A Game of Death Page #2

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Built by pirates I believe.

They were left over

in the rebuilding.

Oh, that's very interesting.

Is there anything else Sir?

No thank you.

Were there any others?

Come in.

Well, that's better.

Did your Carib find any traces

of the others from the yacht?

No, I'm sorry.

Oh.

We finished dinner. I came up to

see what's been delaying you.

Mr. Kreiger, I'm afraid

I'd be very poor company.

Oh come Rainford, come. I insist.

I will do you a world of good.

What you need is some black coffee

and interesting companions.

I can promise you both.

- Thank you Pleshke.

- Would you care for coffee sir?

Thank you no. I'll

have another brandy.

I didn't realize one of

your guests was a lady.

And a most charming

one, I assure you.

I know it's hard to forget

what happened to your friends,

but as a favor to me, be

careful what you say.

How you act. I don't want to have her upset.

You know how women are.

Of course.

May I present, Mr. Rainsford.

Ms. Ellen Trowbridge.

Hello. This is my brother Robert.

- How do you do?

- How do you do?

Say, haven't we met before?

Not that I remember.

Mr. Kreiger says that you

were shipwrecked too.

Make yourself comfortable Rainsford.

Pleshke, Cafe for her and Rainsford.

Better settle for brandy, Mr. Rainsford.

This will drown your troubles.

Not just now, thanks.

We have the honor of entertaining a

celebrity Ms. Trowbridge. See here.

Say, you're not the man that wrote

all those jungle thrillers?

Yes, Rainsford is our foremost authority

on wild animals and their habits.

Thank you.

I knew I'd seen your face somewhere.

It was in the news reels.

Why your front page stuff Mr. Rainsford.

This calls for a celebration.

Bob, no more. Please.

Well don't be like that, Ellen.

Bob!

Well what else is there to do around here.

10 days on this island, and nothing

to look at but jungle and ocean.

I feel as though we are

living on borrowed time.

Mr. Trowbridge doesn't

approve of my island.

Well why have you stayed?

Not because we wanted to.

What my brother means, is that

there is only one launch and...

Well, that's under repair.

Yes, you have to be patient

a few days longer.

I can't see that Mr. Trowbridge

has much to complain about.

Why here you have all the comforts

of civilization in the wilderness.

Too darn lonesome.

But it's swell for you

Erich, you can go hunting.

Hunting, here?

He goes hunting nearly every night.

Bet he has you doing the same.

Yes, I hope to offer Mr. Rainsford

some very unusual sports.

But what can you possibly find

to hunt on such a small island?

Big game.

Of course you're joking.

I never joke about hunting.

It has been my life.

I shot my first bear when I was 10.

I've been hunting ever since.

All over the world.

I couldn't possibly tell you

how many animals I've killed.

You must have had some

interesting experiences.

See that big fellow up there?

I had trouble with him.

He gave me this.

For sheer calculating savagery,

you can't beat the cape buffalo.

That's right.

But I got him.

Two week later, I was up...

and on my way to the Amazon.

I had heard that the jaguars

there were unusually cunning.

A fallacy, my dear Rainsford,

a complete fallacy.

They are no match for a man with his

wits about him and a high powered rifle.

I was bitterly disappointed.

Then, one night...

lying in my tent,

unable to sleep.

My head's throbbing.

A terrible thought began

pushing it's way into my mind.

The idea gave me actual,

very real physical pain.

Hunting, had begun to bore me.

It had ceased to be a sporting proposition.

I was too good.

I always got my quarry. Always.

Why didn't you handicap

yourself with a lighter weapon?

I did.

I gave up firearms almost entirely,

and became an expert with the bow.

That's one of my favorites.

But in time, even with that,

hunting was losing it's thrill.

There is no greater bore than perfection.

I realized what I needed

was not a new weapon...

suddenly everything became clear to me.

I knew what I must do.

I came here.

Restored this old place.

To start my own game preserve.

With what?

Rainsford, I think I can say in all

modesty, I have done a most unusual thing.

I have found a new animal to hunt.

One with courage, cunning,

and every attribute of the ideal quarry.

I beginning to believe you've found the

descendants of the saber-toothed tiger.

Tigers have only their instinct,

their claws and fangs.

No Rainsford, no. It is something

far more interesting than that.

What is it?

It's no use Mr. Rainsford,

he won't tell you.

He won't tell anyone.

It's his secret, and he keeps it behind

the locked the door of that trophy room.

You've certainly got me excited.

Come on, give me at least a hint.

Hint?

Very well.

Mine is the most dangerous

game in the world.

Sorry.

It's just that, Mr. Kreiger was so interesting

that he made me realize the danger.

I'm sorry.

It's nothing. Don't let

it distress you my dear.

When men start talking about hunting, they

are oblivious of everything. Eh, Rainsford?

Even beautiful women.

Won't you play for us?

Erich's a wizard at the piano.

I'm really not much at it.

Don't believe him, Mr. Rainsford.

He's an artist.

And a very accomplished one.

Very well, if you think you can stand it.

Now Rainsford, you're really

gonna hear something.

Shall we sit by the window Mr.

Rainsford and get some air?

Your sister's right Robert, you're

drinking entirely too much.

Sorry Erich.

An amazing personality.

Don't trust him.

Don't believe anything he tells you.

What do you mean?

There's something evil

going on in this place.

We're all prisoners.

Prisoners?

Keep your voice low as if we were

discussing something casual.

You mean he's preventing you

from getting to the mainland?

Yes.

There's nothing wrong with his launch.

He lied about it needing repairs.

I hear it coming and

going in the night.

Perhaps he enjoys the company

of two charming young people.

There were four of us a week ago.

The others have disappeared.

One night after dinner, he took one

of our slavers into the trophy room.

The guy had a dog?

Yes.

Last night he took the other there.

We haven't seen them since.

Have you asked him about them?

He says they've gone hunting.

Has he any other servants?

Yes, two men.

One who cares for the dogs, and

another who patrols the beaches.

We're watched every moment. Day and night.

Be careful, he's looking at us.

Play some more Erich,

play some more.

I'm afraid I'm boring Mr. Rainsford.

Well after all he's been through tonight,

you can hardly expect him to concentrate.

My dear fellow, I've been most

inconsiderate. Forgive me.

Besides, it's 11 o'clock. Time

for all of you to turn in.

Pleshke.

Every night, he packs us off

to bed like bad children.

No my dear, charming children.

Oh, who wants to go to bed?

Erich, you promised to

show me the trophy room.

Yes, I did.

But not now.

Later.

Goodnight, Mr. Rainsford.

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