Adventure Magazine Cover — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

Black Magic as soon as Sir Ralph had him at the door of the hall, as soon as he saw the grave faces within, he began to howloncemore. ‘‘Come, Diccon, come!” Sir Ralph cried. ‘“‘No harm’s meant thee. Tell the gentlemen how the papers came here.” Diccon sobbed and whimpered still. “Booby, speak out!” » The shepherd shrank away and trembled. “Sir Ralph—Sir Ralph bids me say as I brought they papers,” he gasped. Mr. Saunders changed a glance with Dr. Oscott. ‘Where didst find them, my lad?” - sald he. The shepherd looked at Sir Ralph for in- spiration. Sir Ralph made an impatient gesture. ‘In squire’s windmill,” the shepherd cried in a hurry. ‘“But who bade thee seek them?”’ said Mr. Saunders sharply. | The shepherd shuffled back and gaped at him. In mute, stupid fear he made clumsy signs at Sir Ralph. Sir Ralph laughed. ‘’Tis an honest lad, gentlemen, but the dullest simpleton.”’ “T see that,” Mr. Saunders said. Sir Ralph waved the silly shepherd out. Thereafter, at breakfast, he found the good gentlemen something reserved. It is probable that they were themselves not sure what they thought of him. ‘Their natural desire to believe a priest and see heretics everywhere had been much impeded by the silly shepherd. Yet the priest was plausi- ble and excellently devout. Moreover, if the mysterious papers were indeed Mr. Rym- ingtowne’s, the priest was plainly right to charge him with magic. When the priest advised that they should visit the observa- tory and see for themselves what evidence of evil it held, they began to be pleased with him. Such a plan savored of bold honesty. It agreed also with their official habits. Secret search of suspected houses was part of the regular order of the hunt for heresy. That day they spent in talk here and there with country-folk to discover how Mr. Rymingtowne was commonly regarded. ‘They found him with a reputation for kind- liness and uncanny powers and were the more inclined to believe in Sir Ralph. He was in the best of spirits. Some copies of the New Testament in English, seized from the pack of a wicked pedler, he had thrust upon the shepherd and sworn him to get them into the windmill room before 877 sunset. English testaments among the tools of magic must be enough to send any man to the stake. V . THE morning was hot. The swift gray-green river allured Mary Rym- ingtowne, who sat down among the kingcups. A shadow fell across the water. She looked up into the face of the silly shep- herd. ‘‘You’m no right to go wandering without your father,’ he drawled. Her look was as fierce as a flogging, but did not disturb the shepherd, who continued to stare down at her with dull, heavy curiosity. She blushed richly, sprang up and rushed away. ‘The shepherd slouched after her. They came upon Mr. Rymingtowne, benign, under a tree with Theocritus. “Father, this knave——” the girl began. The shepherd turned his back on her. “TI wants you, master,” he drawled. “Oh, sir, at your service!”” Mr. Ryming- towne laughed. ‘“‘What has the gentleman done, Mary?” The girl was in a difficulty. ‘‘He—he looked,” she stammered and blushed pain- fully again. Mr. Rymingtowne rose and, beckoning to the shepherd, walked down stream. Out of sight of the girl, he turned. “Understand me, sir. IT’ll not have you prowl and peep.”’ The silly shepherd stared. It is upon record that Mr. Rymingtowne saw some- thing remarkable in his deep-set eyes. *“You’m a heretic,”’ he drawled. “Now God ha’ mercy!” Mr. Ryming- towne burst out laughing. “There be they as will burn you for such. Sir Ralph, he hath got two catchpolls after you. *Tisa Dr. Oscott and a Mr. Saunders. They’m minded to search your windmill to-night for the magic there. Do ’e go and hide it before sunset if you ha’ no mind to try a fire.” Mr. Rymingtowne was amazed into si- lence for a moment. For a moment the gleaming dark eyes of the silly shepherd stared into his. Then he found himself looking at nothing. The hazels were sway- ing behind the shepherd’s back. Mr. Rym- ingtowne called after him in vain. But he had told enough. Mr. Ryming- towne knew his world well enough to know that a taste for astrology might condemn a man to death. That his cousin was zealous COmiclbook ©