Adventure Magazine Cover, June 20, 1925 — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

A Sergeant of Cavalry corporal to Nell. ‘You may need it.” “T suppose we'll try our luck again in the morning,”’ said Nell. ‘““Not a chance,” said the other man. ‘There ain’t enough of this division left to take a machine-gun nest. I got just one clip for this gun an’ I’m savin’ it for any jerry that tried to come across the same way you did.” Nell had thought that he could not sleep, but he did at last, and had no sooner closed his eyes than a man shook him violently by the shoulder. “T will tell you that this man is dead,” said a far-away voice. “I’m all tuckered out shakin’ at him. I’m fer lettin’ him lie.” “T’m awake,” said Nell. ‘‘What the do you want?” “Git up,” said another man. “Stir your- self, we got to be on our way.” Nell struggled to his feet. The night was black and a gentle rain soaked everything it touched. “Where's the man that said we wouldn’t take another crack at the town?” groaned Nell. “We ain’t takin’ no cracks at no one,” said the man who had awakened Nell. “We're bein’ relieved. Come on, let’s get outta here.” — — “Relieved?”’ cried Nell. “That may do for you, but ’'m no machine-gunner. How do I know my outifit’s being relieved?” “Aw, the whole division’s bein’ re- lieved,” said the other. “‘Whaddyuh think, we can stand this kind of a racket forever? Ever play freeze-out? Well, we been playin’ -freeze-out with the Boche, all our chips is gone an’ some one else is gonna sit in.”’ A harsh whisper echoed from the dark- ness. “Now sergeant, don’t go hectorin’ me about no spare barrel. The only thought I hev got is to get out uv range. I hev been a good soldier and done as you said whenever you spoke, but if you go botherin’ an’ naggin’ at me now, when I hain’t had no sleep fer a week, I'll git into a state uv mind, now you better believe.”’ Some one barked a command for silence. The machine-gunners began to move off and some one else tugged at Nell’s sleeve. He followed. There was a tremendous number of men moving in the darkness and when they came out on the road and had marched some distance, they found it filled with machine-gun carts, ammunition carts 47 and infantry standing about in slickers. Nell and his comrades increased their pace. He had no idea of how many there were with him, but from the sound there must be quite a column. They marched as fast as they could, chafed and swore in the halts, and swore roundly whenever trucks got in the way. “Think we’re outta range yet?” they muttered. Day found them still on the road, wet and shivering, for very few of them had any slickers. Nell could now see that his ma- chine-gunners had indeed joined a column, the remnants of the division, men wild eyed, bearded and haggard, their clothing torn, their equipment gone, and their one thought to put as much ground between them and the enemy as they could, while they were able to move one foot after the other. Every time they thought they were safely away, they would pass a great cater- pillar gun, or see the green netting that covered a battery of snake-necked heavies, and know that they still were within reach of enemy shells. The column at last turned into some woods and the order being given to fall out, the men fell out and down, under the first wet bush they saw, and slept heavily. They slept until late in the afternoon and then began to arise and clamor for food. While supper and dinner combined was being served, men circulated through the woods, calling for members of the differ- ent units and telling them where to report to join their own organization. Infantry, machine-gunners and signal corps men were all mixed up with each other, and it would be a difficult job to unscramble them again. The first battalion, to which Nell be- longed, was in a farm a few hundred yards down the road. Nell went ‘there, sadly enough, thinking of the men of his squad, and of what had happened to them. The man that had died the first day in the woods, Spagett and the corporal in the ditch, Goodrich, Nell’s captain, the hard- boiled man. Nell entered the farm and the first man he saw was one who sat under a shed, bending over a brass 75 shell. “Do I know you?” asked Nell. The other man looked up. It was Curran. “Well, hullo!” he cried. ‘So they didn’t get you either. I seen you runnin’ around like a.crazy man. Boy, I guess you an’ me are the sole survivors of our old gang. COMIGDIOOKSEEO