Adventure Magazine Cover, November 10, 1924 — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

74 Adventure Were slim and soft, not hardened with demands Of rougher work, and at his finger-ends Was subtle magic of the sort that lends To any battered keyboard, anywhere, A true enchantment. He could play an air You whistled once, and then elaborate it, Trick it and rag it, change and re-create it Until it wrapped you in a perfect spell. Yet, like so many men who play right well, He’d never learned to read a single note. And there was music also in his throat, Barber shop tenor, technically wrong, That still could snatch your heart-strings with a song. One night he sat him down upon the stool A lager beer beside him, foaming, ‘cool, Struck a deep chord and gave a joyous shout, “T’ve got a new one, boys, let’s try it out.” And when the gang had gathered close to him, This was the song he hammered out with vim: “Vou may talk about wine that’s sparkling And food that is rich and rare, But here at the Hot Dog Tavern Is what I call proper fare; To hell with the.joints so fancy; I'd rather be loafing here With a dog from old Joseph’s corner And some of Bill’s lager beer.” *“Now here’s the chorus, boys,” the checker said, “Let’s make it rumble forth to wake the dead, The legion of good fellows gone before us May come to life if we boom out the chorus!” And after he had played and sung it, then The tavern rang and rang and rang again With roaring voices of the gathered gang, Clashing their steins and glasses as they sang: “Give us a dog and a beer, Then give us more of the same; We brought our appetites here; We brought our thirst when we came; Now we are tdle it’s time for a seidel; Where can you find better cheer? We slap down our chink for some real food and drink: A roll and a dog and a beer! A dog and a roll Are good for the soul But best of the lot is the beer! “Now,” said the checker, “‘here’s the second spasm.” Again he sang, amid enthusiam: “Oh, the chefs may be great at cooking In swellest hotel or club, But me for the Hot Dog Tavern 5} COMICLOOKKS.GO Wh)