GIMLET OFF THE MAP
First Published in 1951 - 191 pages
This story starts with our usual
four heroes travelling by canoe deep into the forest of Central America in
British Honduras. Gimlet has been entrusted with a mission by the Colonial
Office to investigate an attack on a professional orchid collector named Banford
and his native porters. After weeks of travel our heroes arrive at a deserted
Indian village, the scene of the attack. Our heroes led by their chief native
guide, Jose, set out to find the jungle trail that had been followed by their
predecessors. They come across a small hill, some two hundred feet high, and
believe they have arrived at the ruined city of Uazatikel, thought to be in
this area. They also find the jungle covering an ancient paved road. Further
on, smoke is seen but it is necessary to return to camp before night falls. The
next day, the same trip is undertaken but Cub begins to feel the effects of
fever and is left to wait whilst the others go ahead without him. Four men
capture Cub before he passes out. Meanwhile, Gimlet, Copper and Trapper have
seen men working in the jungle apparently building something. They have a
tractor, a saw-mill and some substantial buildings. Gimlet realises that there
is an airstrip and component parts are being flown in. Returning to the place
they left Cub, Gimlet finds him missing. Reluctant to leave without him, a
compromise is reached when Copper elects to spend the night there whilst the
other two return to the camp so that supplies can be brought up in the morning,
including medicine for Cub. During the night, Copper is alarmed by a glowing
human head. The next morning, he sees a man returning with a luminous mask.
When Gimlet and Trapper arrive, they report that their porters had been scared
by a ghostly visitor overnight. Copper creates some luminous ghostly faces of
his own and places them on the track. Cub recovers consciousness in a bed and
finds that he is being guarded by a native called George, who used to work for
Blanford. He is being made to work by the white men here and he gives Cub some
valuable information. Two men interview cub, one is Major Borloff and other is
Professor Andrewski. They claim to be excavating on the site of Uaxatikel. When
they go, Cub realises that he has no clothes or shoes, so he is effectively
trapped. Cub gets George to go down the track to inform Gimlet where he is but
George is scared off by Copper's "ghosts". Cub gets up and steals
some clothing and a torch and wraps his feet up to protect them. Then he goes
back down the track to find his friends. Meanwhile, Gimlet, Copper and Trapper
are already here and have missed him. They have already seen their
"ghosts" scare off a number of people, including a party of Indians
sent to attack their camp. Gimlet surmises that what is being built in the
jungle is some sort of rocket base. It would be ideally placed to fire on West
Indian bases from the rear and so put the Panama Canal out of action. Gimlet
goes to the rescue of a black man who is being whipped. This turns out to be
George being punished for letting Cub go. This action results in a shoot out
and George is wounded in the arm. Gimlet realises that Indians have again been
sent down the track, this time with a white man to deal with their
"ghosts". Gimlet and his men, taking George with them, must get back
to help Cub who going to be attacked at their base camp. Cub has already taken
steps to prepare for an attack. He has moved his porters and canoe to an island
in the middle of the river. Jose is left up a tree to warn Gimlet on his
return. A thunderstorm creates problems and the level of the river begins to
rise to dangerous levels. The attacking Indians arrive and occupy the native
Indian village and Cub's abandoned camp. When Cub sees an Indian attempt to
fire a bow an arrow at Trapper, Cub shoots the Indian. Gimlet has arrived and
Jose has given him information about the current situation. With Cub safe on
the island, Gimlet has a plan and returns to the baddies' camp. Here he sees an
aircraft, which he sabotages by shooting out the tyres. Meanwhile, Cub comes
under attack on his island from the hostile Indians. They are in turn attacked
by the Indians from the deserted village. Everything ends happily and Gimlet is
able to return to civilisation and make his report. Royal Engineers are sent
out to destroy the potential base and they find the skeleton of Major Borloff,
who has committed suicide.
Gimlet Off the Map
Subtitle - A further adventure of Captain Lorrington King,
D.S.O., wartime Commando leader, and his three troopers, "Copper"
Colson of London, "Trapper" Troublay of Canada, and "Cub"
Peters, one time scholar at Brendalls School, Essex.
Publication Details - originally published by Brockhampton Press
Ltd.
First Edition
Frontispiece
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