Adventure Magazine Cover — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

54 Yulga threw back her head and laughed delightedly. “The big Frank would swallow you, pony and arrows, and only swear that his gullet tickled him,” she cried. ‘Nay, the robbers were black-boned Mongols with faces like dogs. Here they are——” They had come to a clearing where a thatched hut stood among the larches. At the door sat a white-haired Tatar, a small bouragut perched on his shoulder. On the rooftree of the dwelling a hawk screamed gutturally, flapping its wings so that the bells on its throat jangled. On the grass of the clearing lay five bodies, distorted and sprawling. Aruk went from one to another, turning them over with his foot. “Dead,” he commented. ‘“#/ai—here is that dog-brother who led the Frank. Well, the evil spirits from below will be the gainer by a dung-picker. No one need kill a horse for him to ride in the other world. He turned his back to the simitar, it is clear. Hum—this black beetle was shot in the face.” “By the servant of the Frank.” Ostrim lifted his venerable head and spoke quietly. “The robbers were four. They sought to pick my poor hearth. As they came up the party of the Frank rode into the clearing. So the black-souled ones scented gold and attacked with their swords, slaying the follower and striking down the old servant, who had no more strength than a sick woman.” “And the Frank—he let out the lives of three?” “With the point of his sword that is long asaspear. He warded their cuts and thrust, once each time. The Frank wiped his sword in the grass and picked up the servant, who was cut in the belly, and rode off, saying that he sought a hut for the sick man and a doctor to close up his wound.” “He is an old buck, that one,” admitted Aruk grimly. ‘‘He has a horned soul in him. Three dead with three thrusts! I could do rio more with my arrows.” “‘Aye,” responded Yulga, hanging up her bow; “‘you might do that, Aruk, among the suckling litter of boars up in the larches— if the old sow were away.” “By the mane of my sire!” Aruk bared his white teeth. He caught the girl by the luxuriant coils of hair that Adventure hung down her breast. Her round face he held close to his, while his anger melted. “Ho, I will bind your tongue for you yet. Now bring me kumiss to drink, for I ride to Kob with news. This dawn there were beneficent omens in the pass.” Curiously enough his sudden act quieted the girl, who looked at, him long and with- . drew for the mare’s milk he sought. Aruk emptied the bowl Yulga brought him at a gulp and wiped his mustaches. “Ho, it would have been better for the tall warrior if he had left his body and that of his servant in your keeping. The baksa will make short work of him in Kobdo. They lke not these Krits who come from the other end of the earth and oppose the baksa.” “The other Krit was a holy. man.” A light came into the mild eyes of the Christian falconer. ‘He was an envoy from God. And this one is like him, in face.” “The other had dove’s eyes; this one is a falcon,” Aruk retorted. Aruk jumped into his saddle, pretending not to look at Yulga. “He has a horned-soul in him. Tfu! The killing of him would be worth seeing.” CHAPTER II THE CANDLES ON THE ALTAR 6 eo man called Hugo did not ride far with his wounded servant. The shat- tered body he supported easily in his arms, for he had astrength that matched his great stature. The bay horse bore them both easily. But the life of the old servant was flicker- ing out. Too many times had Hugo wit- nessed this passing of nature on the battle- field to mistake it now. So he turned the bay aside from the road into a faint path that ran among the pines. : It brought him to a hut of logs. Hugo carried the servant to the door, kicking it open with his heavy boot. As the windows were only slits in the logs, Hugo could make out the interior of the cabin only vaguely. Noticing that it was empty, he laid the old man on what appeared to be a long bench and covered his limbs with his own cloak. He went out and presently returned with - his leather cap full of fresh, cold water, taken from a near-by stream. Gomuicbook (E@