Adventure Magazine Cover, November 10, 1924 — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

The Casual’s Return that many times fits the case so exactly that there is none other so satisfying. “As to that,’”’ continued the officer, ‘‘for- get it. If every one served the sentence he got in these kangaroo courts, we wouldn’t have enough men on the front to make a color guard for a medical detachment. Let’s hurry, because we're ‘supposed to get the train at Carbon Blanc in half an hour.” The two men went with speed. At the far end of the camp they found an outfit with packs made up and in full uniform, aya to fall in at the word. “Vou’ll act as first sergeant,” said the officer to Eadie. “I’ve only one other non- com and he’s a corporal.” “Hot tamale!” gasped Eadie. at me!”’ He drew out the chest of his blouse and wound it several times in his hand. He had no collar ornaments on that gaping collar and the sleeves came to the tips of his fingers like a mandarin’s robe. “Gee, I’m a fine looking first sergeant! T’ll take it off.” He removed the distasteful-garment and, though his shirt was wrinkled and. stained with sea water, it bore on its sleeve the stripes of a sergeant and he did not look quite so much like a recruit as he had in his blouse. “Here, Jake,” he said, ‘Carry me,” and he handed Jake his. Red Cross bag and blouse. Then he stepped to-the front and whistled shrilly through his teeth. “Fall in!” he roared. While the men were taking their places i in ranks, Eadie’s eye wandered to the gigantic form of Jake. “I wonder what that bird has in his mind,’’ he said to himself. ‘‘He never told me what outfit he was out of, but it was an infantry one, and a National Army Division, too. Maybe he just saw a chance to get out of the mill.”’ The sergeant called the roll from a type- written list the officer gave him, and the column moved out. There were sixty-two men in that detail and the officer explained that they had come over from Newport News with a shipload of horses. “How did you find out where I was?” asked Eadie. “I was over at headquarters when that bunch from the torpedoed transport were being sorted out. There.were.two or three “Look these for - 43. doughboys, some sailors and the rest were coast artillerymen. ‘They said there was one sergeant and a private from the 76th, so I allowed I’d take them with me. I needed the sergeant.”’ “And didn’t they say anything about my. being in the mill?” ‘Hop! Those men don’t serve those sen- tences. They stay in the can until their organization leaves camp and then they go with it. They’ll relieve that ass of a sum- mary court. If they don’t, the Fool Killer’s liable to ruin him.” called Carbon Blanc, where the rail- road ‘station was. The train was not eo in. The company halted and the officer gave the command to fall out. “Look after things, will you, sergeant?” he asked. “I’ve got some things to do, telegrams and stuff.” He ran off across the square. The ser- geant felt his first stir of apprehension. It was a strange thing to find sixty-two men with no other non-commissioned officers than a corporal. It was still stranger to have an officer go to send a telegram to a building that bore upon its gray stone front the words, Café de la Gare, and in smaller letters, Buvette—Vins Tabacs. The sergeant turned from contemplating the dusty square just in time to see a French civilian wandering off with as many can- teens as he could conveniently carry and two men scuttling around the corner of the station. The men sat in the shade of the gare and all watched their new first sergeant. They were strangers to him and he to them. This company belonged to the ammuni- tion train of Eadie’s division, but he had no knowledge of their origin, discipline or morale. The men looked eagerly at the sergeant and he in turn pretended not to notice it. He stood with feet spread, won- dering how long the train would be in com- ing and how long before the officer would. come back. The civilian came flapping back across the square and. having returned the canteens to their owners, went away again, Jaden with more. He was probably filling them with water,. thought the sergeant. . Soldiers never had brains enough to fill their canteens before they left camp. Eventually the train. ap- peared and at the same time a truck loaded with rations. Two cars at the end of the Comicbook —) THEY marched on to the hamlet (© =