Rejtő, Jenő: The three musketeers in Africa; Q 19045

15 and jackets! Barré's letter appears to have been written in haste. It was smuggled out of Igori by an African girl. Barre says lie is very gravely ill, and kept as a prisoner, segregated from the rest. There is some foul play going on, the most colossal swindle the world has ever known — to the detriment of France. All have been bribed into going along with it, but he refused to play ball with them. He begs Levin not to say a word about it all to anyone but find a way to send his letter on to his sister. His father is a very high-ranking army officer. Alphonse Nobody fhe has fallen in love with Yvonne_7 resolves that he will get himself sent to Igori and try to rescue the girl's brother. His friends too are toying xvith the idea, Alphonse exchanges letters with Yvonne, has told her about his friends — at least he says so to Hick and Euster -- and in her reply the girl allegedly praised them for their chivalry, their courage and ingenuity, saying it's as if the Three Musketeers had come to life in them, those brave soldiers who once risked their lives to bring back to the Queen of France a necklace from the Duke of Buckingham. This settles it. Over the next couple of days things start happening in rapid succession. First, Alphonse is found drunk while on sentry duty, which gets him added to the party bound for Igori. Next, Buster turns up in the cells — for having lost