Adventure Magazine Cover — page 168: what you’re looking at

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

attack. The Grand Cham “Tt is true that he is too wise to cross the river. It is written, O Kha Khan, in the memoirs of the Ottoman that he who trusts too greatly in his wisdom shall stum- ble and eat dirt. Bayezid’s strength would be more like weakness were he forced to “Speak a plain thought!” “Pretend to fall into the sultan’s trap. And meanwhile get the pick of your army above or below -Angora and across the river i “How?” Michael smiled. “Tf Tamerlane wills, a sparrow may be- come a falcon. I-have taken the hood from the eyes of the falcon.” For a space the Tatar considered this, while one after the other the councilors and leaders of his army stepped into the tent—lean-faced men in armor—the few who had been selected by the Lame Con- queror from the warriors of mid-Asia. “What reward claim you for this?” de- manded the old man abruptly. ° “Y would ride with your horsemen to see the downfall of Bayezid.” Tamerlane grunted and glanced at the scattered miniature warriors of the chess- board. “So, Frank,” he growled, “you can not play chess!” Michael shook his head. “That is a pity,”’ said Tamerlane regret- fully. ‘You would make a rare player.” el and the Tatar standards before the tents were outlined against the streaks of sunrise when Michael walked alone from the council of Tamerlane and sought Bembo. He found the fool huddled beside a cage of the khan’s beasts, guarded by a black DAWN had broken over the river _ Kallmark. “San Marco heard my prayer, Cousin Michael,” cried the hunchback joyously. “I prayed right lustily and bravely while yonder giant of Magog was washing his hands i’ the air and bobbing his head 1’ the wind and talking with the stn.” Bembo had been interested in the dawn prayer of the Muhammadan Tatar. He skipped to Michael’s side and grimaced at the warrior. “Now make what magic ‘ye will, son of _ Eblis,” he chanted, ‘‘and the devil take ye, 167 as he will, for his own. Cousin Michael, did the mad Cham outroar you, or are we saved? What’s to do?” ‘Where are the others?” Bembo could not forbear a_ chuckle. “Rest you, good cousin. The master- merchant Soranzi is counting a myriad gold coins for the Tatar wazirs, as the pagans name their money-tenders; Rudolfo is departed with good grace and Gian to be escorted by Tatar children to the river.” “And Clavijor”’ Bembo nodded toward the cage. ‘With the apes, who love him like a_ brother. This black giant was to cut off my head “You will be safe with me. Come.” Michael smiled. ‘The Cham, as you call him, has given us some good sport. We will fly pigeons and when that is done, sleep. Then this night will you see a rare jest, my Bembo.”’ ‘So said Rudolfo to Gian when they went off. Gian has been grinning like a dog that scents a bone. Two days agone did I ask them what wasi’ the wind. That was before they knew that you were with us in pagan garb. Rudolfo cursed me, but his hench- man, forsooth, muttered that my master was not the only man who could devise a plan.” Michael frowned, but could learn nothing more from the jester, except that Rudolfo had talked at times with a certain wazir who was open-handed with his gold and knew many tongues. He could not waste time to search into a, possible new intrigue on the part of the Italian, for Tamerlane had ordered him to assist in preparing messages to be sent up with carrier-pigeons—messages intended to fall into the hands of Bayezid. In the annals of the Ottoman dynasty it is written that during the space of that day Bayezid, surnamed the Thunderbolt, hunted with falcon and dogs upon the plain of Angora, having in his heart naught but contempt for the Tatars. With his grandees and picked cavalry the sultan rode from sunrise to sunset, his beaters spread across the steppe, without thought of water or bodily comfort. His men stood under arms all that time. His ships in the river remained at their moor- ings. His spies reported that Tamenane was taking more time to muster the Tatar horsemen to cross the river. But Bayezid had burned and_ broken. down the few bridges on the Khabur, and CORDIC SOO <Si (S@