Adventure Magazine Cover, June 20, 1925 — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

A. Sergeant of Cavalry other side of the track and by the sound exploded about a foot above the ground. “Everybody!” cried the officer. ‘‘Let ’em have it!’’ Over the bombs went, the sound of them like a young barrage. ‘“‘Now then,” shouted the officer, “every man for himself! Into the ditch and follow it to the river!” There was a ditch that ran from the cul- vert Nell had noticed, down to the wheat, where it disappeared. It was a very shal- low one and Nell wondered why he had not crossed it in the wheat. Perhaps it turned in a different direction when it got out of sight. ‘Nell had hesitated a few seconds to get his bearings, and so was a little behind the others as they rushed for the shelter of the ditch. Machine-guns cackled excitedly and the men began to drop. The officer was hit, he went to his knees, and Nell saw the bullets whip through his blouse as he used to watch them make holes in a paper target when he was marking in the butts. The men began to throw away their rifles. “Here! Cut that out!” roared Corporal Meade. ‘‘Keep your heads! Into the ditch!” The men heard and blindly turned for the ditch into which they dived. Pht! went the bullets into them. Some lay still, others got up and tried to get out again. Some cried a warning and died with it on their lips. Corporal Meade seized Spagett’s hand and tried to drag him to safety, but the bul- lets found them both. That sight maddened Nell Colburn. He knew nothing about infantry, but he knew a good deal about panic and he knew some- thing about leading men. “Lie down!” he roared. ‘“They’re firing along the ditch! Lie down in the field!” A bullet nearly tore his gas mask from his neck and he lay down himself. “Keep your heads, men!’ cried Nell. “Lie still and don’t move! They’ve got us cold! it we stay here till dark we can get away.” He repeated this as loud as he could several times. The men must have heard, for they all lay as they were, without mov- ing. “Don’t try to crawl around,” ordered Nell. “They can see us from the hills. Don’t move a muscle!” 25 £7 xy THE guns fired and fired. Those { MAZ in the wheat would pound away - for a long time, then they would Wwir?? stop, and the gun that was shoot- ing down the ditch would carry on alone. This one had a very loud ringing sound, a peculiar clanging, that the others did not have. Nell decided that it must be a dif- ferent type. He looked at the blue sky and the fleecy clouds and wondered how long they would last. Would he ever be back on the other side of the river again? Well, at least he would try and give the jerries a run for their money before they killed him. Whatever happened, he was not going to let himself be shot like a rabbit. When dark came, a man ought to be able to get to the ford. What wise birds these Boche were! They must have had their eyes on the patrol the minute it left the other bank. And they had allowed it to get far inland, too far to get back again, intending, per- haps, to take the whole lot prisoners. They must have miscalculated the num- ber or they would have sent more men out to do the capturing. And when the men had made their dash for the ditch, the ma- chine-gunners must have lost their heads and let go with all they had. Perhaps they had fired so savagely to be certain that no Yank would go back with information or so to destroy the courage of the Americans that the survivors would surrender without further resistance. Suddenly the firing stopped. From the direction of the railroad track came a faint calling, but perfectly audible. “Come on In, Americans, come in, we wont hurt you.” There was no answer from the field. “Come on,” called the far-away voice, “don’t you ever want to go home again? You'll be killed if you stay out there!” The machine-guns began again, the bul- Jets whining and cracking overhead. A minenwerfer began to throw rum-jars about. Nell could not tell by the sound where they were going, although he knew they must be very near. The sun beat down unmercifully. Nell knew the men must be suffering from thirst, for he cer- tainly was, but he dared not try to get at his canteen. At intervals the man on the railroad track called to them to come in. Once, late in the afternoon, a minenwerfer bomb landed comiclboooks CO