Adventure Magazine Cover, April 3, 1918 — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

104 Only by calling on the last reserve of his great strength was he able to gain the door. For a full minute he lay panting before it, then inch by inch he raised himself, caught the knob and turned it. The door did not open. The latch was a foot higher up, and Dugan, stupid with pain, sank to the floor before he realized the trouble. The door opened inboard. Once more Dugan pulled himself up by the knob. Then with infinitely greater effort, he gained the additional foot to the latch, even pulled it back, and sought to open the door, but his inert body blocked him. The door came open an inch and no more, for one of Dugan’s knees, which he was powerless to move, was in the way. A blast of smoke and the stifling sting of ammonia gas in his nostrils, sent him reeling backward, and an awkward foot slammed the door again. Flat on the deck, Dugan realized that he could not open the door, that he could not raise himself to the knob again, and unless more strength came to him, that he could not even move. This was a new feeling to Dugan. Always there had been an abundance of strength to do with as he wished, to override all oppositions, to make others obey him, and now he was suddenly shorn of it all and leit to die miserably by a man he had sworn to kill, a woman whom he had taught to fear him, and a boy whose courage he despised. Rage and humiliation burned in his soul, but as he lay helpless they cooled some- what, and left only bitterness and a clearer vision of his life. Always he had been unhappy, and always he had dominated and ruled bru- tally. And now facing the end, he knew why no one came to get him out, why little Weber, driven into a corner, had fired, why men loved Dick Reasoner, and fled from him. Knew the whole volume of hate, and that its answer in a crisis was failure. Realized fully that love and hate are like mysteries of the soul, and that the more a man gives of each, the more he gets. “Tt can’t be long now,” he groaned, grimly looking up at the closed door. The smell of the gas came to him a little stronger, and he closed his eyes. They stung with the increasing smoke, and it eased the irritation, but the noise of the fire became louder, and he had to open them. As he did so, the door burst open, and Adventure Bryan Weber came in with head bent and nose in his wet neckkerchief. Dugan thought his eyes were tricking him until the boy began shaking him. ‘Help’s coming,”’ he cried. Dugan. Are you alive? I came back as soon as I could get help. I tried to put the bullets in your shoulders.” Dugan’s good arm pulled the boy down. Weber leaped back, breaking the hold. “Don’t be afraid,’ whispered Dugan. “YT won’t hurt you. I’m pretty well messed up. One of the shots went low.” Reassured, Weber bent over him. “The others are coming,” he repeated. “I’m afraid I can’t carry you alone.” They waited a little, and Weber tried to adjust the blouse more tightly around Dugan’s wounds. ‘“There’s not much time,” whispered Dugan. “Can’t you hear the fire comin’, and there’s some kind of gas escapin’.”’ “I might drag you,” offered Weber. “The others may have missed the state- room.”’ “Missed on purpose,” said Dugan harshly, “‘and at that you can’t blame ’em. What made you come back?” he demanded, with a return of his old imperiousness. ‘I didn’t want to,” acknowledged Weber, “but I shot you.” Opening the door, Weber grasped Dugan by the shoulders and lifted him up. Dugan cried out with pain. “Take my feet,’ he directed. stand it that way.” Across the room and through the door- way Weber toiled with the dead weight of the heavy man. Outside the full force of the smoke and gas struck them. Weber could not longer protect his nose, for both hands were necessary on Dugan’s legs to make headway. After a few yards he went to his knees, choking for breath. “Leave me here and get out,” ordered Dugan. “You can’t make it, kid.” His voice came jerkily from between shut teeth. The strain on his legs, and the bumping over the deck were almost un- bearable. Weber took up his burden again. He had heard Dugan, but would not give up. Every few feet he stopped and then went on, but the stops were longer and the feet gained fewer. “Quit, I tell you!” said Dugan at the next stop. ‘“‘You’ve done all you can, and “Talk to me, “T can’t COnnicloookxs (C@