Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

i a Fish for the Gunner 67 on combing that tract of séa throughout the fast-approaching night, unheedful of pain, hunger and fatigue. But, unlike men, engines have no will to drive them on after the energy-generating supply has been shut off. His supply of gasoline was running low. He doubted even now that he had enough to make the rock. Moreover, ponEeus north into the current would be a heavy drag on the engine, which meant an abnotmallibharmption of gas. Should he continue the search, or head north for the rock? With a replenished gasoline tank, a satisfied stomach, a mega- phone and one or two companions it: would be play. But alone, hungry, weak, voice- less, withal under constant anxiety over a ~ depleted tank, the ordeal was nerve-tearing. And then he found them—or rather he stumbled upon them, Swinging round to the east, slow'y gliding along on momentum, debating whether or not to take one more turn east and west, Blackie heard angry, snatling voices off to the left of him. His engine being stopped, pointing off to the left brought him head-on to the current, and quickly checked his headway. The voices grew louder rapidly. They were more akin to the voices of animals than of men. _ And, glaring and snarling at each other like two vicious animals, Blackie found Goat and Graveyard. Drenched to the skin and chilled to the bone they sat there, one in the bow and the other in the stern, shivering and chattering like two half- - drowned apes. Wild-eyed and open-mouthed, doubting their vision and mistrusting their mental faculties, the two stood up and stared in mute amazement at the rubber-coated man emerging from the fog. “Hello, Graveyard,” came a husky whis- per, as the Dolly Dean eased noiselessly alongside of the skiff. ‘Been yelling so long it’s all I can do to whisper.” And a whisper was all the noise Blackie could make. © For a moment Graveyard continued to stare in blank bewilderment. Then recog- nition leaped into his eyes. “Rummy!” And as Blackie leaned over with out- reached hand his rubber coat flapped back and Graveyard saw a bursting shell on the © collar of the coat beneath. The gunner! Blackhurst! j The name.came back to him readily now. Rummy Blackhurst of six years before. The bookworm who, had lived in the dog- | house. And who liked fish. “_—’s fire!’ he drawled, leaning over toward the man in the Dolly Dean. ww GRAVEYARD’S astonishment, how- =< ever, reanimated him but moment- fasten arily. Beholding their rescuer emerge from the fog; observing in him a subor- dinate of years before; at the same instant noting him to be the officer whom he had — been deriding and railing at for twenty-four hours; all this, coming upon him in a mo- ment when he was about to give up hope, while it had the effect of awakening a mo- ~ mentarygflare-up of wild delight had also the effect of overwhelming still further his al- ready overwhelmed senses. And after that momentary flare-up Graveyard lapsed into a dazed listlessness. Goat merely wiltéd back in the stern sheets, mutely blinking up into the black © eyes of the gunner. He heard the other tell- ing him to get aboard. He saw Graveyard clamber ponderously over the gunwale. He knew in a vague way that he wanted to get up and do likewise, but was unable. At length the gunner’s broad shoulders bent over toward him; Goat felt himself being lifted over into the cockpit of the Dolly Dean. Very few further words were exchanged while making the skiff fast astern and get- _ ting under way. Blackie’s overworked lungs gave him pain even to whisper; and the two he had picked up were so completely dumfounded with the suddenness of their unhoped-for rescue that speech was beyond them—they were spell-bound. After quench- ing their thirst they huddled together in the cockpit under Blackie’s rubber coat, and immediately fell asleep. With the current to buck, and a tow astern, the Dolly Dean chugged north slowly. Darkness came en. Blackie switched the light onto the compass. A stray be played on Graveyard’s face, causing him to turn. over and mumble i irri- tatedly in his sleep. “T will like give up my bungalow! To some —— young rat? We'll start him off on fish.”’ Then Goat chimed in. “Atta boy, chief. the snoots. You're a liar!” i a AN! On the fingers—an’ on Ss You threw the ee away! cComichbook oa 4 ‘ta oe ;