Adventure Magazine Cover — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

Flatfoot Strategy “Well,” said Snoots, “I don’t allus, but jest fer luck I will tonight.” He stood up and threw back his blanket. There it was—a big, live, wiggling scorpion. “Man!” Ruination catapulted across the tent and grabbed up a baseball bat. “Don’t!”? Snoots caught the bat in mid- air as Ruination swung it. ‘Don’t bat ’im all over my bunk!” Then he picked up a shoe and scooped the squirming thing off his bunk on to the floor. “There! Clout Down came the bat, reducing the scor- pion to pulp. “Man!” Ruination felt of the back of his neck. ‘He was anchored under your blanket waiting for you!” Snootful grinned. “Tf ’'d shoved my feet in without lookin’, he’d ’a’ got me no-doubtly.” Ruination threw back his blanket, and I mine. We found no more scorpions. “Good thing the doctor told Dixie to pass that word around,” observed Ruina- tion. I looked at Snootful. His whole attitude had suddenly changed. He now looked like a mad gorilla. A black scowl had re- placed the grin on his bulldog face, his head and shoulders were thrust forward, his arms crooked. His eyes were blazing into mine. “Oh, I got you, Snoots, old boy!” I ejacu- lated. ‘Did the doctor tell Dixie that, eh?”’ “Did ’e!”? he snapped. “Did ’e?” I echoed. “What the are you’se raving about —did-’e did-’e did-’e!”’ growled Ruination. “Jest that!” Snoots answered. “Did the doctor tell Dixie to—’” He paused a moment. ‘Breeze, you got your shoes on 39 Without waiting for him to finish I stepped out and headed up Lily White Street for Germ Junction. I found Doc alone, in a canvas chair out in front of his shack, taking a moonlight bath. . “Doctor,” I said, “I thought I’d better report this. Bennet just found a live scor- pion in his bunk. I thought it would be a good idea to remind all hands about taking _ a look before they turn in.” He was surprized. “Hm! Found one in his bunk, eh. Why, yes; it hadn’t ought to be necessary, but it might be a good stunt at that. I’ll talk to all hands tomorrow morning. You might 85 shoot that word from tent to tent before you turn in.” I carried out that order, then returned to our tent. “Well?” questioned Ruination—“did-’e did-’e did-’e?”’ “He did not,” I answered. “Struck Doc as strange—a scorp in a man’s bunk. But he didn’t tell Dixie to carry that word around.” “(Which means that Dixie is all blue, like I said he was in the beginning,” said Snoots. Then he turned to Ruination. “Slide over an’ see if Gillen’s scorpion is still in that glass jar. Do it neat. Don’t let °em know what you're snoopin’ fer.” Ruination stood up. In the lantern light his eyes gleamed intelligence. He saw the trend of our suspicions. ‘Jest ease in an’ ask ’em have they got any mosquiter oil or somethin’,’”’ suggested Snoots. | Ruination was gone and back in two minutes. “T guess you're right,” he whispered, “His scorp is gone.” For fully a minute we stood there in silence. “Why not tell the doctor about it?” said. Ruination. Snoots thought long and hard. “No,” he replied finally. ‘I can’t prove nothin’. Gillen put that animal in my bunk no-doubtly. But there’s no convictin’ a man jest on some one’s say-so. Jest you fellers keep your traps shut. I'll git that bird myself—tomorrow.” 8 THE next day was a busy one for Snoots and me. A ship was leaving the harbor for the States that after- noon, and the gang fairly swamped us with mail; seemed every man in camp had a couple of letters he hadn’t thought of till the last minute. Beginning at sunrise, grabbing breakfast on the fly, ditto dinner, we stood out in the sizzling sun, alternating at sending and reading off, till mid-after- noon. It was three o’clock when Snoots finished sending the last letter. He dashed the flags to the ground, and with his hat mopped his scarlet, sweat-ooz- ing face. “Now,” he grunted. ‘‘Now we'll go up an’ square yards with Gillen.” “Better take a rest first,” I said. “Let’s take a swim and get on some dry clothes.” COmiclboolks C©