Adventure Magazine Cover — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

The Witch of Aleppo find a way for us to escape from this spot.”’ The dark eyes dwelt on Ayub fixedly and he was_aware of a prickling of his own skin that was not altogether uncomfortable. ‘Send the captain to me,” she offered at length. “Impossible. The ataman is in the —— of a fix and has no time for a woman.” “Is he a great khan in your country?” ‘“‘Aye, he is first among the Cossacks, who are all nobles.”’ : Lali glanced at the young chief, who had just set the men to work preparing food for the noon meal. His long, black coat was more than a little tattered and the white ermine kalpack was torn by thorns. But Demid sat erect in the saddle, his colonel’s baton held on his hip. Lali sighed under her breath— “He has few followers.” *“‘Not so, prattle tongue. He has as many as the pasha of Aleppo, whom we will hang on his own gate-post. But these are enough for our needs—Demid’s and mine.” “T could tell you much of Sidi Ahmad, pasha of Aleppo.”’ ¢ ‘Ha!”’ “You, who are a man of understand- ing, know the value of information to a leader. Is the little Frank also a khan, that Demid should talk to him always, and cherish him?” “Ser Mikhail—aye, he is adrift from his people. I know not if he is truly a chief but he wields a sword ¥ “I saw you hew down the Moslems in the fight by the farm. You tossed them about like chaff. Have you forgotten how I bound up your cuts that night?” Ayub rubbed his chin and looked every- where but into the dark eyes that warmed his heart like a nuggin of mead on a cold ‘night. “Child of evil,””? he responded sternly, “‘do not think to trick me. Is there a way out of this lobster-pot?”’ Lali tossed away the last nutshell, hum- ming lightly to herself. Her dark head bent nearer the Cossack, who no longer took his eyes from her. ‘““What is evil?”? she asked. “And what are we but leaves, on the highway of fate? We know not the road before us. <Az-a, I have known sorrow.” She rocked in her saddle and her warm fingers touched Ayub’s scarred fist. A shrewder man than the Cossack would have 35 thought Lali’s lament sincere. And it was. “Father of battles, I would aid the young hero, but he struck me. I know a way by which he can escape; will you help me to -find it?” é ‘Oho!”? Ayub twirled his mustache, bending his shaggy head closer. “Now,” he thought, “‘we are getting the milk out of this cow.” ““How?”’ he asked. “Build a fire, a great fire. Place upon it branches from yonder cedars, dampened with snow.” “Then what?” “Do that first, then come to me. I am going to summon up my people for your aid.” Ayub stared and went away. With some pains, he kindled the blaze as Lali directed, and heaped on the branches. To the Cos- sacks who asked what he did, he explained that the witch had repented, when he— Ayub—had argued with her, and was about to work black magic for their release. She wanted to speak to the ataman, but he—Ayub—had denied her that. The ataman had warm blood in his veins, and the girl was a very peacock for beauty; she would make eyes at him and melt the iron out of his heart. Perhaps she would make him kiss her and after that the young hero would be as wax in her hands. So said Ayub, not knowing that Lali had beguiled and tricked him completely in a scant moment. “But, kunak,” observed the oldest of the Cossacks, scratching his shaven skull. “Our father Demid has steel in his heart. He whacked the fair young witch with his saber. That is the way to handle a sorceress.”’ From her pony Lali contemplated the shaggy men with amusement, guessing the subject of their talk. “OQ headman,” she called softly to Ayub, “T will bring your Demid to sue for speech with me before the fire sinks to embers.” “What says the witch?” asked the veteran mistrustfully. Ayub explained, not altogether at ease. It seemed to him that Lali was too confident. Still, magic: was needed if they were to escape from the gorge. Demid had no plan as yet; in fact the chieftain was staring up through the smoke at the narrow walls of their prison, as if contemplating birds in COmiclboolks C©