Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

Every Tuesday know how I can get in touch with Zai'bessa." "All right, then," Arnold rejoined. "I'll tell you what we'll do " The Zarbessa. ARNOLD'S conversation with Las- cara was swiftly succeeded by activity on the part of the rascally Portuguese hotel-owner, and within an hour the dago joined Bull Black at the bar. "I send messenger to Zarbessa," Las- cara said in an undertone. " He is back now, and Zarbessa—they come aSbn. You get Senor Arnold, and we talk in back room." Bull slid his glance towards a table at the far side of the room. It was occupied by a group of men who had entered the dive a few minutes before —Harry Draike and his companions— and Bull indicated them with a slight movement of his head. "All right, Lascara," he muttered, "but watch your step. Drake is over there—on the look-out, I guess." He parted with the dago and hurried upstairs to the rooms occupied by Bon- nie and Arlenc. He found Arnold in the company of the two girls, and touched the peak of his cap sailor fashion. "I'd like to speak with you about some of the new men in the crew, Mr. Arnold," he stated. "All right, Black," Arnold returned. "I've just been telling the girls that they had better turn in, as we're defiriitcly sailing in the morning." "Ben"—it was Bonnie who spoke, and there was a hesitant note in her voice—" I wonder if I might sco Cap- tain Drake. I've been thiniking things over, and, whether ho was the cause of that fight or not, I—^I'd like to say ' good-bye ' to him." Arnold had some difficulty in conceal- ing his impatience. "Don't waste your time on him," ho advised. "He's prob- ably out with some native girl. Any- how, I'll see you first thing in the morn- ing." Ho stepped out of the room with Bull, and the two descended to the saloon and walked through to Lascara's private office. Lascara faced them as they appeared, and smiled an evil smile. "All is fixed," he said to Arnold. "When Zarbessa come, we show them the man and they take hcem away." Even as ho spoko there was a <cn- fused tumult, and he slipped towards the door and peered into the saloon through a grille. Two or throe men had hurried into the dive from the street, and they socm(>d in a state* of tremendous agitation. "The Zarbessa I" Lascara Iieard them exclaim, and a quoor light kindled in his maIc\olent cyos The cry was taken up on every hand, and an air of sus- pon.so seemed to pervade the saloon. It was a suspense that several in tho dive failed to understand, and Brincy was among those. Harry Drake was not so ignorant, however, for long experience of that bar- barous coast had enlightened him concerning its many perils, and he was about to explain llm circumstance when, silent as a troop of ghosts, a luunbor of stalwart, savages stole across the threshold from the street. Half-nude demons of tho bush, thoir bodies were as black as pbony, except where their BOY'S CINEMA diabolical features had been painted and tattooed. A murmur arose at the sight of them, and then a hush fell as they stood in tho doorway, their eyes swiftly scanning the saloon Several seconds of stark silence must have elapsed ore they began to file through that dive, men drawing aside from them in terror as they approached. Then they were gone, vanishing one by one into Lascara's back room. A mutter of conversation broke out as they disappeared, and when he had found his voice Briney clutched Harry Drake by the arm. "Captain," he gasped, "what kind of fiends from Hades are these?" "Men of the Zarbessa tribe, the most brutal savages on the African coast," Harry answered. "They make a speciality of sacrificing white men to their gods. I guess we're in no danger here, for they always strike in the dark. But if you should go out, stidk togotlier, and be sure to keep your hands on your guns." His listeners reached involuntarily towards their hip-pockets, for, like all members of the Lottie Carson's crew, they had been served out with firearms and drilled in the use of them during the voyage, and, on dismissing them, Arnold and Bull Black had neglected to demand the return of the weapons. Harry spoko again. "Lascara keeps strange company," he mused, "but I know that dago snake of old. Piracy, murder—these come easy to him, and I've heard that, as a fidoliro, he trades with the Zarbessa for ivory." "Then maybe it ain't white men they're after to-night," Collins inter- posed hopefully. "Probably not," Harry agreed. "If they were out for a human sacrifice, I doubt if they'd come so openly. They're very likely here to barter with Lascara over a consignment of tusks." 21 Had he been within earshot of the back room, Harry might have been less disposed to believe that the mission of the Zarbessa was one so innocent. For at that moment Lascara was acting as interpreter for Arnold and Black, and explaining to tho savages what was required of them. "I tell 'em we show 'em the man," the dago said in English, addressing Arnold and Black after he had held some conversation with the Zarbessa in their weird dialect. " They say they waste no time, for they go back to their jungle kraal very soon. They got him when he loaves saloon." "All right," Bull Black jerked, talk- ing it upon himself to answer, "point Drake out to them. And, Arnold, better keep your hand on your revolver. These bloodthirsty killers would as soon take you or me." Arnold did as Bull advised, and then phickod at Lascara's sleeve. "Wait a minute," he said. "Aslk them how we're to know they'll rlo the job and finish him off?" Lascara repeated the question to a stalwart savage who appeared to be the head-man. Tho latter made some rejoinder, and the dago turned to Arnold again. "He say if you no' believe, you come to kraal and see for yourself." Arnold uttered a querulous, mirth- less laugh. "I'd just as soon take his word for it," ho I'^'pliod, and, with a thin-lipped smile of understanding, I>ascarn. drew tho Zarbessa head-man to the grille and pointed to the table at which Harry and hi.s party were sitting. The dago spoko a few words more, obviously describing Harry in detail so that no mistake should bo made, and tho savage gave a quick and eager nod. "All jight," said La.scara, addressing Arnold and Bull Black over his shoulder. "When Drake go, Zarbessa go, too." *' I want a word with you, Arnold," he said grimly. December 19th, 1931,