Adventure Magazine Cover, April 3, 1918 — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

102 and his brain went over swiftly every detail of escape that he could think of. Why hadn’t he thought of the pistol! He had laid it out so that it would be at hand if he needed it, and the precaution had been Dugan’s opportunity. When Dugan’s eyes hardened into a resolution to fire he would drop his wife and leap at his enemy, but until then what? The sight of little Bryan Weber gave him an idea. The boy stood close to the door and a little behind Dugan. “You forget the man with you,” said Ryan. “He will have a different tale from yours. With Alice’s testimony the two of them will convict you.”’ “Man!” exclaimed Dugan, “that poor shrimp isno man. He’ll do as I say, swear as I say, or keep his mouth shut as I say. He knows that I will kill him if he doesn’t.” Bryan Weber wet his lips. “Don’t do it, Dugan,” he pleaded in a voice which shook with his effort to keep it steady. ‘“These two people love one an- other and are happy together. You shan’t do it. You may threaten all you like, but I will tell on: you as sure as I live if you shoot this man.” “You won’t live, you little squealer. Say you'll keep your mouth shut or I'll begin on you.” He turned the pistol toward the boy, but before he could point it, Ryan had grasped the opportunity and hurled him- self forward, letting his wife slip to the floor. One of his clutching hands struck the gun and knocked it to the deck as he grappled with Dugan. Weber leaped for it as swiftly as a cat jumps for a mouse, and caught it up. Dugan had recovered from the first shock of the other’s attack. Pulling Ryan’s hands from his throat he hurled him across the deck, and as the man stumbled to his feet met him with a blow in the face which sent him down beside his wife. Then he turned to Weber. “Gimme that gun,” he ordered. “‘I want to finish this job before this old wagon blows up.” “Nol” said Weber, backing away, “leave them alone or I’ll shoot.” “Shoot!” dared Dugan, still advancing. “You haven’t got the nerve. You poor chicken-hearted mama’s boy.” Weber had his back to the wall. “Keep off!’ he begged. “I don’t want to shoot.” boat. Adventure “You bet you don’t,’ scoffed Dugan, and made a flying leap at the boy. He really thought that his cruel treat- ment on the Dixie had broken the younger man’s spirit. Weber fired twice. He was quick and handy with a revolver, and led his division in small-arm practise. Dugan plunged blindly on, struck the wall as Weber dodged, and slumped down on deck. Both shots had hit. Ryan was trying to get to his feet and Weber helped him. “T shot him,” he sobbed. you carry your wife out.” Together the two men picked up the still unconscious woman and groped their way down the smoke-filled passage. As they left the stateroom the door slammed shut behind them and the latch caught. The people on deck had thinned out when Weber and Ryan reached the open air. ‘Hurry down the gangway,” advised a smoke-blackened sailor, ‘“‘there’s a boat just about to shove off.” There are two places in the boat, and Weber had Ryan go with his wife. ‘Jump aboard, kid,” advised the Sena- tor’s officer who was in charge. ‘‘You look all in and you are light.” “No,” said Weber, “‘I’ll wait for my own It’s on the way back now.” His mind was confused as to what he ought to do. The Dixie’s boat that Dugan had come in had been filled with passengers and shoved off to its own ship without waiting for the two men absent, and now it was coming back with Dick Reasoner in charge. Weber saw him as he refused to get in the Senator’s boat. He felt that Reasoner would under- stand about Dugan and he wanted his help. The boat shoved off and he stood on the lower gangway and waited. Before the boat arrived other men joined him on the platform. “She’s going fast,” said one. ‘‘There’s only one bulkhead left between the ammu- nition and the fire.” “The captain is relieving the men and getting his papers together,’ answered the other. ‘‘There’s two boats waiting along- side the other gangway to take off the last of the fire-hose men and the officers.” Above him Weber could hear the roar of the flames and it seemed as if the noise grew momentarily louder. He turned to “Tl help COnmniclooo SS (C@