Nick Travers and the Cult of the Monkeys Paw Episode 2

O’Malley here and I’m not dead yet. After a heated discussion with my editor on relationships with under age girls I find myself deep in the jungles of the Congo hot on the trail of the intrepid Nick Travers. (Note to editor: Please tell your daughter I wish her a Happy Birthday)

Once again our brave Nick Travers find himself battling Jungle Natives in an effort to rescue the lovely Priscilla Knobsknockers. Regular readers of this column will remember that Priscilla was dragged off through the jungle by ferocious man eating gorillas. After and exhaustive search through the jungle he was able to locate a small village were the apes took the young girl. It appears the apes and the villagers were under the influence of Nick’s old nemesis “The Spectre”.

Nick quickly ascertained that “The Spectre” was up to no good and vowed to do something about it after he had freed Priscilla from the clutches of the whooping natives.

Back at the hotel, were I was busily working the barmaid over for information, Nick was gathering forces to go with him to get Priscilla back. The G-men had also gotten word of “The Spectres” presence and had sent in additional forces to deal directly with him.

Nick arrived at the Native village just in time as they were just bringing out Priscilla to drag her to the top of their temple to sacrifice her to their evil god. Nick and the marines barged into the village and started kicking in doors to locate the screaming dame.

Unfortunately, for our hero the wily natives had snuck her out the back way and were making tracks through the jungle. Just then around the bend a patrol of Germans came into view. Thinking they were under attack by the natives they opened up on the unsuspecting natives with a fearsome volley. Fortunately for the natives the Germans all shot high. Unfortunately, for the Germans the natives were much more accurate with their spears as they dropped several of the Germans. The Marines hearing the rifle fire started to open up as well. Lead was flying and so was I. I quickly jumped into some bushes to get a better view, but I must have hit my head because I could have sworn that I saw corpses rise up out of the ground and start attacking the Marines.

The Germans thinking it was some sort of ambush took up positions as their van driver caromed toward cover. With the skills and reflexes of a racer he threw that van into the opening of a cave the natives revered as the symbol of their god.

Meanwhile on the other side of the village the daring members of the Rocketeers had started an all out assault on the lair of “The Spectre”. However, the vile creatures were lying in wait and opened up on them with their gats driving the Rocketeers off. It seems that “The Spectre” had created a nerve agent that would turn unsuspecting people into mindless zombies and the Rocketeers were sent to blow it up. According to the mindless ramblings of the survivor they were attacked by “zombies” and ripped to shreds.

Back at the cave entrance the German driver, later identified as one Michael Schoomaker, was rocketing through the cave mouth when he was attacked by more of the “zombies”. Losing control as he slammed on the brakes he spun around several times before slamming into the back of “The Spectre’s” lair where it exploded in a fiery ball. Luckily for all of us the drums containing the nerve agent were scattered and did not explode. The remaining Rocketeer shot into the cave mouth and set his explosive collapsing the cave mouth in on “The Spectre” and his crew forcing them to use their escape door in the back. Using his rocket he then zoomed to the back and kept up a hail of lead on the sinister crew as they attempted to load the remaining drums of agent and a chest of loot into their truck. Nevertheless, he was beaten back by a pack of howling zombies.

Just at that time Nick and the Marines were chasing the natives through the jungle at break neck speeds when eventually the pursued them back out into the open. Half of the squad of Marines had stayed back and opened up on the Natives as they broke across the open ground. It was then that Nick was able to barge in grab poor Priscilla from her captors and make good his escape.

Trouble is still brewing as “The Spectre” made good his escape with the leader of the German troopers in tow. The Rocketeer with the aid of Nick and the Marines rounded up the stragglers and are even now plotting on a way to capture “The Spectre” before he can unleash his evil nerve agent. As always dear reader you can count on me to bring you all of the action as it happens, HOT and HEAVY!

The Cast

Thunder Road

These are pics from Dewey's game at Fall In. Apparently he had to chase the players off after 6hours of gaming as they were having such a great time they did not want to leave. I can't give you a good blow by blow but the gist of the game was that they Americans needed to grab a couple of important crossroads and defend them against ever increasing pressure from Iraqi Insurgents.

Dewey Pontificating!

A Technical Screaming down the road

Nick Pics

O'Malley here and I'm not dead yet. I just got some more pics developed in my dark room and thought I would share them with you...Enjoy!

Nick Travers and the Cult of the Monkeys Paw

Dateline: Deep in the Jungles of the Congo

O’Malley here and I am not dead yet! I would like to thank my editor for yet another wonderful outing to this far corner of the earth. (Note to editor-some gentleman will be calling looking for my “rent” money, I would suggest just paying them) Once again I have joined forces with the intrepid Nick Travers as he braves the primitive jungle in search of his lovely fiancée Priscilla Nobsnockers and her father Dr. Leo Nobsnockers, inventor of the gyro-compass.




Things started looking bleak from the start as our hero quickly found himself surrounded by natives as he sped down the road.



As the spears and bullets flew, Nick’s chum, “The Sarge” expertly maneuvered the car through the jungle at break neck speeds. I slid down to the floor and got behind a blanket so as to stay out of the way of our intrepid little band. Meanwhile, Capt. Barnes USNA led a squad of sailors and marines as they strained to keep up with Nick and his crew. From the back of the truck Capt. Barnes could be heard preaching to the natives the error of their ways from the back of the careening truck. I do believe that a few of his men, having gotten caught up in the stirring lecture, accidentally squeezed off a few rounds in the direction of the natives. This did seem to put a damper on their enthusiasm to be further baptized.



As the sound of the war drums and chanting grew fainter, we began to relax until out of the jungle burst a man ape creature of enormous pre-portions.

I tried to get a shot with my trusty brownie auto-graphic camera, but my hands were shaking so much from the bumpy road I was unable to get a focused shot so I slipped back behind the blanket. These jungle beasts ripped through the jungle like a steam shovel, hurling man and trees like mere toys. One of them got a-hold of the truck the men were in and proceeded to flip it over. Just then another creature of enormous pre-portions hurtled out of the brush and into the back of the truck.

It grabbed one of the brave sailors in its toothy maw and began to shake him fiercely. I can still hear his screams as I pound out this column. Fortunately, the whiskey and this lovely young barmaid have helped ease my mind. Back at the ancient temple Nick and his chums had managed to finally gain entrance to the Monolithic temple only to find that dastardly duo Boris and Natasha had already beaten him there.

Worst of all those gargantuan gorillas had also arrived and were tossing cultists around like rag dolls. To make matters worse they had just scooped up Priscilla and Natasha and were headed out the back of the Temple. Nick raced up the stairs flinging fleeing cultists to their dooms from atop the dizzying heights of the temple proper. Alas, he was too late. All he could see was the bouncing golden locks of his love Priscilla as she was carried off by one of the great apes.

I have been scouring this bar for hours looking for some brave souls to accompany Nick on his foolhardy mission to rescue Priscilla. I only hope that I haven’t missed him on his way out of town as I sit to write this column, and have another whiskey or two. As always Dear Readers you can be assured that I will bring you all of the action…, Hot and Heavy.

The Dark Continent

O'Malley here and I'm not dead yet!

I would like to thank the state for my brief vacation at their lovely facilities. I'm not sure what they put in the food but things were so relaxing and everyone was so friendly. I would also like to thank Polly Pureheart for filling in for me, readers will be glad to hear that her hard hitting reporting has won her an expense paid vacation to exotic locales. I'm not sure were she was headed but I over heard the Editor saying something about a slow boat to China, so I'm guessing she will be our new Far East Correspondent.

Meanwhile I will take up were she left off. Seems our good friend Dr. Nobsknockers, inventor of liquid berrilium, has disappeared in the Jungles of the Congo. This reporter has it on good authority that the last message received from the good Dr. made mention of a startling discovery and that more info would be made available soon. That was nearly 3 months ago and now word yet from that primitive land.

I have suggested to my employer that I would be happy to get of town for a spell. It seems some of my associates have been anxiously awaiting my release as they want to discuss some past financial ventures we were involved in together. He has booked me passage on a steamer headed for the Dark Continent, knowing him I am sure that it will be only the finest of accomodations as no expense is to be spared for his top reporter.

I have only recently discovered that Capt. Nick Travers is also headed to Africa as well. Rest assured dear readers I will bring you all the action as it develops Hot and Heavy!

Greed Goes Gorilla Gathering

Dr. Leo Nobsknockers noted anthropologist has bee awarded a grant from the New York Museum of Natural History and the Rockefeller Foundation. Dr. Nobsknockers will travel to the West Coast of Africa where he will head into the mountainous region of the Congo Jungle to study the African Silver Back Gorilla and other related mammals in an effort to further understand these fascinating beasts.

Dr. Nobsknockers will spend the next few months in preparation for the expedition. Currently he is in Washington DC to recruit his team from noted members of the Smithsonian Institute of Science. He will also travel to Texas and California to handpick other members of this team. This reporter is somewhat suspect of some of the team members under consideration as they appear to be noted Oil drillers and riggers employed by subsidiary companies of the Standard Oil Corporation. The good Dr. claims that their expertise in geology and mountainous terrain is why they are under consideration for the team.

Furthermore, this reporter has uncovered documents that list the other minor members of the team and a manifest which seem to indicate that this expedition being funded by the Rockefeller Corporation is for more than philanthropic reasons. I suspect that Standar Oil has a distinct commercial interest in the Dark Continent. What they are after I have yet to uncover? Readers of my column know that I will not rest until I have uncovered the true motivations of big business in this endeavor.

Polly Pureheart

Episode 4 of Nick and The Evil Dr. Fraile

Dateline: Boma, The Congo river Delta

O’Malley here and I’m not dead yet!

I have just landed in yet another beautiful tourist spot here on the West Coast of Africa, as always it is hotter here than Atlanta when Sherman marched through it. Grabbing my trusty Kodak No. 2 Folding Autographic Brownie I jumped off the steamer and searched for a good spot from which I could photograph the action. I quickly met a young local girl on the street corner who was more than helpful. She led me to her apartment were I got a great view of the local hot spots, and all for a reasonable price. (Note to editor I need you to wire an advance for my story. It seems I have contracted a local malady which the missionary here assures me can be cured with a shot, but they require a “donation”.) Soon after the negotiations for the room rate had been settled the action in the street really intensified.

The local Belgian authorities here have recently allowed some good ol’ American boys to come in and start drilling for Texas Tea. This commercial interest apparently agitated the local rabble-rousers as a tribe of Tuaregs has been causing all manner of unrest in this little backwater burg. Not ones to be bullied by the indigenous population the local constabulary grabbed the chief of these troublemakers a certain Bay-ag-Akhamok and threw him in the slammer. Well, just as yours truly was getting settled in to his “accommodations”, the locals tried to bust ol’ Akhamok out of the pokey. And, just as their type will do, they decided a little looting and mischief was in order while they were at it.

The first bit of business was to run the American boys out of town.

Unfortunately for them they ran into some real roughnecks who gave them what for. The American boys were led by a no nonsense veteran named “Sarge” O’Banyon. “Sarge” was not about to be run out of town that easy. The Americans pulled out their gats and showed them Tuaregs how we ran the redskins out of the Wild West.


At one point “Sarge” was surrounded by 3 of the brutes on horseback. With trick shooting and American grit he brought all three of them down.
One of his boys had managed to get their truck started and was headed back to town. “Sarge” seeing this jumped into the back of the truck and continued to unhorse the brigands with his trusty Colt.

Meanwhile back in town, Nick Travers the Great American Hero, and some sailors had accompanied the beautiful Priscilla Nobsknockers into town to locate her father.

Nick had it on good authority that the Evil Dr. Fraile had brought Professor Leo Nobsknockers, inventor of the transmogrification device, here in an attempt to catch a steamer back to Austria. As always our boys were greeted with the utmost enthusiasm from the local population.

As our boys commenced searching house-to-house looking for the cowardly madman they ran smack into the middle of the jailbreak. Lead was flying everywhere as the Tuareg raiders shot at anything that moved. The Belgians were all forced back into their compound and things looked bleak until one of their men appeared on the roof with an automatic rifle which bought them a brief respite. Unfortunately, the sheer numbers of raiders overwhelmed the little garrison and the Tuaregs gained the outer courtyard.

The Americans were in a desperate struggle themselves as they fought their way through the Tuaregs to each house looking for the Evil Dr. Fraile’s hideout. Finally, one of the sailors located the correct house by running into the sharp end of one of the Madman’s scalpels. The Dr. then used his evil mind control power to confuse one of the other sailors and used him to fight off the others as he sought some means of escape. The Lunatic Dr. made it into the street and toward an automobile parked nearby. However the violence in the street was blocking all avenues of escape. Seeing no way out and knowing that even if he did escape he would not be able to get through all the raiders, the coward surrendered to Nick knowing that Nick would then be forced to get him to safety.

At the jail the constables were involved in some tight action, as the close quarters had forced the fight into hand-to-hand combat. Once again the large number of raiders decided the day as the Belgians fell to a man.

Seeing that there would no longer be anyone available to interview in that part of town, and my rental agreement with the young lady concluded, I decided it would be prudent to make for the boat. Where I could interview Nick and the Crackpot Doc uninterrupted by curious onlookers. Not wanting to interfere in the festivities being prepared by the newly installed administration of this little hamlet, I decided to slip out the back way. Lucky for me I did, as in honor of the new tenancy a local wine merchant was having some sort of inventory clearance sale. Not one to pass up a bargain I selected a few choice vintages. As the owner was preoccupied in assisting the new gendarmerie and unable to look up the prices for me I decided to leave a note detailing were I could be billed for my selection.

Back at the boat it seems that the local populace that greeted us so warmly was reluctant to see us shove off so soon. Unfortunately, the commander of our vessel accidentally discharged his revolver towards the onrushing well-wishers and they were reluctant to come closer to bid us farewell. Several of the high spirited lads took this for some sort of foreign farewell and answered back by discharging their weapons in the air. As we slipped down the river I could see the natives happily going about their daily lives and celebrating their newly found independence from the Belgian Colonial office.

Until next time readers! You can count on me to bring you all of the Action… Hot and Heavy!

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Episode 3 of Nick and The Evil Dr. Fraile

Dateline: The shores of Lake Tanganyika, The Congo




O’Malley Here and I’m not dead yet. Having taken cover in the bush with my young native girl guide and my trusty Browning Autographic camera, I was in the perfect position to watch the action unfold. Nick Travers, Great American Hero, had been knocked unconscious by some hired gunsels in the employee of Boris and Natasha. The deadly duo had just slipped through a road block thrown up by our boys in an attempt to keep them from delivering the tanker load of X-19 a nerve gas that turns it’s victims into bloodthirsty zombies.

When out of the bush burst Pretty Priscilla Nobsknockers in her Ford roadster. It seems the dame got a little lost when some of her blonde locks got in her way and she missed a turn. Not being able to find anyone to offer assistance she continued to bowl her way through the bush in a vain attempt to find her men. Seeing her beloved Nick knocked cold she pulled over to offer assistance. Nick, having been aroused by the closeness of Priscilla, quickly jumped into the roadster and headed off after the dastardly duo.

Meanwhile the valiant men of the U.S. Rocket Corp where in a tight scrap having landed in the middle of The Evil Dr. Fraile’s asylum and becoming quickly surrounded by his mutant zombies. They desperately fought there way to the Good Professor Nobsknockers, inventor of the atomic neuralyzer, but the press of zombies was just too great. They decided to try to retreat and go for the Professor another day. Shouting their slogan “Stars and Stripes to the sky” the burst up into the wild blue yonder. Several of the men actually managed to escape the clutches of certain death at the hands of the zombies.

Nick and Priscilla where hot on the trail of the deadly duo, slowly they drew closer dodging wildlife as they careened down the narrow jungle road. One of the rocketeers spotted the wild race through the jungle and made a courageous effort to land on the tanker and take control of it. Unfortunately, a hired goon lying in wait on the top of the deadly vehicle threw him clear from the truck.


In desperation, Nick leaned from his vehicle and squeezed off a round blowing up the truckload of X-19 just as it reached the relative safety of the German airstrip.

Nick may have thwarted Boris and Natasha yet again but the Good Dr. Nobsknockers had once again slipped from his grasp. Upon return to the asylum, Nick and Priscilla discovered that her father and The Evil Dr. Fraile were nowhere to be found. It was just at this time that the father and a few of the brothers of my little jungle guide turned up looking to welcome me for dinner. Unfortunately, I did not want to miss any of the action for you, dear readers, so I quickly made my way to Nick's boat as it prepared to head up the lake in search of The Evil Dr. Fraile. My new found jungle friends followed me to the boat shouting words of sorrow as they saw me slip away. A few of them even threw some of their spears to me as parting gifts. Aah well, I make these sacrifices so that I can bring you all the action, Hot and Heavy.

Bio: O'Malley

A newsman’s newsman born to Irish immigrants, O’Malley displays all of the unique traits that make the Irish so interesting. His years of outrunning gangsters to whom he owes money and jealous husbands have granted him an uncanny ability to get out of a tight spot almost as fast as he gets into one.

Since O’Malley is more comfortable in the seedier parts of town, he always seems to be where the action is. Never one to let the facts stand in the way of a good story, O’Malley’s stories always seem to be top sellers for the Daily Globe a fact not lost on his editor Jonah Brantley. This knack for top stories has garnered O’Malley the freedom to travel the globe in search of the big scoops.

It was on such a journey that O’Malley bumped into Capt. Nick Travers. Knowing a free ride when he saw one, O’Malley used his charms to win the confidence of Nick, which enabled him to stay close to the do-gooder. That and the fact that O’Malley always has his trusty Browning Autographic Camera with him and Nick Loves to have his picture taken have insured him of always being near Nick when trouble is brewing.

Nick and the Evil Dr. Fraile

Dateline:The Congo, Outside the Asylum of the Evil Dr. Fraile

O’Malley here and I’m not dead yet. My editor Jonah Brantley informed me that several “gentleman” were inquiring as to my whereabouts. It seems there is some confusion as to some unpaid gambling debts. Unfortunately I am still deep in the Jungle of the Congo and unable to straighten this matter out. Note to editor: Jonah, I wish you a speedy recovery. A broken arm and fractured fingers are nothing to take to lightly. I am not sure how you managed to get them caught in your desk drawer, seven times, but accidents do happen. Take it from me, a hospital is a great place to recover from something like this as there are a great many people around and it is much harder for accidents to occur in places like that.

As for our hero Nick Travers he has tracked the purloiners of the good Dr. Nobsknockers, inventor of the Pulsating Telegraphic Ionizer, to the Asylum of the Evil Dr. Fraile. I of course have tagged along to bring you, Dear Readers, all the Action, Hot and Heavy. Grabbing my trusty Browning Autographic camera I have taken up a vantage point outside of the asylum with a local native girl who has busily introduced me to many of the local customs as I lay here hidden in the bush. It didn’t take long for things to heat up for our Hero.



After making a spectacular raid on Dr. Fraile’s private dock with some Marines, Nick Headed for the Asylum. Apparently the deadly duo of Boris and Natasha had made a deal with Dr. Fraile to Trade Dr. Nobsknockers for a truckload of X-19, a nerve gas that turns it’s victims into mindless zombies. Without a moment to lose Nick and the Marines setup a roadblock to stop the onrushing truck of X-19.




Meanwhile, Lt. J.J. Malloy and his Rocket Corps assaulted the asylum in a desperate attempt to free the good Dr. Nobsknockers.

At the roadblock the marines where able to clobber a truckload of hired thugs accompanying the tanker of X-19, but the dastardly duo managed to elude the trap after they were able to knockout the stalwart Nick Travers. The Rocket Corp was a bit more successful. They managed to land in the compound and get to Dr. Nobsknockers but find themselves surrounded by zombies under the control of the sinister Dr. Fraile.



That’s all I have time for this time Dear Readers. But as always I will be there to bring you all the action as it develops, Hot and Heavy.