Boy's Cinema (1933)

16 gonna be called to order. When I say anything on board this ship, it's the same as if it had been said by the King of Africa. I'm master here—master in every sense of the word. I'm your master, scum, and so long as we're at sea, I've got you body and soul. That's the rule on the Melilla. Now get for'ard and take little Percy with you." He indicated the Levantine. The others picked their unconscious leader up and went forward. Larsen watched them go, his face one huge grin. He turned and walked aft to the bridge. The mate was up there, and Larsen climbed to his side. "'That will quieten them for a while,'' he said calm!}-, as though mutinies were an everyday occurrence. " What's the course?" The mate, white of face, glanced at the compass. ''West by nor', sir." he said in a frightened voice. " The wind's on our port quarter." "Hold her to that. We'll do another hundred miles before this gale blows itself out." He stared out over the bows, search- ing the angry seas with a keen, ex- perienced gaze. The ship rose and dipped with fearsome regularity, now and then coming down with a jar that shook her violently. ''A record run, I think, mister," he said to the mate. "If we make the Sidra Gulf by to-morrow—■—" He broke off suddenly and strained his eyes ahead. Somewhere in that inferno he had detected something strange— something that should not be there. " Hev, mister, look!" he said quick!v. "What's that? A little to starboard." He pointed, and the mate looked. A tiny white speck was pitching wildly about half a mile away. "It looks like a boat, sir," said the mate. Larsen snatched a pair of binoculars from the chart-house and levelled them at his eyes. "It is a boat," he said. "A yacht's dingy, painted a light colour. She's got someone in her. Three people. Here, take these." He ridded himself of the binoculars, and slid down to the main deck. Quickly he ran forward to the fo'c'sle hatch. " All hands on deck I" he bawled. "Come on out of there, you lubbers!" The crew, in the middle of a re- bellious discussion upon what they would do to Gorilla Larsen if ever they caught him unawares, sprang to the ladder and tumbled out into the open. Sullenneas had been replaced by fear in most of them. "Topmen aloft!" Larsen bellowed. "Clear away the sea-boat!" The crew jumped to it. A dozen of them swarmed up the rigging and took their stations ready to shorten sail, while three others started to make the sea-boat ready for lowering. They asked no questions; they knew that if they did the answers would he painful. Larsen ran back to the bridge and Icok over tho wheel: "Oct below, mister," he said to the mate. "See that the men work smartly. It's gonna be no Sunday- school outin' when we heave-to in this gale." The mate hurried away, and Larsen fixed his eyes once more on (he frail cockle-shell of a boat ahead. He waited, judging to a nicety the dis- tance in H hich he could turn. Then he put his helm hard over, and hauled to (lie mate. The square upper and lower sails on the three masts spilled their wind abruptly and were January 7th, 1933. BOY'S CINEMA lashed close. The vessel lost way and began to roll heavily in the trough. Then her head oame to the wind, and she seemed to stop dead a bare dozen fathoms from the dinghy. It was magnificent seamanship. Only Larsen could have done it in a gale lrke that. "Get that boat away !" Larson roared, his voice booming heavily above the shriek of the wind. The boat swung out on her davits, and the falls payed out rapidly through the blocks. A shout from below told Larsen that the boat was ready for slip- ping, and he gave the vessel a fraction more helm. Ten minutes later all had been made fast again, and the Melilla was back on her old course. Meanwhile, Larsen was in his cabin, gazing down upon two men and a woman. The Gorilla Shows Himself. LARSEN gave his attention to the men first. One was somewhat older than the other, but that was not the only difference between them. The younger had clean-cut features. His eyes were closed and his dark hair was plastered in a soggy mass over his face, but Larsen knew a man when he saw one, and this youngster was at least that. The elder, on the other hand, had a man-about-town appearance. His face was heavily lined with vicious living, and there was something cunning about him. Where Larsea was the master with fists, this man would be master with brain. Larsen grunted and turned to the woman. She was lying on his bunk, and. when he came to look at her closely, he drew his breath in sharply. She was beautiful—he could think of no better word. Even exposure to the gale and spray could not mar the perfection of her features. As Larsen stared at her, he heard a movement behind him. He turned to find that the younger man had opened his eyes. "Where—where am I?" he asked. "You're on board the Melilla," re- plied Larsen. "I'm the master—Cap- tain Larsen. Who are you?" The young man passed his hand wearily across his forehead. "My name's Burton—Dave Burton," he said. "I say, you haven't such a thing as a tot of brandy, have you?" Larsen went to his cupboard and pro- duced the drink. He poured out a stiff glassful and held it to the other's lips. Dave Burton swallowed some of the fiery liquid, and gasped. Colour came back to his face, and ho found the strength to get to his feet. "So you saved the other two," he said. "Yes. They were in the same boat." said Larsen. " What arc their names?" "Mr. and Mrs. Wells, of London," replied Dave. "How is—Mrs. Wells?" " She'll get better in a few minutes," said Larsen. He watched Dave closely. "Do you want to know about the man —her husband—too?" "No." Dave's voice was intensely bitter. "I wish you'd pitched him over the side." Larsen relaxed and laughed. He found himself liking young Dave. There was something familiar about his face that Larsen could not quite place. It was as though they had met before somewhere. Larsen shrugged his shoulders. He could not remember. "'Sou don't seem to like him," he said, nodding at Wells. "What's he -been doin' to you?" Every Tuesday Dave Burton did not reply immedi- ately, but appeared to think." Then ho locked up, "You'd better know," he said. "If ever a man deserved to be punished, that man is Wells. He and Mrs. Wells and I were cruising in his private yacht, and without any warning he scuttled her. She went straight to the bottom like a stone, and we bad only just enough time to take to the boats." "Scuttled her, eh?" said Larsen. "Why?" " Well. Mrs. Wells and I are in love with each other. He found out, and that was his way of getting revenged. He's mad. I reckon. For years he's made Stella's life a hell for her, until she couldn't stand it any longer. She was going to ask him for a divorce." "That still doesn't explain why he scuttled his yacht," said Larsen. "What was his idea ?" "Murder," said Dave quietly. "He reckoned he'd get the two of us in an open boat, and stun us when we were off our guard. Then he was going to throw us into the sea and report us drowned. Unfortunately for him, I'm not easily stunned." He grinned re- miniscently. "I took the bang over the head, then started to ask questions. He talked all right. He'd have been dead otherwise." Larsen answered Dave's grin with another. Then he turned to look back at Stella Wells. She was sitting up, trying to arrange her hair, and sway- ing to the pitching of the ship. His eyes narrowed, and he thought rapidly. Here were two men facing death for a woman. The woman was married to one, but loved another. What a pair of weak fools they were ! Women had not come Larsen's way much, but he reckoned he could take care of one better than that. If Stella had been his The idea that came into his head was startling. Why not? Why shouldn't Stella be his ? Why should she have to be at the mercy of such men as these? Quickly his lawless mind made plans. Pic would get the two men out of the way. Then lie would set out to put himself high in Stella's favour. She would be able to see a man—a real man —a master of other men. He'd ask her to marry him, and if she refused— well, she'd have to anyway. He would make her, even if it meant using force. His brain, having formed the plan, set about executing it. He went to the door of the cabin and called one of the crew. "Take him." he indicated the stiit- unconscious Wells, "and put him in a spare bunk. Sec that he stays there until I say otherwise. Understand?" "Yes, sir," replied the seaman, picked Wells up. and took him away. Larsen turned to Dave. His expres- sion was crafty. "You go for'ard with the men," ho said. "I'll see that the ladv's all right," He knew what was coming. His order had been framed so that it would bo disobeyed. "I think I'll stay here," said Lave. "I can't leave her alone, you know." Larsen went up to him and thrust his face close. "You heard me. Go for'ard!" Dave met his gaze unyieldingly. "I'll stay here." he said. Larsen swung back his fist and struck. Dave, taken unawares, took the full force of the blow, and collapsed. Larson went to the door and flung it open. "Hey, you!" he bellowed to one of his