Boy's Cinema (1933)

Every Tuesday BOY'S CINEMA 11 The tuna fisheries of the Pacific and the fearless daredevil men who risk their lives many times a year among the shark infested waters. A tale of love, passion and revenge. SHARK ION ^\ Starring EDWARD C. ROBINSON and RICHARD ARLEN At the Mercy of the Sea. •"VY/ATER! Water!" \cy . A moaning cry from . cracked, parched lip-. A ir miii '-(lining down on a calm son. A -mall boat rocking gently to the slight swell. In the bow gagged a hunched figure. \ lilor, whose head rested against the gunwale, made the moaning cry for Crouched out the oars was a - i'.it. sturdy figure in a blue jersey and old trousers I).irk. glistening hair. matted with sea spray. The car-- of the bowed man's head were pierced, and < ach lobe had a large ring. The thick, hull an impr ess ion of great strength. II •>- asleep from sheer ■ ion. In inc stern lay a figure whose head was supported by a folded oilskin. The unshaven, pallid features were tho mng man, The eye. were < and be did not seem to be breathing. I.elen with a might} load of fish, their craft had heen caught in a i and fearful storm. The, were the onlj w hen the Inn in am Cap fishing vessel. For fi\i da and nights they had Boated '"i .1 calm and li . without rations and great itrei ' iptain alike Mascarena ha<l kept him rowing on and on like a machine. The -ailor who wa« huddled in the bow! had been too sick and scared to row, and on the second gone, into fl delirium. Mike quietened the wretch with water. I li n more than his share of I nanded Its Ivan threal ened bis servant with a formidable . The pallid young man was the cap tain's first mate. "Pipes" Boley. Boley was a fit. hale and heart. Englishman, who worked like, a Trojan and had been in Mike'- service for five years. He was twenty-six, and, even Bick and un- shaven, looked no more. Pipes would not have heen in this condition if he had not heen struck by a -par just before the ship foundered, li was the captain who had .-.lived him from B watery grave. Wati I ' Water!" croaked the .sailor, and opened dulled e There came no answer. Vacantly the eyes stared, and then a light gleamed in them as thej saw the water-bottle close to his captain. With a great effort the sailor drew himself to his knees and began to (raw I towards the precious liquid. Though demented he knew that little remained, b II he imagined that he was being robbed of his share. Actually Pipe, had had the most, the sailor a fair ration, and the captain only a few drop-. Hi-- clawing hands were almost on the hottle when Masoarena came out of his trance and looked round. But this time the seaman was mad with one idea onlj he must have water or die. ' Hack, you fool !" cried the Italian. ■ i much mi man snarled and grabbed the bottle, and instantly Mascarena pushed him hack- so that the wretch fell over on hi- side. Screaming fearful oath- the n.adman gol to hi- feet, paused, and then, v. nil in irder in hi gercd towards hi- captain, Mike Mascarena had to summon all bis remaining strength to get feet. Though everything wa- bleai and based, he knew be must drive crazy fool away or el-e their chance of salvation was gone. Hi- fist caught the seaman on the i A eak, futile blow, but the man stag- gered. A small wave made the boal rock and the madman, weak and ex- hausted, lost hi- balance and disap- peared over the gunwale with a splash into the sea. Vainly the man thrashed the water and made vain efforts to clutch at I In- side of the boaSj Mascarena. with one hand on the gunwale, watched the struggle with baleful eyes. It would he as well to have one less in the boat. On the calm surface of the „ i appeared two ugly fin-. These two sharks had been circling the boal for days and waiting for the pre;, thai seemed certain to he theirs. A ghastly, horrible .scream and the seaman was dragged under the water, The sharks began to tear him to nil Without a shudder Mascarena looked away and stared towards the horizon— not a sail in sight. A faint groan D him look down—I'ipes Boley had stirred With shaking fingers he opened the water-bottle and shook it—very little remained. Slowly he went down on his knees beside his sick mate, and forced the mouth of the bottle between the distorted lips, "Enjoy it all. m\ friend." cried Mas- carena. "Maybe, \ou have do last drink you ever get." There wa- just a few drops left when the mate had finished the life-giving drink, and these Mascarena tril into his own parched mouth. Sheer exhaustion overcame him and March 11th, 193a.