going to knuckle under?" There was a negative gi'owl from the ma.iority of the assembled legionnaires, only three of those present failing to lend their voices to it. Of these three, one was a Belgian, called Maris. The other two were Englishmen, and brothers, Geste being their surname. John Geste, the younger of the brothers, was slim and dark-haired, with clean-cut features and clear blue eyes. The other, Michael, known to his intimates as Beau by reason of his strikingly handsome coun- tenance, was of fair colouring and impos- ing physique, standing well over six leet