Adventure Magazine Cover, April 3, 1918 — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

98 The first lieutenant shook his head. “T don’t know about that. Maybe you are too hard on them. ‘Try easing up.” ‘Aye, aye, sir,” said Dugan, with as much anger as he dared, and from then on drove the division harder than ever. AGAIN it was early morning, and the men were stopping their clothes on the line. Little Bryan Weber of the second had crept out of his hammock half an hour early, and had just finished up a big wash. At the line Dugan shoved him aside and took his place—a place forward where the wet clothing was in no danger of swinging against the stays and being soiled. This was not the first time that little Weber had been roughly handled by Dugan. The other times he had been afraid to resent it, but now after weeks of bad treatment he could stand it no longer, and revolted. : “Get out of my place,” he cried shrilly, “T was there first.” Dugan paid no attention. With his back turned he was impudently unconscious of the other. Bryan Weber was small and slight, and had come into the Navy with the hard- won consent of his parents when he was barely seventeen, but he was manly and studious, and under the tutelage of Billy Yonts had made good progress. Dugan had taken a special dislike to him, and continually gave him the worst end of all the watches and lookouts. Robbed of his place and ignored, Weber was beside himself with rage and humili- ation, and Cain Dugan had the surprise of his bullying life when the boy charged, striking blindly with both fists. “Why you little devil,” said Dugan. ‘“‘Haven’t I taught you anything yet?” and he struck with one of his big fists. The boy whirled dizzily, and fell back- ward across the deck at the feet of Dick Reasoner. Dugan followed and raised his foot to kick him where he lay stunned. The foot was bare, but a sailor’s bare, tough toes are not the ineffectual weapons of a shoe-wearing man. “That'll do,” said Reasoner, stepping over the boy, and facing the angry Dugan. “For you, yes. But it won’t do for me. Out of the way, or I’ll paste you.” Reasoner did not answer. Behind him Bryan Weber crawled to his feet and Adventure lurched unsteadily away across the deck. Dugan started after him. ‘That'll do,” repeated Reasoner sharply. His tone was commanding, and the words those of a man who expected to be obeyed. Dugan took the challenge. ‘“‘We might as well settle it now,” he said. *“You’ve butted in once too often into my business.”’ Both men were barefoot, and faced each other across a length of wet deck, slippery with soap from the clothes-scrub- bing. They wore undershirts and trousers, and in.the half light of the early morning were safe from interference from ait. Cain Dugan had won his many rough- and-tumble fights by bull rushes and his ability to stand punishment. ignorant of the finer rules and science of boxing, but chose to ignore them for a freer display of his brute strength. His game was to tear his opponent down, over- whelm his defense, trample him under foot. Without further warning he drove in, striking wickedly. Reasoner met the attack unexpectedly. Other men had always given way before Dugan’s vicious rush. It was to be ex- pected that this rather slow and reluctant opponent would do the same, but Dick Reasoner was no longer slow. His body stiffened as if the material in him had been suddenly tempered into spring steel. His long loose-jointed frame drew into itself, became compact, finely knit, a working unit of perfectly coordinated parts. Du- gan’s rush met a swifter one from the made- over Reasoner. Before his adversary could gather momentum he had landed two punishing blows where they would do the most good. Dugan shook his head side- ways to offset the shock, and stepped back. His charge had been ruined by this quick counter attack. Reasoner gave him no rest, no chance to draw breath. All the half-forgotten science that he had ignored, Dugan used for defense, and all his wonderful store of strength he called on to withstand the Shower of blows. As he fought he threat- ened and abused, but the silent Reasoner met all his rushes with swifter attacks and continued to lash out blows that Dugan at first ignored, and then came to dread. “Tt does my heart good to see old Dic- tionary. Dick in action,” said Slim Higgins to the group that surrounded the two men. COmicloo SoCO) He was not.