Boy's Cinema (1933)

22 men after us. They overtook us. I told them to save themselves while I held the foe at bay " Once again his braggart imagination was running away with him, and he was enlarging on the facts and painting himself in the light of a hero. "I fought as never before," Coutlass proceeded, "but at last I was struck down. I was left for dead, but crawled into the bush, and from cover I saw Krotsky's men bring back Montgomery and Oakcs as prisoners." "And my daughter?" Morgan panted. "Speak, Coutlass!" "My courage was not in vain," the Greek rejoined with a flourish. "The girl made good her escape, but I lost track of her, and where she is now I cannot say." Morgan paled. "There's no telling what might have happened to her," he groaned. "If she's still alive 6he must be hopelessly lost, for she has no knowledge of the jungle trails." ■ He turned to Kazimoto all at once and grasped him by the arm. "We've got to find her," he said to the interpreter. "We'll split forces, and you can head one party while Coutlass and I take the other. If you should locate my daughter, Kazimoto, send a runner to me at once." "It shall be done, bwana," Kazimoto answered, and at once began to pass on Morgan's instructions to the natives. Prey of the Hungry. THE rising sun discovered Monty and Fred still tied to the cross-bar in their gaol at Shillov's camp. They were suffering beyond description, for their unnatural position had kept them awake in the dark hours, and, almost overcome by exhaustion and fatigue, they were no longer able to poise themselves on their toes. The cords that bound their wrists to the bar above their heads were cutting into their flesh cruelly. The blood seemed to have been drained from their arms, leaving them num'b and dead, and their bodies were dead weights that tortured tho sockets. "That rat Shillov!" Monty ground out. "I wonder how long he's going to keep us tied like this." "I can't stand it much longer," Fred moaned. "I—I guess I'm pretty near breaking-point " Monty interrupted him. "Here he comes," he said tersely. "Keep a stiff upper lip, Fred. We won't give him the satisfaction of crow- ing over our misery, anyway!" Shillov had come out of his bungalow, and, stretching himself comfortably in the first cool breath of early morning, he looked about hirn with satisfaction. Then, as he clapped eyes on the prisoners in their cage, he grinned evilly and stepped down from the veranda, making his way across the compound till he reached the bars of tin' gaol. "A fine morning, friends," he greeted them mockingly, "and I'm glad to see that you're early risers." He laughed uproariously at his own taunting jest, and then went on speak- ing. "It's a little fresh, don't you think?" he observed. "But as the day wears o;i it will get warmer—hotter—and still hotter. About noon, you two should be sizzling in your own skins. Come now," he added in a sterner tone, "that's an ugly prospect, and one you can avoid. Divulge the secret of the January 21st, 1933. BOY'S CINEMA I ivory, and, when it's in my hands, I'll let you go free." "We've told you we don't know where the ivory is!" Monty protested. "That's a lie!" Shillov retorted viciously. "Is it your final answer?" Fred glared at him. "Cut me loose," he flashed, " and I'll give you an answer that you will carry to your grave!" Shillov scowled at him, and his narrow eyes were filled with malice. "I hadn't expected cither of you to have much kick in you by this time," lie said, "but it seems you're out of the common run. Well, I have other methods that might break even your spirits, and, if the necessity occurs, we'll have to resort to them." He leaned forward and thrust his face to the very bars. "But I advise you not to make me employ those methods," he went on ominously. "You'll find them dis- tinctly unpleasant, my friends." "Anything you do won't make us tell you what you want to know," Monty declared. " We don't know where the ivory is ourselves, and what's more—we don't much care. I repeat, Shillov, that we're searching for Jack Morgan, and not for treasure." "That's something I don't choose to believe," was the impatient retort. "Shillov, you'd better cut us loose," Fred cried. " Kirk Montgomery and 1 have influential friends, and so have the Morgans. If anything happens to us, and word ever goes back to civilisa- tion that you had a hand in it, you'll pay dearly. Get that into your black- guardly head, will you ? You'll pay dearly, I tell you." "I answer for my actions to no man," Shillov scoffed. "You'll answer to the British Govern- ment, though," Fred challenged. " They'll demand leave of the Belgian authorities to send a punitive expedition into this jungle and wipe you off the face of the earth." Shillov 6hook his head. " We are in a tract of country that knows no government but mine," he announced. "I am the supreme power here, and there will come a day when the world will recognise me as king of vast domains. Even now, the prospect of punitive expeditions cannot alarm me." "You over-estimate yourself," Monty put in scornfully. "Whatever you may be one day, you're in no position to withstand the attack of disciplined white troops." "I do not over-estimate the amount of shelter offered by the African bush," Shillov rejoined. "If troops came, signal drums would warn me of their approach. When they reached here, the settlement would be empty, and I wouid bo far out of their grasp. But come, I'll give you a last chance to talk, and to reveal the secret of the ivory." "Oh, let's hear no more of this ivory!" snapped Fred. Shillov gave a crafty smile, and stood eyeing his captives for a moment. Then he spoke again. "It pleases you to be defiant," he observed, "but don't forget that I have men out searching for the Morgan girl. Very likely they'll soon be back with her, and then we'll see if we can find another cure for your stubbornness. Meanwhile, you can stand there and rot." "Barbara Morgan is at Lazuma's Every Tuesday village by now," Monty declared, "and- safely out of your clutches, Shillov." He uttered the words without real, conviction, for he was filled with dread concerning the girl's welfare. Nor were his fears ill-founded, for at that moment she was blindly roaming the jungle in the forlorn hope of finding her way to the Morgan party's quarters. All through the night Barbara had tramped, terrified by the animal voice3 of the bush, starting at every sound that might mean Shillov's men were on her trail, and mingling with the alarm that she experienced on her own account was the horror of the thought that Fred and Monty might be dead by now. With the dawn there was a twittering of birds in the trees about her. It was a heartening 6ound to Barbara, but it was followed by one that sent a thrill of terror through her—the deep-toned roar of a lion at no great distance. She was footsore and weary, but she broke into a run to escape from the immediate vicinity as quickly as pos- sible, and, as she came upon a narrow animal-track, she turned off along it. She did not know that she was headed straight for danger, and that a prowling leopard, ravenous with hunger, was coming along that same path from the opposite direction. Barbara sped on, blindly ignorant ot the impending encounter with the beast of prey. Presently her steps began to flag, and soon she was stumbling un- certainly. At last, utterly exhausted, she fell to the ground, and when she tried to rise she lacked the strength to reach her feet. She sank down again in a stupor, and lay with her face close to the barren earth of the jungle trail. A tiny monkey moved along one of the lower branches of a tree near by, and peered at her curiously, and its comical, beady little eyes were still fixed on her when a movement not far away diverted its attention. The monkey saw a sleek but powerful form pad into view round a bend in the track. It was the dappled form of the leopard, and, with a frightened chatter- ing, the 6mall creature in the tree hastened out of sight amid the foliage. The leopard came on, detected the huddled figure of the girl on the path- way, and, with twitching nostrils, slackened its pace and approached cautiously. When it was within a few paces the brute stopped and glared at her. Barbara remained quite still for fully a minute, and then she began to show signs of life. The leopard instantly bared its fangs, and uttered a low snarl, gathering itself as it did so for a spring. The sound penetrated the girl's con- sciousness, but she was too dazed for the time being to realise what it meant. Slowly she raised herself into a sitting posture, and then, opening her eyes, she drew her hand across her forehead and looked round hazily. The leopard snarled again, more loudly and more ferociously. Barbara gave a violent start, and turned her glance towards it, and as she discerwd the brute within striking distance of her the blood seemed to freeze in her veins. She uttered a piercing shriek, and with that the leopard hurtled forward through mid-air, pouncing on her savagely (To be concluded next week. By per- mission of Universal Pictures, Ltd., starring Tom Tyler, Noah Beery, Jun., and Cecelia Parker.)