Adventure Magazine Cover, June 20, 1925 — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

14 Adventure thin wood, a sort of park, with considerable space between the trees and with no brush. There was much litter on the ground, belts, packs, rifles, Chaucat ammunition carriers, bandages from first aid packets—there are two in a packet and when one is used there is nothing to do with the other but throw it away — tin cans that had contained hard- tack, and innumerable slickers. The rest of the battalion were invisible, but in that particular part of the woods Nell could see his own squad, sleepily rubbing their eyes, and enough other men to let him know that a platoon was being organized. The platoon commander was a young man, much younger even than Nell, but the sergeant who was assisting him was an old timer wifh grizzled hair. They were hurrying about inspecting ammunition belts, putting a Chaucat gunner in a different place, finding a bayonet on the ground for a man who had lost his, handing out fist- fuls of rifle ammunition to men who stuffed their pockets with the clips, and keeping up a running fire of comment and advice the while. The officer suddenly espied Nell and came over to him. ‘“‘Aren’t you one of the replacements?” he asked. “Yessir,” said Nell. “Do you know how to work your rifle?” “*Vessir.”’ ‘“‘Let me see you load it.” Nell did so and the officer, satisfied, gave a grunt. “You’d be surprized how many times we get men that don’t know how to load their rifle,’ he went on. “And that’s not only bad for them, but for all of us. You’d think they’d have more sense in the replacement camps. There, the sergeant’s found a novice!” is sl THE officer hurried away to where the sergeant was giving a , short dissertation on the rifle to “2°27 one of the men who had come up with Nell the day before. Whether the man was getting what was told him did not ap- pear, but the sergeant left him and hurried to another. ny sal ) The reason for such a sad state of affairs. was that this division was armed with the model 1903 rifle, and the replacements were invariably trained with the model 1917, which, while not very greatly differ- ent, is exceedingly so to one not familiar with firearms. ‘‘Ain’t that ——,,”’ commented Curran. Nell knew it was he, for he had his brass vase under his arm. | ‘“‘Now these poor goops that joined yes- terday don’t know what they’re doin’ here, they don’t know what their bayonet is for, an’ the best they can hope for is to stop a bullet in some place where it won’t do much harm.” “Well, if they stop one that might hit a better man they done their duty,” said Spagett. “Yeh,” agreed Curran, “but most usually the bullet goes right through ’em and hits the better man just the same.” “Well, you stay in front o’ me then, it won’t go through both of you.” “You first, Alphonse,” said Curran. “I got a vase I don’t want spoiled by no demon machine-gunner.”’ There was a sharp blast of the whistle and the men began to move off, each squad in single file, threading among the trees. ‘Where are we going now?” asked Nell. ‘Gonna eat,’’ said a man who was another member of the squad that Nell had not heard speak before. The squad laughed heartily and got a re- proving look from the officer, who was some distance away, and a growl from the ser- geant, who was following along behind. Aiter that they moved in silence, stepping carefully, avoiding thickets, holding their breath, and waiting, waiting, like hunters nearing the game. The men all had their rifles slung, this Nell noticed, but he also noticed the Chau- cat gunner. He had his rifle slung, but its muzzle pointed to the front and the but was against his hip. Nell felt a slight increase in the number of his heart beats. These men were going into action and he was going with them. He would like to dump his pack, but the sergeant was behind and would probably make him take it up again. Rap-rap-rap-rap-rap-RAP-RAP-RAP RAP! Every man went down. “Off packs!” cried the corporal. ‘The looey forgot it or he don’t give a ——, but take ’em off now!”’ Nell undid the hooks of his pack carrier and thrusting his finger through the loop of the strap that held his blanket roll to the rest of his pack, pulled it out, and his blan- ket roll and shelter half came away. There was another rapping that swelled COMIGDIOOKSEEO