True Blue: Stirring Stories of Naval Academy Life — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

: _ Ps sa . - er“ , = - CHAPTER VI. HOAXED! The door closed on the three cadets and their gaunt yellow host, and Clif Faraday was shut out from sight and hearing. Not for long, however, for Clif’s curiosity had rarely been so aroused. He acted boldly, almost recklessly, for he consfdered that the three cadets were approaching or meeting the culminating point in their conspiracy, and he wanted to be in at the active finish. A section of the roof of the dilapidated structure had slid off bodily at some time in the past, and this tilting at an angle rested against the side of the house. Clif risked being seen from outside or inside, He made an audacious run for this shelter and gained tt. At his elbow instantly sounded voices, the echo of mov- ing footsteps. Some clay that had stopped up chinks had dried and fallen out of a wide crack. Clif widened it further. The enterprising cadet now had one large grim room of the wretched hovel in full view. A queer spectacle was afforded, In a broken chair ata broken table sat the hoodoo. He had spread a red cloth over it into which was sewed ‘n faded. tarnished tinsel all sort sof cabalistic symbols. On his head he had set a kind of a crown—brassy, bat- tered and with cheap colored pieces of glass stuck in here and there. In a row, like gaping verdant greens seeing a three- card monte man perform for the first time, Chawncey, McFatrick and Kafoozelum were ranged in an awed and absorbed fashion. “The precious mantle of King Theebaw and the golden crown of the magician of Madagascar being in place, we will proceed!" whanged_ the brazen-faced charlatan. Clif could scarcely credit the impressive effect of this cheap oratory on the gawking trio, evidently “stuck on magic !” “Be speedy, for 1 am in communication with the hes > . — ay " eS — roomy © comicbooks.com