Adventure Magazine Cover, December 10, 1922 — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

— - - A heavy tumbler stood on the French- man’s table, conveniently near, and, snatch- ing this, Dockery struck it sharply against the railing, ‘chipping it neatly off about half-way down and leaving a jagged edge. The remainder he sent hurling at the mob below, where its course stopped suddenly and audibly on the bridge of a certain nose in the front rank. The owner of this par- tially severed member slipped to the floor and remained there. Dockery laughed and, turning to the Frenchman, said— “How’s that?” “Not bad at all. Say listen, you, meet me in back of the Plaisance in an hour. I’ve something important to tell you.” Dockery frowned quickly in surprize. “It’s all right; I watched you this afternoon, and I think I can put you in the way to make some money. Better beat it now, but be sure, in one hour.” Dockery nodded and darted through a door. It chanced to be a room for ladies exclusively, but that was a detail. Dockery broke open a small window and dropped two stories to the ground. There chanced to be a picket fence directly below, but that was a detail too, since Dockery didn’t hit it. (-j IN THE best room of the best hotel 2 a bottle of Johnny Dewar and plenty to smoke. “T have a forty-five-footer tied up down at the docks near the Elite. She has a standard engine. She’s small and slow, but she’s sea-going.”’ “What about it?” asked Dockery. “Tl tell you in a minute’ First, my name’s Minot, just at present. M-i-n-o-t. But pronounce it ‘Mee-no,’ because I’m French, also just at present. What’s yours? Comment vous appelez-vous?” “Dockery. And not ‘just for the present.’ I haven’t got anything to hide.” “Well, don’t brag about it; you may have. Do you know any French?” “T picked up a little in the Marquesas.” “Oh, you know the Islands, do you?” “Some.” “That’s good. Isaw you diving this after- noon. You handle yourself rather well in the water. Did you ever dive for shell?” “That’s what I’ve been doing here in the Gulf. I just finished the season off Tortuga.” “Then why are you broke?” in La Paz the Frenchman produced ° eeaane “The lottery.” eS “Fair enough. Now listen, Docket -* I’m going to ask you a few more questions, if you don’t mind, just to get a line on you. Then I’m going to tell you a story. It is long, but it’s interesting. If you stack up the way I’ve got you figured, you won’t | regret the time spent; and you'll be glad — you met me, what’s more.”” Minot paused | ; impressively. “To begin with, what’s yours EP: first name?” Es: “John,” answered Dockery. “Oh, of course.” “Well, it 2s.” ae “All right, I said it was, didn’t I? a you an American?” as “Yes; born in Chicago.” — “That so? I didn’t think any of the —- natives of that place ever knew there was an outside world. When did you rub the cinders out of your eyes and leave there?” “T ran away from home when I was four- teen. You go ahead and ask questions if you want to, but don’t get so —— snarky.” Minot laughed and took a drink. = “All right, John my boy. You'll get used to my ways, so don’t be touchy. = a What did you do after you left? Tell me about it. Go ahead; you said you didn’t — == have anything to hide.” ae “T hit the grit for two years,’ "Dockery = smiled. “I saw most of the country free.” “Have any trouble?” broke in Minot. = “Not that’s any of your business.” “Oh, go on and tell about it; I won’t hurt you.’ “T know well you won’t.” Dockery scowled and hesitated. ~ “Tf you’re so anxious to know, I hada __ run in with a brakeman once that payed me dirt. He found out what car I was ~ under and got between that one and the one ahead with a chain. The chain had-a | hook on the end of it. The devil let it drag” a along the road-bed and throw up the gravel _ —we was hitting a good clip, too. That — = flying gravel just about tore me to pieces. _ So when we pulled down, I got him by his skinny neck and knocked —— out of him. That’s all.” “Kill him?” Dockery sprang to his feet. “No I didn’t kill him; what the —— do you mean?” ae “T didn’t say you killed him. I just asked you. Furthermore, I don’t care whether you killed him or not. I’m not my = ~~ eo Fs _