Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

84 to be an airplane, all three of them secret- ly harboring uncertainties on that point, however. The tank was filled and Captain Barnes stepped into the driver’s seat. Sam had a sudden sensation of gooseflesh. “Better look out,” he advised. “T don’t think it will fly,’ Captain Barnes said reassuringly. “But what if it does?” “Then [’m in hard luck.” Barnes began moving levers and controls, and turning various little black buttons. These efforts were eventually rewarded by a sputtering sound somewhere inside the hood. ‘Now, whirl the propellers,’ he shouted. Sam, though terrified, obeyed like a man inadream. But there was nothing dreamy about this action in getting away when the engine responded. The propellers whirled perhaps two sec- onds and the machine was threatening to move when both blades separated from their moorings. One flew off over the camp while the other shattered into splinters on the ground. Captain Barnes promptly stopped the engine. ‘| That was lucky,” he exclaimed, mopping his brow. “Terrible,” groaned General Cassiano. ““You’ve got a charmed life,’”’ was Sam’s comment. “Tf I had even dreamed that thing would Sart Captain Barnes was unable to conclude the sentence because of the pressing necessity for swallowing first his Adam’s apple and then his heart. Eventually his legs responded to orders and he was able to step out and down to the ground. Then the three men ranged themselves in a line and looked dolefully at the derelict airship. “Where is general headquarters?” Cap- tain Samuel Tupper asked General Cas- siano. The commander told him. Sam estimated the distance at two hundred and seventy miles. He knew every mile of the road. In an automobile it would be easy. Three words were roaring through his mind incessantly: “Fifty thousand dollars!” “General, I’ll go in an automobile,” he said. “You would be killed.”’ Adventure “T don’t think so.” ““What’s the trouble?” asked Captain Barnes. Sam explained. “How much money do you need, gen- eral?’ Sam asked. “Two million dollars.”’ eS THAT settled it, so far as Sam was end concerned. His duties had covered a considerable portion of the gamut of human activities, but never had he been custodian of two million dollars and he thirsted for the experience—not to say the thrill. During the remainder of the day there was much argument, pro and con, that being the nature of the argument, but the rising moon looked down upon a tiny black speck which might easily have been mis- taken for a frightened bug as it scuttled over the smooth winding dirt road. At the wheel sat Captain Samuel Tupper and at his right shoulder sat Captain George Barnes. Neither wore his uniform. Moreover, their credentials were written on a very small piece of paper. General Cassiano had been: in favor of something elaborate with a gold seal and some pink ribbons, neatly enclosed in sealing wax, but Sam stubbornly fought for paper that could be chewed and swallowed in an emergency. Even at a distance there was something about the movement of that automobile which gave evidence of frightened occu- pants. The trail of dust behind it was half a mile long. Seven hours of steady travel brought them to general headquarters. Either they maintained an average speed of nearly forty miles an hour or Sam had made an error in his estimate of the distance. Another theory, advanced by Captain Barnes, was that they had skipped over ten or twelve miles of valley. They were asked on arrival if they had been challenged along the way but neither was sure. Three times they recalled having heard some one yell at them but whether these yells were challenges or well-merited curses for reckless driving they could not determine. At any rate they’were there without accident and with enough water and oil in two large extra tanks, carried as baggage, for the return trip. General José Alejandre Nieto conducted micloool (© in