Adventure Magazine Cover — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

148 strongly inclined to part company with the others and strike for the Tatar country that he knew could not be far from here. Thus far the course of the voyagers had fitted in with the plans of Michael, who was anzious to appear before the khan as an accredited representative of a European power, with the gifts that experience had taught him were needful in gaining the friendship of an Oriental monarch. More than once he had steered Clavijo to the west, away from the south where bands of Turkish irregulars were thick. Michael had no desire to be brought a second time before Bayezid as a captive. Now Rudolfo had seized the reins, and while Michael could not know precisely what intrigue the condottiere had in view, he knew that Rudolfo had penetrated as far into terra incognita as he cared to go, and also—after events had shaped themselves to the Italian’s satisfaction—he would be most likely to head back to Trebizond as soon as he had the treasure of the expedition in his hands. It was the sight of the blow Bembo re- ceived, and his warm love of the cripple, that brought Michael to face Rudolfo. “Tis a lie—”’ Bembo had started to cry when Rudolfo’s cold glance shut him up as a knife-thrust closes a turtle. “Bembo had gossiped with my men,” he said dryly. “The fool hinted that his master was bent hither on revenge. WHat revenge should he seek save against me with whom he has a feud as good Messer Soranzi knows well? Aye, and against the Signory of Venice that requited him with scant usury for his services.” Bembo hung his head. It was true that he had liked to babble of the Breton’s prowess. The others nodded in owl-like wisdom. In the minds of the servitors Rudolfo had gained the mastery over Michael. Soranzi and Clavijo were puzzled. Michael, who was by no means a slow thinker, sensed the drift away from him. “J must take measures for our safety,” Rudolfo was saying,. “for the:pagans are close on our heels. Bind» me this mis- creant.” “Verily—” Michael smiled miki “pou are a rare leader, signor. Were you not among the captains of Nicopolis? Did not you, Clavijo, see him there? Rudolfo saw you?” well might have been cut. Adventure “Aye,” admitted the Spaniard. “Then answer me one question. If you saw Clavijo at Nicopolis, Rudolfo, why then must you have known he lied, even when you embarked with us upon this venture. Why were you fain to wait until now to accuse him?” The condottiere could not repress a scowl at this sudden thrust, but he answered composedly: ‘‘I may have seen him at the battle by the river, but a pox on’t! I marked him not. Verily I did not recall his face when he told his tale at Venice.” Rudolfo lied well. Michael, failing to catch him off his guard, turned to Soranzi, | who was too shrewd a judge of men and too alert where his own money was at risk to be convinced by Rudolfo’s charge against Michael. “Your lives, signori,’ the Breton said gravely, “are at stake. Would you know why?”’ They were silent at that and the thin mouth of the merchant pinched together as he answered— “Why ?”’ “You call it black magic—faith—witen horsemen gallop i’ the night, séignors. Nay, they were Tatars who ride with a loose rein in day or dark. I know because I have | this hour caught one who followed in our trail. Some news I had from him. War threatens between the Turk and the Tatar— the sultan and the khan. Signori, these be mighty monarchs and their bands of riders on this borderland are more numerous than the good people of Venice itself.”’ “Then,” Soranzi’s logical mind probed for information, ‘“‘the Tatars slew our men last night?” | Rudolfo and Gian glanced at Michael, who shook his head gravely. “Nay. The Tatars passed us as the wind passes. Our varlets were slain by Kurds of the village that Gian and his men visited. So said my prisoner. After Bembo left the place, frightened by sight of the sitting- down beast, our brave men-at-arms made themselves free of the women of the village, the Kurdish warriors of the place being absent with the riders of the Turkish army.” Gian and the others were silent at this and uneasy, lacking Rudolfo’s calm. “Two Kurds only reached our camp in the night,” went on Michael, “or our throats as The Moslems Eomichooks co