GIMLET TAKES A JOB
First Published in June 1954 - 176 pages
Original first edition dust wrapper showing the price of 6/6
At
their annual reunion luncheon, Gimlet tells Cub, Copper and Trapper that the
Government has appointed him Governor of the island of Santelucia in the West
Indies. This island is British territory and the existing Governor, Colonel
Baker, has disappeared. A month later, our heroes arrive at the island to find
all the natives in a terrified state. Gimlet sacks 'General' Pedro who
questions their arrival and throws Jabez Christian, the self appointed Special
Commissioner out of Government House. That night a terrified white man comes to
their residence. He is Frederick Gates, the missing Governor's batman. He tells
our heroes that everybody is scared stiff of a local voodoo priest known as a
'houngan'. This man, says Gates, can bring the dead back to life as zombies. It
is clear that Gates is terrified of this houngan, who goes by the name of Papa
Shambo. Gimlet first starts to sort out the problems on the island by feeding
the people and giving ice cream to the children. Gimlet befriends a local man
called Joe and a boy called Rupert and employs them. Gimlet also sends for Papa
Shambo, who doesn't come. After freeing prisoners in the jail, our heroes find
three zombies working in the fields cutting sugar cane. One is an Arab who was
believed to be dead. The men work like robots and respond to nothing. Copper
and Cub have to use force to fetch Shambo and also Pedro and Christian. Shambo
is wearing Colonel Baker's clothes so he is imprisoned for being in possession
of stolen property. Cub and Copper go and burn down Shambo's temple and Cub
finds a radio in Shambo's hut nearby. The next thing to happen is that their
friend Joe is found dying. The mark of death has been put on his door and
because he believes he is going to die, he is just sitting down and waiting to
die. Gimlet has Shambo brought out and puts a noose around his neck. Gimlet
says that Shambo is responsible for this and unless he lifts the death curse,
Shambo will be hanged for murder the moment Joe dies. Shambo lifts the curse.
That night a zombie tries to kill Joe. It is the Arab who was working in the
fields. Copper shoots him but the Arab is only wounded when the bullet grazes
his head. He comes around like a man returning from a coma and knows nothing of
what has been going on. He has no recollection of cutting sugar cane. Shambo
escapes from prison and Cub and Copper return to his hut looking for him. Here
they are overcome by poisonous smoke and attacked by Pedro with an axe. Cub
manages to shoot Pedro and they are saved by the timely arrival of Gimlet.
Gimlet burns down the hut. Three days later, our heroes find the mill on the
island where zombie workers are processing the sugar cane. One is the missing
Governor, Colonel Baker. All of the zombies are bought back to the safety of
Government House. Information is received that the houngan, Shambo, is hiding
in an old fort and Gimlet, Cub and Copper go looking for him, with Gates acting
as guide. Shambo manages to take control of Copper but Cub saves him and in a
fight, Shambo is thrown to his death. A schooner arrives, called the Carlos
Mendoza and this is bringing alcohol and opium to trade for the sugar cane.
Gimlet impounds the ship but it escapes, taking Christian with it. With a
little help from Copper the ship is wrecked on the reef. Gimlet's last words
are "Now perhaps, we shall get a little peace. It's time we had something
to eat". The final chapter merely narrates the progress of the island
until it is handed over to a now recovered Colonel Baker.
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Gimlet Takes a Job
Subtitle - none
Publication Details - originally published by Brockhampton Press
Ltd.
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