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

including attacks of fsver. Levin's heart cannot cope with the strenuous march. Dying, he says: "The great Levin... is now going to drink as he has brewed... eat as he has cooked... God, what a life it's been! Scorched and burnt in the pan... And I got this accursed Congo served for dessert,.." His friends bury him by the river. As they come near the jungle's edge, they run into a party of 16 French soldiers, a signals unit fitting wires and cables. At night, they club the party senseless, and take away their weapons, stores, medicines, and mules. During the melee, one soldier fires a shot, and the stray bullet kills Kvastich. After 2k days they emerge into the Sahara. It's absolutely necessary that they obtain some camels. Oasis Nemmass-Roumba heaves into view, and Hopkins tells his companions they should leave it to him. He enters the oasis, sporting headphones, climbs a palm-tree, and starts driving large nails into its trunk. The terrified inhabitants haul the headman from his hovel, and crowd around the palm-tree. "I say, sir," the headman shouts up the tree, but the soldier aloft motions him to keep silent, and puts a small black funnel-shaped mouth-piece to his lips. "This is Radio Nemmass-Roumba and all secondary stations," he shouted into the megaphone. "We're giving 3

rou the results of the horse-races, to be followed by a broadcast of gramophone records from the Hotel Savoy, London. All this for a