Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 11, 1925 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

THE BIG GUN. inside cover, where was written in pen ‘“* Raoul Vosmer, U. S. N.” How did you come by this?” Cyrus resented both tone and manner. Moreover, he was. still shy in the presence of a uniform, and he thought it might be immodest to plead a personal contact with the commander of the ship. “I borrowed it, sir,” he replied, simply. “* Borrowed it from the captain’s personal library ?”’ “< Yes, sir. PB] Tenflair’ s eyes narrowed. “ Look here, Bullitt,” said he, “I know you from the Navy Yard. You’re inclined to exceed your authority and to step out of bounds. I’m telling you for your own good you had better watch your step on ship. The ways are different here. Discipline is stricter. You can’t get away with things on ship you could put over on land. Now, I'll take charge of this book. Maybe you borrowed it and maybe—you took it.” A little later Ensign Tenflair sent word by the orderly he desired a few words with the captain. Presently he was received on the bridge, where the captain was chatting with the officer of the deck. Tenflair pro- duced the book, saying, casually, “‘ Look what I found in the hands of a yeoman.” The captain looked at the book and re- turned it, replying, “ Yes, rather a preco- cious youngster—I loaned it to him.” He turned his back on Tenflair and addressed the officer pacing in the rear of the quarter- master at the wheel. “ Lieutenant,” he said, ‘“ let’s have your glass. That looks like the smoke of a fruit liner off there on the port bow.” Tenflair now had two scores to settle with Cyrus. CHAPTER VIII. THE GUN TURRET. HE captain’s orderlies are chosen from the honor men of the marines, but they must also be of a tallness and breadth. Not less than six feet up and down and correspondingly broad in the shoulders are qualifications added to an exemplary record. 179 Yet, with these requirements, a large number of the hundred marines on the Kan- sas were on the captain’s preferred list. They were changed once a month, so that all might have a chance during the cruise to pace up and down in the passage outside the admiral’s dining room adjoining the captain’s cabin, or at the foot of the ladder on the foredeck, leading to the flying bridge, when the captain spent his accus- tomed half hour with the lookout. Thus Marine Serpel; who had been the captain’s orderly during the episode of the book—six feet two, one hundred and ninety- three pounds net—a little later could be seen, during the evening watch, on guard outside the seven-inch starboard magazine. His buddy, Marine Beverdy, another tall honor man, was carrying on with official messages and attenticn. One evening, just before “ taps,” Serpel, on guard outside the magazine, apparently a perfunctory service on such a peaceful voyage—for who would want to molest the ammunition, especially when it was behind a locked door of which the keys were held by the ordnance officer?—felt he had to have a smoke—just a puff or two. “No one being in sight he rolled his own, with his left hand, by his side, and managed a light without being seen. Then one deep blissful puff. A wicked land breeze off the starboard bow chose that moment to swirl around the side. It seized the hastily, ill made cigarette, ripped out its innards, and de- posited them, glowing and sparkling, right through the scuttle of the door to the magazine. Marine Serpel was properly horrified, so much so that it was more than a few seconds. before he remembered to toss the empty yellow paper into the sea and leap forward. to the magazine door. It was locked, of course. He peered through the keyhole. All was black, naturally. In all probability, he thought, no harm was done. Even if the sparks did get inside, the powder was all in bags and would be difficult to ignite. More- over, it was probably stick powder and no cigarette spark could affect it sata in- = His duty, neverthelsss, was quite clear. S *comichoo "s ee] , j : ’ “ayo ee yk ew ie ae ‘J A ' heey. (<9) mn a ) Whit, ne” OAD ew! CAG aes 6 $e) ALY OLS lane at Pe ufo ’ buat HD, : IVR APETV ASD OAe 42 P She 4S ' vat © ah ake > ro eve Ht 7 Ai V8 YY