Life, 1925-06-11 · page 10 of 36
Life — June 11, 1925 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a serialized adventure story (Volume V: "The Search for Diamond Gulch Mine"), not political satire. The narrative follows characters named Dick, Tom, and Sam—young "Rover Boys" exploring a desert wasteland near a volcano searching for a diamond mine. The illustrations show slapstick comedy typical of early 20th-century adventure fiction: characters in peril (one appears imprisoned in a giant tortoise shell), encounters with a bearded prospector, and desert hazards. The dialogue emphasizes humor through miscommunication and physical comedy rather than social commentary. This appears to be entertainment fiction, part of Life magazine's broader content beyond its satirical offerings.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* LIFE * The Rover and Over Boys By Corey Ford Volume V: The Search for Diamond Gulch Mine ZLAND of sand and alkali. Slowly the weary horses picked their way up the steep slope of the Rocky Mountains to the topmost peak. There the three Rover Boys halted their steeds and gazed back dizzily down the interminable they had climbed. Behind them stretched only the present introductory paragraph, extending back- wards for miles to a wasteland of sand and alkali at the beginning of the chap- ter. In front of them was a similar prospect, stretching for miles in the opposite direction .alkali and sand of wasteland A “We are lost,” sobbed Sam, who was the youngest Rover Boy and sometimes lacked control of himself. “Nonsense,” cheered merrily. “We can't possibly be because there isn't any place we could have got- ten lost from.” That's true,” brightened Sam. “We didn’t know where we were when we started. Meanwhile Dick had been consulting his map closely. “The Diamond Gulch Mine is located next to a large volcano,” he said. “That ought to be casy to find.’ At this moment there came a dull, rumbling sound, and then the entire mountain trembled under their very feet and exploded with a mighty roar “Hurray, we have found the volcano!” screamed Tom above the confusion. “Shake !" way Tom lost, “Look out for the lava—" began Dick breathlessly. ‘ the lava what?" interrupted “or the lava Pete!” returned Tem like a steel trap; and then while the Rover Boys were convulsed with laughter, — the erupting volcano car- ricd them rapidly away, in several di- rections. Cuarter Tairty- Two “T° M! Where am Slowly poor Dick opened his eyes and gazed about him. Be- neath him was a giant gorge, the bottom of Sam! “Hold it, pard,” cried a voic the bank behind him; and the moment a stranger had spurred his horse forward into space, grabbed Dick's bridle, and led the eldest Rover from next which was filled with old razor blades, last year’s calendars, and used-up Crossword Puzzle books. “The Grand Canyon!" gasped Dick, who followed the comic magazines closcly. “I must get across.” Without a moment's hesitation Dick walked his horse back from the edge for a running. start, then spurred it forward and sprang off the bank into space. Immediately he felt himself sinking. “Help!” cried poor Dick, “or I shall be dashed in half, as will be related in ‘The Rover Boys in Two Parts.” “YOU ARE MY PRISONER,” SNEERED A VOICE “t CALKERLATE I'M PLAIN S TRIGGER AN’ A HEART ( IM JIM...HIM WITH A READY coun.” back to the edge of the Canyon in the very nick of time, just as Dick might have fallen on the rocks below and perhaps have been hurt. Cuarter Tuirty-THree AM! Dick! Where am 1?” Slowly poor Tom opened hi: and gazed about him. On all stretched a wasteland of sand and alkali. “Oh, shoot!" yawned Tom in disgust, and closed his eyes again. sides Cuarter Tuirty-Four “PYICK! Tom! Where am I either, for that matter?” moaned as he opened his eyes. poor Sam. “You are my prisoner,” sneered voice, “Dan Baxter!” be bound. gasped Sam, “or I'll In fact, I am bound!" he comicbooks.com