Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

12 great ccutrol space of'gravcl patl)s and velvet lawns was kept clear. WJierc Iwo paths intersected, an clabomtc throne Jiad been placed—for Zup's benefit. On tiic palace side of the park <i small grandstand had been erected (in the small hours of the morning) to provide members of the i-oyai court and men and women of high social .standing with a complete view ©1 the proceedings. At ten-thirty Zup descended the stone steps from the palace, arrayed in mili- tiary uniform and a plumed helmet, carrying a gold-mounted cane, smoking (I cigar, and trying to look cheerful. Behind him miarched four soldieirs and a young officer, full of importance. "Squad—right ! March!" cried this ofllccr at the foot of the steps. tVarlotta came running up to Zup, ap- propriately drcs.sed all in black. "Squad—halt!" howled the officer. "Ah, there you are, you little dump- ling," said Zup. "Your Majesty," exclaimed Oarlotta, wiping away a tear, "I am sad." "I don't blame you, honey," res- ponded Zup. " This is going to be pretty tough on you." "You'll bo missed!" "I hope so," said Zup, but without sonviction. "Your Majesty," said the officer, .saluting, "the royal bomb chair awaits you." "'rii«i.nk \ou, my man. thank you," Zup iflnswcred, returning the salute, end then, whimsically to Carlotta : " You know, I don't want to be late for this," he declared. "They tell mo the house is nearly sold out." "Be torave, your Majesty," wept Car- lotta, "he brave. Promise me you won't go to pieces." "That's up to the aviator," remarked Zup gloomily. "Come, men!" "Forward—march!'' barked the officer. C/arlotta moved away: Zup and his guardians marched on—and a thousand polTs of c-ycs were focused on them. But as they approached the drive out of which opened the path that led lo the waiting throne, Wendell stepped forward and beckoned. He was neatly dressed in a light grey suit and ^vas wearing a grey top-hat. He seemed to bo bursting with cagcrncj^s, :ind Zup turned towards him. "Guard—halt !" cried the officer. And I he four .':oldiers stopped short, wfiile Zup went on to meet his chum. "What's the matter?" he inquired. WendcU made signs that he did not want to be overheard by the guard, and Zup promptly waved his arm and cried out: " Hi! Army—reverse !" The soldiers turned about. " Now what is it?" "Boy," said Wendell excitedly, "have I got good news for you?" "I suppose," growled Zup. "you're going to tell me that you've thought of a more enjoyable way of bumping mo off?" ^ " No—no ! Listen, Zup! I've been up most of the night taking out the caps that make the bombs explode!" "Wait a minute—wait a minute!" said Zup incredulously. "You mean to tell mo that tlie bombs won't explode?" "They can't explode now!" "On, well!" Zup drew a long and riuivering sigh of relief. "Then I can speak freely." He held out hie hand, which Wendell grasped and shook. ■' What a pal! What a pal!" On one of the lawnx, far acioss the park, an aeroplane was resting, ready t>c|it'emb«r 12th, 1931. BOY'S CINEMA for flight. Its pilot, a cross-eyed • man in overalls, was tinkering with a number of elongated bombs which he was attach- ing to a contrivance over the under- carriage. Baron Bogardus made his way heavily across to the machine. "Is evei-jthing ready?" he demanded harshly. "Sure!" rejilied the cro.s.s-eyed pilot. " Everything !"- "Look me in the eyes when you speak to me!" rasped the baron. The pilot stood up and faced him, but his double equint prevented him from obeying the command in full. He scram- bled over the side of the machine into the cockpit and leaned down. "Lovely day for the assassination," he observed. "How.do you feel—pretty steady?" in- quired the baron. "No—rather shaky. I've been up half the night, putting back the caps so the bombs can explode!" "Very good, my man—very good!" boomed the baron, and pointed to the distant throne. " 'There's your objective —King Zup will sit on that. And don't drop any of your bombs on the crowd!" The baron strode away along the paths to one of the walls of the palace beneath which Boris and Ricardo were awaiting him. Two mechanics stood by the aero- plane, ready to swing the propeller. The band, which had lapsed into silence, struck up the national anthem again as Zup and Wendell marched to- gether in front of the four soldiers and the officer in the direction of the throne. The spectators waved and shouted; the throne was reached. Wendell helped Zup into it, but Zup stood on its little dais and raised liLs cane—and thereupon a man in front of the little grand-stand put a megaphone to his mouth and yelled: ■ "Now, boys, come on! Let's give a big shout for the king!" The baron was annoyed. This inter- ruption was not on the official pro- grammes. But there came a tremendous roar from the grand-stand. "Rah! Rah! Rah! Sise-Boom— Bah ! Rickety Rex ! Rickety Rex ! Rickety Rup—King Zup ! King Zup ! King Zup! Hooray!" As if by magic huge cards were raised on high, spelling the word "Zup." And Zuj) bowed from his throne, or bomb chair. Baron Bogardus was furious—and a little scared. Evidently Zup had far more friends than he had imagined. A dangerous fellow! Given a few more days, he might even have brought about the baron's own downfall! He barked at Boris, and Boris waved a signal for the aeroplane to ascend. The engines roared, the propeller began to revolve, the machine went rushing across the grass on its wheels, then took off, skimmed just over the top of some bushes, circled and rose higher. "Everyone out of the danger zone!" shouted Boris at the top of his voice, and the man with the megaphone heard, and took up the cry. Immediately there was a stampede for safety, and the park was ringed with spectatois, leaving the heart of it empty, save for Zup on his throne, and Wendell, lingering beside him. "Zup," said Wendell gleefully, "you're getting another break ! Guess who is going to be the aviator that drops the bombs!" "Who?" asked Zup, pufBng at his cigar. "Yon remember cross-eyed Ben?" "Old cross-eyed Ben?" exclaimed Zup. "You mean that? Why, I knew him in Brooklyn 1" A' Every Tuesday "Is he really cock-eyed, or does he just look that way?" "Is he cock-eyed?" repeated Zup. "Why he's so cock-eyed that he spent three years in the south-east trying to join the North-West Mounted Police!" Wendell chuckled, and clapped his chum on the back. "Look," he said, pointing, "the 'plane has taken the air.'- "Take the air yourself, pal," recom- mended Zup. "This is the danger zone!" They shook hands and parted, and Wendell made his way slowly towards the spot where the baron, Boris, Ricardo, and the soldiers were standing, pulling out a handkerchief as he went and pretending to shed tears into it. • The Final Bomb. LL round the park workmen were closing gaps in a ring of barbed wire erected to keep impetuous sightseers from venturing into danger. Wendell, looking back at the lonely Zup, blundered clean into a patch of it, and was trying to extricate himself when the first bomb fell. It exploded in the middle of a path about a hundred yards from Zup—ex- ploded with a tremendous noise. A black cloud rose up info the air, and dust and stones were showered in all directions. Wendell, still more entangled with the barbed wire by the force of the explo- sion, looked wildly towards the throne and shouted: "I think I. must have forgotten to take the cap out of that one!" Zup had removed his cigar from his mouth in alarm as the bomb went oflf, but it hadn't fallen near him, so he restored the cigar and puffed vigorously. "Boy," he called back, "this kills me!" Two more bombs feU In rapid sucoes- sion, while Ben, the cross-eyed aviaWli', circled above his intended victim. Zup stepped in haste from his throne as the first one exploded^perilqiisly near the grand-stand—then, darted back to it as the second whined and burst right ahead of him. "You must have forgotten to take the cap out of that one, too!" he shouted. Wendell's clothes had become a wreck, and so h.id his hat, in his frenzied efforts to free himself from the barbed wire. Blood was trickling down his cheeks and arms—and now Ben, in his machine, was swooping lower. Another bomb droned earthwards, buried itself in the ground, and . ex- ploded. A column of smoke and dirt arose—and the dirt descended. But as the air cleared it was seen that Zup was running back to the throne he had deserted and was unhurt. All round the park the spectators began to boo. Ben, swooping low, released another bomb, and this one exploded so near Wendell that he was flung clear of the-j entanglement, but with barbed wire fes- tooned all about him. He stared as he raised himself tec his knees. Zup was sitting calmly on his throne, but the grand-stand had collapsed, and men and women were crawling from the wreckage. The baion danced with rage; after all, there was little else he could do without risking his life—a thing he wouldn't ; dream of doing on purpose! Yet another bomb fell, but this on did not explode. Evidently Ben had n^ restored its cap. It struck the i)ath immediately in front of Zup's legs, bounced, rolled, and came to rest almost beneath his feet, its fuse sizzling. (Continaed on page 27.)