Adventure Magazine Cover, November 10, 1924 — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

The Casual’s Return “No,” said the other man, “not now I ain’t. But I’m clingin’ to this rifle. I lost one once, down at Camp Sevier, an’ it cost me fifteen dollars. I kain’t afford to lose another.” “Vou hang right on to it,” said Jake. “You got the right idea. They’d give you a month an’ a month, sure, fer losin’ that rifle now.” a THE sailors had cut the lashings =o that held the rafts to the deck and <<—=—J these had been thrown overboard as fast as possible. They were poor things, just gratings, built more to cling to than to get upon. There were a few huge dough- nut-shaped things, great rings with a kind of bag in the middle, in which men stood in water up to their middles. There were many ropes coiled along the rail, and these were thrown overboard so that the men might slide down them into the rafts. Petty officers went about directing the de- barkation of the troops. Eadie looked down the sloping side of the ship. The vessel had listed to star- board now, and the port side was slanting enough for a man to slide down. It was a long way down that slippery wall, far down into the black water that lapped hunegrily. The rope ends twisted and curled this way and that like snakes, and the rafts rose and fell and bumped sullenly against the side of the ship. There was splashing, shouting and some laughter from astern, where men were already tak- ing to the water. Eadie put on his life- belt. 3 “Tt’s a long way down there, ain’t it?” said Jake. “Tt is that,” replied Eadie, his teeth chattering. It was cold there and dark, and this stricken ship was alone on that vast waste of sea. Eadie looked at the rafts again. Some men were trying to clamber up on one. For the first time since he had awakened Eadie realized then to the full extent what had happened. The ship had been torpedoed. The unseen enemy had struck and was gone. Or did he lurk in the shadows, waiting, to shell the boats? “What you-all waitin’ for?” asked the man with the rifle. The three of them projected their heads over the rail again. “Well, I’ll be condemned!”’ cried the sergeant. “It doesn’t look half so far down there as it did before.”’ “Maybe we're sinkin’,”’ suggested Jake. The thought was like a blow over the heart. Another voice spoke, a new one. “Well, soldier, goin’ over now or wait until later?” Eadie turned about. A sailor stood there, clearing the ropes that trailed along- side. Eadie swallowed and climbed upon the rail. “Take off your shoes. You better,”’ re- marked the sailor. Eadie bent down and loosened the laces. He wore no puttees and so stood in- stantly in his stocking feet. seized a rope and holding his breath, slid down the cold steel flank of the ship into the sea. Splungel Glurpl The sergeant came up gurgling, the breath torn from his lungs by the chill of the water. He clutched fran- tically at the side of the ship, but his finger found no hold. He trod water with all his strength, and began rapidly to weaken. He must rest, if only for a second. He stopped treading and held his breath for the inevitable plunge beneath the surface. He went down an inch or two and then stopped, floating gently. It was then that he remembered he had on a life-belt. “You poor tripe,” Eadie addressed. him- self. ‘Snap out of it! Don’t get in such a panic. You’ll come out of this all right if you'll only keep your wits about you.” He began to paddle a bit with his hands. The water was not so cold after the first shock. The ocean is warm in that section, for the Gulf Stream keeps its temperature high, but at two A.M. the warmest water is likely to take on a chill. There was a raft at a little distance and Eadie paddled toward it. : He reached out his hand and seized the side, getting a mouthful of water in the process, but when he attempted to clamber upon the raft it revolved upon itself and turning over in the water, splashed him gloriously. He inhaled a little more water. He floated a minute or two, his head back, while he meditated on what to do next, A few more attempts to get on that raft would drown him. “Want a hand, guy?” asked a voice from behind him. 3 The next second a group of men who ap- peared to be sitting on the water drifted CoOMmicbook 20 Then he. © 5}