Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday 8i,bt.errauean re reat. "As good old Casar sa.d, A 1 roads lead to rum.' " itxe projected assassiuatiou tempor- arily foi;gott.en, they prowled about among the bottles and barrels, and iiup presently pointed to a little barrel on which was chalked: "Napoleon Brandy, 100 years old." >'PO'eon We,^ .'"'"fj'-ed ^ years old !" breathed Wendell a most in worship. "How could they let it live that lonc^?" BOY'S CINEMA The Baron Decides. HAVING discovered the Napoleon brandy it was perhaps only natural that they shoL.ld decide ably palatable and potent. They sampled it again and again They became a trifle incoherent in Hie I r speech, but ro-cemented their triendship. "Who i., this big four-flushor Baron Bog.udus anyway?" scoffed Zup nf 7h'"f ^ -'■°" .'"•oi'Srl't the matter "wt .r'\,V.P' ^"P-" ««'f' Wendell. . Hhat? Who? Which?" i^up—Zup." "Ail right. Now Where's this guv Bo?ardus going to get off, trying to put me on the spot'" ^ S lo Wendell waved the drinking-cup which n-as in his right hand. ' '^ ".^ll h -J'''' "'y '^'ft," he said, sock him with my right, and you can elter."' °^ "'" ^°°'' "'^'' =' ''"'•''«' ^^^ Now Baron Bogardus had been in- formed by the royal servants that the rival kings had departed from the banqueting chamber. leaving iheir jneal unhnished. He had been n onned, also, that no shooting had ake.i place. He set out to fi.ul lie pair, and having searched the grounds he returned to the palace. ^'""nas Ihe open door above the cellar a iracted his attention and the so nd of voices reached his ears from below He^^crept stealthily down the stone •Avi, f ''' fli'afi'ig Napoleon brandv What you say's all very well, but I T e h- T' ^^'^t''.^°r *° ^'"'""« l>i"'- imle, " c^ ^'i ^^'^y arrested ten m.les^^__away-for flying without a Wendell laughed. wl',en°r -!:"7' '"■'?\ ^''•" ^°'"' t<^ do- wlicn 1 _»ee inm.'" he inquired thicklv I m goin- to say, 'Hallo! Fishface! ''■ "P f'.'^^T.' Pffocf!" chuckled Zup Perfect! But lemme-let me call h m fi.hface, will you? I'd like to'- «^-°', "^ goina call him fishface " iNo I want a " "I thought of it first—I'm going to call him Fishface." "All right, then. But when I see that big hunk of cheese—why 1 m goin' to walk right up to hiiil —like this—and I'm goin' to sav to liim " i^r^"'!',/^'''?, '"''''''"ff a"0S3 to Wendell with a truculent air ao- propnate to the Jiumiliation of a detoMable baron. But he .stoiiped short, and his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped, for the baron had now descended the la.=;t step aiKl was towering over him III see you later," gasped Zup and would have .scrambled lip the stei)s in his panic, had r'ot a massive paw shot out and "'■aiJSed him back. "What were you going to call ni!". roared the baron "Fishface!" cried Wendell, ^ii'>se back was turned to both of "No, no!-' cried Zup, and whistled warningly. "The baron!" \Vendell turned, went very white, and spiUecl a quantity of precious brandv. "Why haven't you been assassina^ed ?" demanded the baron, giving Zup a push that sent Jum staggering l>ackwards against the talkie. And : "Whv didn't vou shoot him?" he bellowed, swinging round on Wendell. u-l'^^Tr'f'^ ^ wearing my shirt," lied Wendell fearfully. ;;Yeah, I got his shirt on." said Zup. My spies are everywhere," the baron reared. Escape is impossible. You king Zup, shall die!" "Oh, but listen, baron " "You shall die! That's finaP" leah," persisted Zup, "I—I „ot hat point «ll right, but here's the-die thing I don t like about it. I don't like tins shooting business. Never did' Purely there must bo some clever modern "ay of bumping me off?" The baron scowled and thought. 'mtAi""""'' modern way. eh?" lie jeered Well, you shall have it! What is the newest thing in science?" "Einstein's theorv about relatives" suggested Zup. "No." said the baron. 'No?" "No—the aeroplane." ''The aeroplane?" echoed Wendell. u'l'Y^'' J,o-™orrow we shall declare a iiolida.y. There will be a cereinonv—and some tune during that ceremonv a bomb will be dropped on you from "an aero- plane. ;;0n me"' ga.sped Zup. "A bomb?" A bomb.' shivered Wendell. "T.^^^u,"'^'^ *'^® ''»''°" triumphantlv i' will be new-it will be novel It wii; be remembered for years." 11 "Yes," groaned Zup, "but not by me. ' "Oh, you " And the baron turned contemptuously on his heel and went ..., out of the cellar. , . Wendell and Zup looked at one another la silence for a while. dei?^ff"'ii*'"'u\-='" settled," said Wen- dell, finally "\ou won't have anything to worry about now." bevnn!i"■l','''''^'''''""i °"^ ^'"»" *•'<= shadowy bevond the barrels to rub its head against Zup s legs; but in the circum- Ih.T^n- '' V,"°! P"'l>='red to believe that this portended good luck for him. Wine wa, dripping from a tap of a barrel into a pan beneath it, and the cat, having made a fuss of Zup in vain n^^t T" *rn *^'^ P''" '■""' ''"'PP^'d at il.; contents. Ihe two unhappy nionarcLs stood watching curiously ; thev had never sceii a cat drink wine before Presently the animal reeled, rolled over on Its back, and pawed the air Careful!' exclaimed Wendell, back- ing hastily away. "Don't let him kick Assassination Day. THAT night criers were sent out inio the streets to announce tliat tl.o next day would be a public holid^v and the news was broadcast bv radio ah over the kingdom. "Assassination Ua>- became the topic of the hour Siy morning posters containing full details were to be seen evcrvwhere and t.i- btate Railway ran excursions from every corner of the little countrv to its capital. By ten o'clock the roval park wa.s crowded with people who had paid to enter it; flags and banners waved in t 10 streets, and a militarv band paraded the city and marched proudiv into the park, playing the El Doranian national uiithom. Trees were few in the park, and seals tew-er. Iwo enterprising tradesmen made a .small fortune by selling footstools and cushions to those who wanted to sit down. Refreshment stalls and bootlw sprang up like mushrooms all round (he the baron', orders—tho " Rejoice, son, rejoice I " boomed Zup. i: I am rejoicing," declared Wendell. SeBtember 12tU, l9.}ij