Adventure Magazine Cover — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

A Son of Strife was about to flee under cover of his ser- vants’ resistance. Doubt not we shall find a rich ransom within.” He shifted fluently into Arabic which was a second mother- tongue to the border lords of that tortured kingdom. ‘‘Ho, within there, be you emir or merchant, yield yourself to Gui de Taberie, and no hurt shall be done to you!” There was no answer, but the canvas wall fluttered violently. “By the saints, the fellow is a foul cow- ard!” swore Sir Gui. ‘My bridle, John. I will pull him out.” He dismounted and strode up to the tent door, sword in hand. But before he reached it an old Arab woman slipped forth and confronted him. “Who are your” he demanded in surprize. “T am Moosha,” she answered. “So ’twas you— But no, the blacks would never have died for you!” protested Sir Gui. “Who 1s within?” “You may slay Moosha,”’ she said, folding her arms across her breast, “but she will tell you nothing.” Sir Gui summoned two men-at-arms, and they lifted the defiant figure aside. ‘“‘Now, we shall see,”’ he called to John the Englishman. ‘Here is a savory mystery. Mayhap, some old dame 2 The curtain was wrenched aside. “Moosha! Moosha! Moosha! are they taking you? Do not leave me The liquid Arabic polysyllables flowed in tinkling music from the full, curved lips there was no veil to hide. The bright, lim- pid, brown eyes, the dimpled cheeks, the thick black hair, the gently curving chin, were all revealed.- The clinging robes ot samite exposed the gracious, swelling lines of her figure. In the abandonment of her distress, she saw nothing, thought of noth- ing, but her old nurse. Her arms were out- stretched in a mute gesture of pleading. “St. Cornelius be my helper!’ apostro- phized Sir Gui. ‘John, saw you ever the like?” But the Englishman was speechless be- fore this unexpected vision of loveliness. “I spoke, as I remember, of a ransom,”’ quoth Sir Gui, as much to himself as to his companion; “but I think we shall have diffi- culty in surrendering so rare a_ jewel. Lady,” he addressed her direct, ‘how are you called?” She glanced up eagerly at the sound of the Arabic, but shrank instinctively from Where 1»? Lc ) 59 his strange armor and the naked sword in his hand. “IT am Horazahde,” she said in a voice scarce above a whisper. ‘“A lovely name,” he commented; “but how else may we identify you?” ‘““My father is the prince of Emesa,”’ she answered proudly. ‘“‘And what is his name, lady?” ‘““Achmet-ibn-Muros.” “Of the House of Shahdi! ’Tis a prize of prizes!”’ ‘But you will let me go!’ she begged. “There is peace between your people and mine!” ‘“‘Peace—aye, of a sort. But there is never peace betwixt men and women.” She regarded him for the first time with a trace of personal interest, and the dimples in her face were accentuated. He was a man of fine appearance, his Norman darkness in no way akin to her own olive tint. ‘‘“And how came you in the desert, lady?” he continued. ‘“T was returning from a visit to the court of the sultan of Babylon, lord,” she said simply. ‘‘And now you shall visit my castle of Nerak.”’ “But my father? And the Emir El-Afdel!” “We will not worry about them. But who is the Emir E]-Afdel?” “T am returning to Emesa to marry him,” she answered, meeting Sir Gul’s glance squarelv. : “At your own desire?” he questioned, leaning toward her. ‘‘Mv people do not ask a maiden’s de- sire, lord.” Sir Gui laughed with a kind of gay mock- ery. His veins felt as though they were fiooded with heady wine. ‘Then I see no reason why we should con- cern ourselves with El]-Afdel!’’ he cried. “Ho, men, put down the good Moosha— gently! Gather up this tent and all its trappings, collect the best of the slaves and fetch them to Nerak.”’ ‘‘And the princess?” questioned John the Englishman. “She shall ride with us, if she will. How say you, lady?” Si Gui motioned to the little Arab stallion. The Princess Horazahde’s eyes lighted with pleasure. ‘‘T love above all things to ride,’ she ex- claimed. C@ DOOK S C@