Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

By FRANK RICHARDSON PIERCE ITHIN a stone’s throw of the WV brawling Elwha River a row of olive drab tents marked K Com- pany’s camp. Smoke trailed up from the cook tent, and nearby a number of army mules cussed the weather and took it out on one another’s person. An _ unfinished bridge completed the scene, except for lofty peaks and lower mountains covered with fir and spruce. The very silence of the camp awakened Captain Murphy. He glanced at the clock. “For the love of Mike!” he groaned, “it’s getting worse and worse, look what time it is!” He was speaking to himself and therefore listening to a mighty good man. Murphy was not merely part Irish as sometimes happens. He was one hundred per cent, the fact that one parent hailed from the north of Ireland and the other from the south made it unanimous. Also is offered possibilities in the way of natural fighting. However, the elder Murphys did not fight. That is, each other. He thrust his head from the tent and bawled, ““Company! Fall in!” He raised his voice slightly. “ Company! Fall in! Immediately!” From each tent came soldiers in various stages of dress, beginning with the lowest and ending with a man all dressed but one legging. He favored them with a frown. ‘“‘ A fine bunch of soldiers you are. Give you an inch and you'll take a mile. Look what time of day it is? How do you ever expect to get that bridge built, let alone produce amongst you a boxer who can win the division championship? Here I gather together a group of men who call them- selves fighters, bring you up here where you can harden your muscles building bridges, breathe God’s pure air and catch a trout or two and what do you do? You loaf under the covers until sun-up. What have you got to say for yourselves? Why don’t somebody speak up?” Nobody spoke for the reason nobody dared when the captain was in this mood. ‘We've had three buglers here and O4t oO Ccomicbooks (C©)