Adventure Magazine Cover, April 3, 1918 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

PGR into Reverse was ready, he would act, and all the Dugans in the world could not make him lose his head. “You are not apt to improve,” he con- ‘tinued, “but I want to give you a little _ warning. That second division itself is the thing you want to look out for. You can’t drive a bunch of youngsters like that too far. They will kick back in the end. That’s the comfort I wanted to give Slim, and I’m glad you could hear it.” “What’ll we call it?” scoffed Dugan. “This whole ship’s company act like a lot of Sunday-school teachers. One real he- man in the bunch is treated as a freak. That gang of sissies in my division haven’t enough real manhood to animate a jelly- fish. Me afraid of them! Why I could pierce all their noses and make ’em wear rings in ’em.”’ Reasoner had finished what he had to say. He turned from Dugan and began to get his things together. Dugan ducked under the line and a few minutes later had crowded one of his division from a favored place at the line and began to hang up his clothes. As Slim Higgins and Reasoner went aft to other duties Slim’s unspoken question was answered by his companion. “He’s a tough nut, Slim. You’re won- dering why I took the guff I did, but a fist- fight won’t cure that fellow. He’s used to that. He’d put up an awful scrap, and even if I could best him, would still brow- beat his division as bad as ever. I have looked him up in the book. The word is ‘bide’ and it means to suffer and wait for. That second division will not stand for the treatment he gives them, and sooner or later its time will come. That’s why I’m wait- ing; maybe it’ll help Dugan.” - “The only way you can cure a man like that is to shoot him with a bird gun at three paees,” said Slim. “I know you always dodge a fight until the last minute, but you are goin’ to have to lick this Dugan or he licks you pretty pronto.” “Dictionary”? Dick shook his head. He was opposed to violence. The little worn dictionary which he kept in his sea-chest and sometimes in his blouse, carried many solutions besides “fight.” To settle a vexed question he looked for an answer in the book. ‘‘Everything’s in it,’ was one of his favorite retorts to criticism. vill you have to do is to find the right 97 word.” And his shipmates on the Dixie had long since ceased to hold lightly the advice he gave. Somehow things had a way Of working out as Reasoner said, and the officers turned over to him many strange problems among the recruits which the training on the Dixie was to make fit for places in the big fleet. And. Dictionary Dick usually found a way out. In this case it was a petty officer who was causing trouble. Like a happy family the ship’s company of the Dixie had taken on draft after draft of recruits, had worked together, molding and fitting them for duty, until Billy Yonts, chief petty-officer of the second division, was paid off and Dugan had come to take his place. “The second division is falling behind,” complained the first lieutenant. ‘‘What’s the trouble, Dugan?” This was a week after the conversation at the wash-line. The men were lined up for inspection, and the second had showed up poorer than usual in the morning drill. It had been “away all boats,” and the division had failed to provide all their equipment, had rowed raggedly, and had not kept up in the evolutions. The men were nervous and full of false movements and the vicious string of commands from Dugan made them worse instead of better. ‘“They’re a bunch of quitters, sir,” said — Dugan, putting all the contempt that he could into the words and making them loud enough so that all the division heard. “VYou’re here to help train the men, not find fault with them,” spoke the first lieutenant sharply. ‘Find out the cause, and correct it.” This Dugan proceeded to do in his own way. The division had no rest from him. More than half the men went on the report for trivial infractions of the rules and all went about their tasks jerkily. At the next inspection they had not improved, and their nervousness had given place to a sullen resentment at all authority in general and to Cain Dugan in particular. The first lieutenant sent for Dugan. “Vour division is not improving,” he said severely. “They haven’t been going ahead since Yonts was paid off, and now they are going back. Isit you or the men?” “Vonts babied them too much, sir,” said - Dugan. “They’re spoiled, but give me time, and Ill break them.” Comiclooolk<s.com