Adventure Magazine Cover — page 186: what you’re looking at

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

(ee REPLY to a query from us in the office F. St. Mars straightens us out on a point in his story in this issue: Southsea, Hants, England. “A blow,” and ‘‘There she blows” are both right. “There she blows,” among English-speaking whalers, I grant you; especially if “blow” is expected. But among Scots and Scandinavians, such as I knew, when first ‘‘blow” has been long looked for, just “A blow,” was most frequent.—F. St. Mars, Adventure Three Times a Month ON’T forget to be on the lookout for our magazine on its new dates. The October issues will be the first on the three- times-a-month basis and will be out Septem- ber to, September 20 and September 30. Our magazine is nearly eleven years old now, for it was born early in October, roro. with its November issue. In August, 1917, it went to twice a month with its September issues—four years now at twice a month. We've advanced conservatively, keeping our foundations solid beneath us, and taking no step not warranted by natural growth and the approval of our readers. As vou’ll remember, the actual vote by our readers was even stronger for four issues a month than for three. LEVEN years. Those eleven years mean a lot to me personally. When I look back across them and sum up the friendships they have brought me I feel sort of like trying to burst into oratory. I won’t, but—well, I’d sure hate to face life without the real friends I’ve found through our magazine. And when I say “friends” I mean that word... You see, 1 was on it when it started, though not in charge until something over half a year later. Those happened to be bad days for me and I welcomed this new job as a new interest. Sort of lived in it. Had worked on five other magazines and a newspaper before that—they’re only dim shadows now—but from the first Adventure seemed: to offer a chance for human, friendly relations that the others hadn’t afforded. Some of our writers interested me very much personally and it seemed as if you readers would be interested in them too, so we got them to write something about themselves or to give me the facts for you. WE BEGAN by printing only a page or so following the contents page. Ire- member that poor Harry Couzens was the very first of our writers who was thus per- sonally introduced to you. That was in the November, ror, issue. He’s dead now, these years past, died of tuberculosis after as plucky a fight as any man could put up. Many of you will remember. In the next issue it was C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne, one of whose Captain Kettle stories we were run- ning at that time. And on the same page a few words about Talbot Mundy. He was just a raw beginner then, not long in this country from British East Africa and other lands before that. His story in that issue was rhe Blooding of the Ninth Queen’s Own.”’ Previously we had printed two articles of his and one story, “The Phantom Battery.” POOEING back through our files to verify the above facts, I chanced to read a few words in the middle of “The Blooding of the Ninth Queen’s Own.” I couldn’t stop until the end and then I went back and read the first part. I had forgotten what a tremendous punch those early stories had. And he was just a beginner then, a raw beginner! Ten years ago. To-night he meets me at the train to spend the week-end with me at the farm, one of the best friends I have in all this world. He’s told me that when he first met me he took a violent dislike to me and I confess I eyed him with doubt for a year or two. Finally we camped together in Maine, the - 180 ECOMMICLOOOKS (C@