Adventure Magazine Cover — page 151: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘Privit’ Morey, the Pair o’ Thim”’ the Moreys pass an ammunition-box over the side of their banca to the waiting mem- bers of Isuan’s crew. - “Look at ’em now, will ye,”’ burst from the major’s lips, “handin’ over thot box of ammunition to old Isuan as if ivery bullit did not carry a dith ticket for some poor comrade. And see the other two boats loaded to the gunnels with dirty amigos pullin’ quietly from the tules to flank the young divils if they are not inclined to accipt old Isuan’s idea of a proper sittle- ment. Jist look at ’em. I’ve worked over thim two byes like a fathir, tryin’ to make soldiers out o’ thim, and now, just bekase this divilish old tongue of mine ran loose and ripped the hide off thim a bit, the pair o’ thim turn traitor. ‘“Wot’s thot? They’re’ backin’ away? Will, can’t I see it? Probably holding out for the rank of Jigadier Brindle and a few thousand pesos before they deliver thim- selves neck and crop to the inimy. In the meantime old Isuan has enough ammuni- tion to load all his Krags and blow the young divils into Kingdom Come, and thot’s jist whot he’s doin’ this minit, passin’ out the good thirty-thirties to his blackamoor guard, bad cess to thim. Thim byes will be rounded up immejut or I’m an old fule of an infantry major. ‘“Howly Moses, Franklin, look at thot!” The Napindan was now within an easy half mile of the Moreys. ‘‘What’s thot the young divils are throwing overboard? More ammunition, did ye say? Bet yea dollar old Wooley’ll be coming to me to- night with the story of how the young diviis robbed his ammunition train! And what for are they throwin’ it overboard? Ye don’t know? Well I do! They’re showin’ old Isuan. they can play poker. Look at the ither two canoes close in! They'll be the jokers old Isuan has up his sleeve.” The Moreys kept pitching the ammuni- tion-boxes overboard, paying io attention to the approaching canoes. Soon they were flanked, and old Isuan called to the men in the other canoes to get ready to fire if the Américans did not stop dropping the boxes of cartridges he needed so badly into the lake. °* Suddenly the pair ceased theif labors. Ray stepped quickly to the bow of the banca, pulled down the flapping sail, and a second later Old Glory was swing- 10 145 ing to the gentle breeze from the masthead. “Phwat in ” The more the major was excited the more he reverted to his Irish accent and the language of his earlier days, when he, too, was a private. ‘“Phwat in ,’ he repeated, “‘is that thing in the bottom of the canoe! A motor ye say, Franklin? And where did the ‘divils git that contraption? She’s turnin’ over, too. , see the speed of her! They can run around anything on the lake, not ixcipting this old tub, bigging yer pardon, Captain Franklin. Headin’ straight for us, too, like a comet, with the Stars and Stripes at the hid and old Isuan’s flotilly dropping astern in their tail.” The strain was getting too much for O'd Spud. There was going to be a scrap and he never let a scrap go by without getting in it. He dropped from the bridge and rushed wildly for the Hotchkiss rifle in the bow, shoving the crew to one side. He was just drawing a fine bead on old Isuan’s banca when the Moreys’ craft, making a good twenty miles an hour, cut his front sight. = the fules! They’re going back to dicker with old Isuan! I wash my hands o thim. Lit thim sink to through the bottom of the lake and git cooled off on the.way down! They’ll need it, the traitorous sassenach, whin the divil of all begins poking their ribs.” The major had exhausted his vocabulary and his anger. No matter what the Moreys were planning to do now, they had been true blue in the fight at Malabon, and at Pateros, when he took the little town, and at Zapote bridge they had been part of the detachment that had swum the river and turned the insurgent flank. They had followed Lieutenant Miles into block-house fourteen, both being wounded in the hand- to-hand fight for its possession. It had been thé only real bayonet scrap thus far in the Insurrection and the major had a kindly corner for the few men that had helped Lieutenant Miles win his “honorable mention” that day. rd THE Napindan was plowing steadi- ly ahead in the wake of the onrush- ‘ing canoe. The major could see the barrels of Isuan’s men glisten in the sun as the little brown brothers took careful aim ~ at the onrushing banca. He saw the flash of Isuan’s bolo as he signaled ‘‘Fire!’”’ COPMICLOO© (E@)