Adventure Magazine Cover, October 10, 1921 — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

138 “Assembly” sounded, followed by ‘mess call,’ and the old veteran stood at his win- dow, peering into the morning fog, anx- lously awaiting the report of the Officer of the Day. It was a proud old father that had viewed guard-mount the day of his depart- ure, and it was a sad old soldier that saw _the end of his youngster’s first tour of duty ' approaching. There would be an investi- gation, one that he would have to order, and the board might feel that it would be for the interest of the service that the lieutenant should face a court-martial. The slap, slap, slap of rifles falling to an order as the guard and prisoners were inspected, came from the small square below. Soon there was a clicking of heels and the sergeant fof the guard turned the corner into the line of the major’s vision. “Sargint, sargint, and are ye comin’ here to report the gyard! ’Tis ye thot know better! Give my complimints to the Off- cer of the Day and till him to come here at wanst!”” The old boy was angry. He would show the lieutenant a thing or two. “Sargint, did ye hear me? Yedid? Will, thin, why don’t ye obey ordhers!”’ The sergeant continued his steady walk toward the major, seemingly paying no attention to his command. ‘“Sargint, sargint!”’ The offending non-com. was now within easy speaking distance. He stopped, stood at attention, and saluted. “If the major pleases “The Major don’t please, nor ye don’t please the Major, neither. Whot in the do ye mean a-comin’ here whin I tell ye to do somethin’ ilse. Git a hump on ye now 2 The sergeant stood firm as a rock at salute. ‘Standin’ at salute is it? Waitin’ for me to return it? Will, stand there a while. Yer arm’!I git tired or Ill pull yer belt before (ll answer the salute of an— Shut up now, I say, not a worrud out of ye! Whot’s thot ye say? The lieutenant is not at the guard-house? He’snot? Heis! Yeknow he is! And he’s not in his quarters? He is, I tell ye, he is!! Don’t think just because he’s Old Spud’s son thot he’s as crazy as his fayther. Git a hump on ye now and till that limb o’ Sat The major remembered just in time. He was not a West Pointer, but he was ) -punan cutthroats. Adventure well versed in army courtesy, a knowledge gained from hard knocks when he was a “second louey”’ fresh from the ranks. He came to attention, gave the sergeant of the guard a salute as stiff and as formal as he would have rendered the Adjutant-General of the Army. The sergeant saluted again, made an “about face,”’ and started for the guard-house. axa THE major watched him out of M51 sicht, and then fairly jumped into “= his uniform, and clattered down the stairs. He’d show Lieutenant Morphy that he could not trifle with the commanding officer at Los Banos, even if that officer did happen to be his father. There was an uneasy creaking in the cor- ner, and Private Peter Morey, fully dressed, stood sleepily on his feet, trying to come to attention. He looked sloppy, his eyes were red. It was enough to loose the wire edge of the major’s wrath. “‘Phwat in the ! Git yer ugly mouth shut and yer squinty eyes opin, at wanst now, at wanst! Thin jist but’n up that shirt o’ yours and chase yersilf down to the quarthers o’ Lieutenant Morphy and till him to report here immejutly!’’ “The leutenant is not in his quarters, sir,” Morey had ‘‘snapped out of it’? and was very much alive. ‘I have been wait- ing 9 “Vis, yis, ye’ ve bin waitin’, all right, and me a walkin’ the floor above to the tune o’ yer most beautiful snorin’ the last half- hour. Come, man, out wid it! Don’t stand ptckin’ the water out o’ yer teeth wid yer finger-nails! Till me where the lieutenant is, or I’ll show ye and I'll show him too. *Tis triplets I have to trouble my days now, and not jist ye and Private Morey, second, the pair 0’ ye. Where is he, I ask ye, where is he?”’ “Lieutenant Morphy, sir,-4s in the hands of Juan de Jesus, and his band of Kati- If the major will per- mit I would suggest that he allow me to call the adjutant and let him hear the exact situation so far as I know it. There may yet be time to save the lieutenant!” ‘Time to save the lieutenant? And why fore not save him at wanst? D’ye mean to till me thot I can’t take the min o’ this post and clean up ivery insurrecto in these islands?” “But, major, the lieutenant is a prisoner. MICLOOOKS \ C@