Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday Trouble Brewing. TWO of the ciew stood near the ship's side. One of them was the irrepressible Briney of the lusty voice, and the other was an able-bodied seaman named Burke. Leaning over the bulwark they gazed at the heaving waters of the ocean and occasionally caught a glimpse of the pale-green belly of a shark. The sea was infested with the brutts, and the two sailors looked at them vvit^ the disgust of men who had learned to hate and fear the snap of their deadly jaws. "It alius gives me a turn to watch them critters," Briney said with a shudder. "I never seen so many of 'em around a ship." Burke looked over his shoulder cautiously. "Ah," he told Briney with a murky air, "an' speakin' o' sharks, I never seen so many of 'em in a ship." "In a ship?" Briney echoed dully. "You're crazy, Burke." "Oh, no, I ain't," Burke retorted. "Bull Black, for one—^he's what I call ' a shark.' " "Aw, you mean human bein's ? -Say, I know a lotta sharks that walk around in pants." Burke laid a hand on the big fellow's eleeve. "You know, Briney," he said, "there's something about this craft I don't like. It gives me the shivers— like a ship with a curse on it, an' if you ask me, we're all headed for trouble." "Stow it," Briney scoffed. "You alius was superstitious." "Well, I can't riglitly explain the way I feel," Burke rejoined. "But I've got a hunch there's a storm blowin' up for us all, if you know what I mean. An' it ain't superstition that makes me say so." "It don't look like dirty weather to me," Briney declared innocently, studying the vivid blue sky. Burke leaned nearer to him. "I ain't talkin' ' about weather," he said. "But I am talkin' of squalls, and its my opinion that one's liable to break right here on this ship. I never did BOY'S CINEMA know a craft that didn't have trouble when mate and skipper wrangled like Bull Black and Captain Drake do. I'm tellin' yuh they don't see eye to eye nohow, an' Black ain't the man to take orders lyin' down when he's in a position to defy 'em." "What could Bull Black do?" Briney argued. "Drake's in command, an' everybody has to do what he tells 'em. otherwise it's plain mutiny on the high seas." "Ah, an' tliat's the hang of it, matey," Burke declared. "'Mutiny on the High Seas '! That's the squall this craft is headed for. Have ye seen the way them fo'c'slo swabs Dempster, Gavigan, Markham an' Ba.xter get into a corner an' start a-whisperin' an' a-mutterin' among 'emselves? Bull Black's crawlers, they are. They're the tame dirty breed as him. an' they're up to no good." Briney spat thoughtfully into the eea. "Bull Black was never any good, anj- way," he stated. "An' one day my mauler is gonna kiss his jaw for that sock he gave me." "Yeah?" .said Burke. "Well, maybe you won't have to wait long, or maybe he'll be handin' you another wallop. Mark my words. Bull Black aims to connnaiid this craft, an' if he does you'll sec the bad 'nns will be top-dogs over the good 'uns. I've hoard funny kinda talk passin' amongst Dempster an' Co. An' what's more, I ain't got much use for that owner of ours—Arnold. Now Bull Black's thick wi' him, slippin' in an' outa his cabin all dav long." "What's at the back "of it, Burke?" a.<ked Briney. The other sailor shook his head solemnly. "Ah, I dunno!" he muttered. "I wish I did know. But I'll tell ye this much. I wouldn't give fifty cents for the bunch aboard this ship—e.xceptin' you an' me an' them two feller*. Collins an* Connor. An' Captain Drake, of He said no more, for at that moment a formidable figure loomed into view. It was the figure of Bull Black and a5 he caught sight of the two sailojs at the bulwark he advanced toward* them ominously. "Get outa here, you blame' lubbers!" he thundered in his deep, bass voice. "Come on, get out an' step lively. If :■ ou ain't got work to do, it wouldn't hurt to swab the deck. D'ye hear me?" Burke and Briney moved off, and Black was glaring after them when the door of a state-room opened close by. [I was the door of the cabin in which Professor Adams had died a momeiil. before, and in the man who now emerged Black recognised Ben Arnold. Arnold moved across to where Black was standing, and from an inside pocket ho drew out the map that Bonnie had given him. "Listen, Bull." he said. "I've got the chart locatin' Danger Island and the radium deposits." A glint appeared in Bull Black'.- crafty eyes. "Then we don't need Captain Drake anj- more, huh?" he mentioned, pro- nouncing the young skipper's tiame with a vicious sneer. "No," Ben Arnold answered, " w« don't need him Look out," he added tersely, as the door of the state-room opened again, "here he comes!" Harry stepped out of Bonnie's cabin, and. closing the door behind him, ap- proached Arnold and Black. "This is a bad business, Mr. Arnold," he observed, "and I'm afraid it will change our plans." Arnold glanced at him narrowly. "What do you mean?" he demanded. "You heard what the professor said. We're to carry on." "Sure," Harry retorted, "and I'm game enough. But we'll head for the nearest port and put Miss Bonnie and Mit>s Arlene ashore. If the island is as dangerous as the professor implied " "Wait a minute!" -Arnold rapped out. H ■ / Ben, what are they doing ? " gasped Bonnie. " What happened— what are they fighting for ? " Koveml>«r 2Stl>, 1931,