Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

88 Adventure Uncle Dudley blinked several times, mistrustful of his eyes, and thunderstruck by the uniform. While he was trying to collect his wits Sam was staring at the horizon, looking in vain for the embattled armies. Next he looked about the camp, expecting to see heaps of bodies. There was not a one! Evidently the casualties run true to form for battles of this sort. The two machine guns he had so proudly assembled were in a scrambled heap. Ap- parently the soldiers had run over them, getting away. “This must have been the worst battle they ever had ‘here, wasn’t it?” Sam asked. “No. Just about the same as usual,” Uncle Dudley replied, still blinking at Sam’s uniform. Then: “Come out of that grind organ monkey makeup, Sam,” he ordered sternly, “and help load these trucks.” “T don’t know where my other clothes are,’’ Sam objected. “Then work in your underwear.” That is what Sam did, and never more cheerfully in his life. As the last case was loaded Tom Phillips, journeyman cowboy and truck driver ex- traordinary, kicked a bundle of papers, at the same time saying— “What’s this?” “Tt’s mine,” said Sam. Tom picked up the bundle and examined several of the bills, smiling as he turned them over. and observed the inconsistent statements printed thereon. “T’ll give you a dollar for it,’’ was Tom’s verdict. “Tt’s yours,” said Sam. “Hurry up there, you boys,” Uncle Dudley ordered. “What’s going on?” Sam asked as he climbed into a seat beside his chief. ‘Well, I had word that the federals were going to clean out this joint today,” Uncle Dudley explained. “I’ve been trying to get word to you to come on home. The federals want a carload of cartridges de- livered here tonight. I ordered a carload and they ought to have come in today, but they didn’t, so I came over here and got these. They depend on me for cartridges and I didn’t want to disappoint them!” After a brief silence Uncle Dudley resumed: “Sam, I know that boys will be boys. Fact is I used to be one myself, but you ought to ask me about things like this before joining any armies. I always know what’s going on and which side has the cash. You got on the wrong side. And another, Sam, I was worried about you run- ning around in an airplane. Them things is dangerous. I read in the paper only the other day about one of them tumbling down and busting up a couple of fellows.” To all of which Sam replied with a repentant— “Yes, sir.” cCoOmiclboolks.6 nn