Adventure Magazine Cover — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

168 knew well that, save at Angora, there was no ford. This gave him assurance that Tamerlane could not cross except at the point where the sultan awaited him. Further assurance came with a carrier- pigeon, struck down by one of Bayezid’s hawks. From the bird was taken a mes- sage addressed to the court of Samarkand, saying that Tamerlane would that night cross the Khabur and crush the Ottoman army. Whereupon Bayezid retired to the palace by the lake at Angora, hearing fresh news at sunset that the Tatars were assembling in their ranks. ' So Bayezid feasted and received praise from the leaders of the Moslem world. “The beast,” he said, “‘may see the trap; yet, being a beast, he has no wit to do aught but charge upon the bait.”’ “Nay, amended his adyisers, “where else could the Tatar cross the river, having no bridges or boats?” Well into the night a tumult arose on the shore opposite Angora. Many lights were to be seen in the camp of Tamerlane and the neighing of horses could be heard clearly across the river. Soon came the ring of weapons and the shout of the Mon- gols. A line of fire grew along the waiting galleys. Flights of arrows sped into the masses that were moving toward the ford. Bayezid laughed, well content. Rumors reached him from fishermen that Mongols had been seen far down the river, but Bayezid could see and hear the conflict that was beginning at the ships. Moreover the torches of the Tatar camp were plainly to be seen. It is written likewise in his annals- that at this time a Christian captive, escaping from Tamerlane’s camp, swam the river. This man, who was attended by another Frank of powerful build, was taken captive by guards at the Khabur shore and carried up into the town where the officers of the Janisseries had assembled near Bayezid. The two were Rudolfo and Gian, who had discarded their mail and broken loose from the half-grown Tatars, slaying one with their hands—so stoutly had the boys pestered them with miniature weapons. Once safely in the town, they made signs that they would be taken to the sultan and offered as proof of the urgency of their mis- sion a ring that bore the signet of a Turkish waztr. Adventure When the litter of the sultan passed, at- tended by torches and mounted grandees; Rudolfo and Gian knelt. Bayezid halted. He examined the ring and his brows went up. It was the signet of one of his spies. ‘Where is the wazir?” he demanded of the Greeks in his retinue who could con- verse with Rudolfo. The wazir who was the sultan’s man had not been able to leave his post in the Horde without discovery and he had sent the ring by Rudolfo, who was pre- pared to seek reward from Bayezid for in- formation given. “°Tis small gain I seek from the Thun- derbolt,” he assured the Greeks. ‘Some gold and goods of mine taken from me by Tamerlane, who is a foul fiend. Lists have been prepared of the stuff and when the sultan overwhelms the camp of the Horde I will point it out. For this small gear I have tidings for the ear of the sultan.” Meanwhile up from the river-front came the clash of steel and the shouting of men. ~ Bayezid, never impatient, scanned Rudol- fo’s face and observed that the man did not meet his eye. ‘‘More like,” he whispered to the Sheikh of Rum, ‘“‘that this Frank has had the slaying of my spy and has come to beguile me with words of Tamerlane’s. Promise him his gold and get his news.” Rudolfo’s message caused a stir through- out the grandees. Tamerlane, he said, had left the camp across the river at dusk with the bulk of his cavalry, which meant the bulk of his army. The demonstration at the ford was being made by old men and boys—slaves, and horse-herders. The array of fires that winked at Angora from the other shore had been lighted to deceive the sultan into thinking that the mass of the Horde was still there. As he spoke the tumult seemed to dwindle, and for a second doubt was writ- ten on the hard face of the Thunderbolt. “Tf the Tatar has tricked me—” He thought of his preparations to defend An- gora on the river side and the men he had thrown into ships and trenches on the shore. “But there are no bridges and no fords,”’ his councilors “pointed out. could Tamerlane cross the Khabur? Per- haps he was fleeing with his army.” Bayezid had never met defeat. Astrolo- gers had assured him that the greatest event of his destiny was to come to pass. He felt “Where else —— sure of his plan and of himself. Had not — uo Eomicbhoo So (S@)