Adventure Magazine Cover — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

174 Tala. Dom Gion’s craft had failed, Hos- sein meditated, and Tala had almost be- trayed them. He would risk being seen by the specta- tors, perhaps. But he was young and anxious to distinguish himself. His deed would come at a fortunate mo- ment for the thugs, for with Rawul Singh out of the way, Dom Gion might deal with the feringhi that night. = “YOU have done your share in en- potail and the other merchants. “Now I will take part in the ¢amasha.”’ “The sahib is kind.” Malcolm looked at the ring of faces around him and smiled. Many of these were his enemies and many were thugs; but he knew that they would not openly molest him—at least until he gave Dom Gion an opportunity to strike again. And this he did not intend to do. While the potaz/ and his fellows watched, Malcolm told off three or four torch-bearers and placed them around the base of the tower. He then looked for Rawul Singh, and noticed that the Rajput was hanging back, glancing anxiously into the castle hall behind him. He was hoping to set eyes on the slaver of his son. Then Malcolm called to the potail and the leading men of the village. “Come with me,” he commanded, “and bring a torch—there are snakes about, it seems.” The men hung back but Malcolm was imperious, his hard eyes threatening. As they approached he beckoned them into the castle. Choosing his way, the Scot went quickly t» the foot of the stair leading to the tower. Rawul Singh followed the group, preferring to watch from the rear where he could see any weapon lifted against his master. Malcolm took a risk in leaving the Bhir men at his back, but he had selected them with care—fat men and wealthy, conse- quently timid of their persons. The music outside clamored away as_ the potail had commanded and_ drowned their footfalls. Hossein slipped behind Rawul Singh. “Tt’s time we took the offensive,’ Malcolm thought, “after standing ’em off so long. Letter for the morale of all concerned.”’ With that, nodding to the others to fol- tertainment,” Malcolm assured the. Adventure low, he stepped on the stairs, running up swiftly. The final few feet he took in a bound.and came out on the terrace top, pis- tol in hand. Here he crouched, leveling his weapon. “Stand up, Dom Gion,” he cried to the figure that knelt against the parapet. “Or I fire. Come, come, I saw you watching me, and I’m rarely curious to see you, my friend, after this long time.” The merchants had not presumed to as- cend the stairs, but presently they heard footsteps coming down toward them. By the glow of the torch they saw the thin fig- ure of the half-caste, his yellow face pallid and his light eyes darting about him. One pace away was Malcolm, his pistol at the other’s head. “T have brought you,” said the Scot to them sternly, ‘‘to witness the arrest of an evil-doer, by name Dom Gion, who has illegally claimed governorship of the dis- trict of Bhir.” The potail and the merchants gave back readily; in fact they made haste out of the castle corridor to the lights of the terrace. Dom Gion had built up an aura of fear about his presence—fear reinforced with threats— and it was perhaps the first time that they had seen him so clearly, face to face. Moreover, not suspecting as Malcolm had done that the half-caste was in his favorite eyrie of the tower, there was some-. thing distinctly unnerving in the way Mal- colm had; as it were, plucked his enemy out of the air. Yet as the Scot and his prisoner moved into the light and the music ceased for the second time, many of the thugs among the spectators moved uneasily and felt for their strangling nooses and knives. - “Stand back!’ ordered Malcolm, look- ing in vain for Rawul Singh. Dom Gion glanced about eagerly, but the first figure he saw was that of Tala, staring at him hostilely, her eyes bright with anger. = “Is this the man who kept thee captive?” Malcolm asked her. “Aye, sahib.”’ At that fear came suddenly upon Dom Gion. ‘‘Aid:”’ he shrieked. ‘‘Aid for the jema- dar. Servants of Kali, strike down this man!” He flung himself on the ground, crouch- ing away from Malcolm’s pistal, hope flash- COmiclbook CO