Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday the duskv Bull in- " I don't J "DANGER ISLAND." J 1 (Continued from page 25.) T Arnold bit his lips as he recognised her. "Bonnie!" he rapped out. "What are you doing here?" "Ben, Ben," the girl cried, "what's wrong'.' What are they doing to Cap- tain Drake? Oh, Ben, we've got to do something to stop those men." "It's not our fight, Miss Bonni<J)»' Bull Black put in. "Drake took a fancy to tliat half-caste dancixi'-girl over there, and another feller jumped him with a croud o' his pals." Bonnie glanced towards Pelula, and then faced dignantly. "It's a lie!" she flashed, believe it!" With that, she wheeled, and, in de- fiance of Ben Arnold's sharp command, she darted towards the scene of the fracas. "Bonnie!" Arnold shouted fiercely. "Stop, will you? Keep out of it!" " Come back here, you little fool !" Bull Black added through his teeth, but Bonnie ignored both men. Briney was still struggling with two of Lascara's underlings, and ho had some difficulty in handing-off one of them—the man with the stiletto. The fellow was a Dago, and he was dancing in wind out of the big sailor's reacli, seeking an opportunity to bury the blade of his dagger in Briney's ribs. But the seaman finally hurled his other assailant to the Hoor, and, pouncing on the man with the knife, struck aside the weapon with a slicing blow of his hand. The knife fell from the Dago's grasp, iind Briney caught the murderous little ruffian with a butfet that knocked hini half a. dozen yards, and then dropped him in a heap at the foot of Lascara's zinc bar. Next second, however, Briney's first adversary scrambled to his feet and engaged him ssavagcly. Meanwhile, Burke, Collins, and Con- nor had gone to Harry Drake's rescue, and had peeled three of the Engli>h- man's assailants away from him. But there were still seven against Harry, and only a man of the young cai)tain's physique and determination could have resisted them as effectively as he, for a spell, managed to do. He contrived to break away from them and keep them at bay with his fists. In this way he was at first suc- cessful, for one man was crushed under a terrific right to the jaw, and two more were soon grovelling on the floor alongside him, their tumbled bodies throwing the remainder of the gang into confusion. It was at this moment that Bonnie appeared on the scene, and she flung herself recklessly at one of Harry's enemies, attacking the scoundrel from behind and seizing him by the hair. The fellow roared with pain, then squirmed round and tore himself from her grasp. But she scratched hi? face like «1 wild cat, and, in a fury, he caught hold of her and threw her acro.ss the bar-room, so that she stag- gered for several paces, and then fell. She struck her head asainst the floor and lay half-stunned while the figlit raged ai'ound her, but presently she managed to struggle to her feet, and a.s she stood up she saw Harry's attackers mustering for a concerted rush. The men whom he had knocked down had risen to their feet, and in an irre- BOY'S CINEMA sistible charge all seven of the ruffians crowded Harry towards the back of the saloon. The Englishman lashed out at them desperately, and his bunched knuckles drove into the face of one man with an impact that broke his jaw, Ijut the others closed with him, and by force of numbers bustled him towards that grim chamber of horror where the hungry crocodiles wallowed in the pool! From the far end of Lascara's bar Bull Black and Ben Arnold watched the battle closely, and the eyes of the mate gleamed significantly as he saw that struggling mass of humanity blunder across the threshold of the sinister back- room. "An' that's the finish o' Captain Drake!" he growled. "I guess you've seen the last o' him, Arnold!" "What do you mean. Bull?" Arnold demanded. "They'll finish him in there —with knives?" Bull's mouth twisted into a crooked smile. "No, not with knives," he said. "With something that don't leave any trace—something that's the particular pastime o' Lascara. An' I give 3'uh my colonial oath, it would make your hair stand on end to see it, Arnold!" "I don't rare how he's finished,"' Arnold ground out, "so long as they make a sure job of it " Bull Black was not the only one who had seen Han-y's assailants force him across the threshold and known their purpose in doing so. For Briney had witnessed the circumstance, and as Harry disappeared into the room of stone the big sailor seemed to become a raving madman. "Don't go in there!" he shrieked. "Don't let 'em take you in there, cap- tain !" He was still struggling with one of Lascara's underlings, but suddenly dashed the man to the floor and started for the back room. At the same time Bonnie ran to him. "They're throwin' Drake to the croco- diles!" Briney told her huskily, and with ashen face he lurched on towards the doorway through which Harry had vanished. Bonnie followed him. and as she crossed the threshold she saw Harrj' Drake striving to tear himself from the swarm of men around liTm. But he was fairly at their mercy now, and with an exultant clamour they hustled him towards the middle of the room and that well of death. 27 Harry was only a couple of paces from the aperture in the floor when he tripped and fell. He came down with a heavy thud, his shoulders striking the low parapet of the well, and Lascara's hire- lings sprawled atop of him. One man had his arm wrapped around the Englishman's neck, another was gripping him by the throat, and while these pushed him farther into the pit two or three others hoisted him up by the legs. They were trying to toss him headlong into the well, and as he lay across the parapet Harry saw the monster reptiles below him. A thrill of horror ran through him as their ugly bodies slid through the water, their necks craning upwards at the sight of him, their jaws clashing greedily, and a hoarse exclama- tion escaped hun as the brutes leaped at the wall, only to fall back from its sheer surface. "The crocodiles!" roared the voice of Briney, and nest instant the big sailor had flung himself into the midst of the Englishman's foes. Bonnie darted after him, and she felt sick with terror, for she had realised the meaning of Briney's words. Sob- bing distractedly, slie clutclied at one of Lascara's minions and tried to tear him away from Harry, but at the same time a feeling of faintness overcame her as she discerned the creatures of the pool. Briney was fighting like a titan in the hope of rescuing his skipper from a ghastly fate deep dow-n in that well of death. He had seized one ruffian by the collar and was dragging back another man whose head he had imprisoned in the crook of his arm. But he was one against many, and the fate of Harry Drake seemed sealed. Briney pulled aside the two men on whom he ha<l laid his groat hands. But the others had Hariy in their power, and with a heave they tipped him into the sinister pit. A shriek escaped Bonnie Adams as tho young Englishman's body plunged down, and the echoes of her cry mingled with the horrified shout that Briney uttered. From the depths of the well there came an awful tumult—a snapping of great jaws, the splash and swirl of muddy waters lashed into a fury by the demons there. (To be continued In another gripping episode next week. By ,permlssion of the Universal Pictures, Ltd., starring Kenneth Harlan and Lucille Browne.) ORAN^D FILJVI NOVELS. " TRANSGRESSION." She fell in love with a false ideal and when she learnt her mistake was hannted by the feat that bet husband would learn of her folly. " W.MERLOO BFIDGE." During a Zeppelin raid a youn^ Canadian Tommy meets a girl, who tries hard (o drive bim from her life. .Sttiiring Uae Clarke and Kent Douglass. " PEACE AND QUIET." Percy inherited a peerage and a castle and found that a number of unpleasant people desired his Ul'e. Starring Herbert Mundin. Complete in this week's issue of '' SCREEN ON SALE WEDNESDAY. KAY FRANCIS IN " TRANSGRESSION." our splendid companion paper STORIES," PRICE 2d,' December 12th, 1931