Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

20 Adventure “Mount then and show the path. For I will adventure with you into paynimry.” “Aye, bunayyt, little son. The young warrior would level his spear at an elephant! O most darling fool; had I a son he would be like you, yet:wiser. Think ye, Nazarene, I will not betray you at the first Moslem village beyond the hills?” “Nay, for you are no Moslem.” In the deep gloom under the trees Ab- dullah leaned closer to peer into his compan- ion’s eyes. “How? What words are these?” “And you were not always a minstrel. Though you carry a prayer rug, Abdullah, you have no use for it. 1 have not seen you pray the mamaz gar, and in the castle you shared forbiden wine and meat.” Abdullah was silent for a full minute, pondering this. “Then you think I am atabeg of the Kharesmian raiders?” “Not so. For you warned the baron of their approach, and you did not seek them when you won free of the castle.” “True, O father of ravens. Had I led the raiders I would have stormed the Nazarene hold, for there was a woman more to be de- sired than the white-faced maid of the pil- grims—and a lord to be held for ransom.” The minstrel paused to take the saddle from the stallion and let him roll in the sand, though it meant risk for himself. “Many things have I seen, O youth, but not this thing—that a babbler of secrets lived to be white of hair. Remember that I am Abdullah, the teller of tales, no more.” “Then we ride alone—we twain?” “Not alone.” Abdullah laughed softly. “Upon our road we shall have a brave company. Your Iskander and the hero Rustam—aye, and one of the Cesars of Rome—will be our road companions. They who died, seeking the treasure of the Throne of Gold, which we may seize and keep.” Leaning on his sword, Longsword listened in silence. The minstrel could have said nothing better suited to his mood. Robert never hesitated over a decision, and when:* he felt that he could trust Abdullah he.: thought no more about it. Meanwhile the minstrel was busied about his saddle-bags. “And if we die,” he muttered into his beard, “we will spread such a carpet of slain about us that men will not forget our names. O Nazarene, you may not venture beyond the hills without a name, and gar- ments to fit. Hat, youare dark enough in the skin to pass for an Egyptian, being lighter than the Arabs. You speak the lan- guage easily—yet not like'an Arab. So you ~ must be a Lion of Egypt: Alp Arslan, the sword slayer, the cloud-scattering, the dia- mond sheen of all warriors—the Ameer Alp re And remember to pray. the namaz »’ he added under his breath. SN PRESENTLY. Robert stood in fey changed garments. Abdullah had =< cast away the knight’s surcoat and mailed thigh-pieces, sleeves and mittens. From his pack he had produced a loin cloth, baggy cotton trousers and slippers. Over the youth’s mail he had. slipped a flowing khalat of silk and bound it in at the waist ' with a shawl, working skilfully in the dark. Lastly he gave Robert a light. Saracen steel headgear with peak and -nasal and mailed drop that hung about ears and shoulders. “The horse and saddle may pass for spoil taden from the Nazarenés,”’ he pronounced, “likewise the long sword: In the first vil- lage we will seek out &-barber, and when he has shaved your head and mouth we will cut him open lest he: talk too much. What now?” Robert stooped and: sane his gold spurs on the ground. Feeling about for a large boulder in the gully, he put forth his strength and rolled it aside. Then, dropping the spurs in the hollow,’ he thrust back the stone upon them. ‘So that no other may wear them,” he said calmly. “For here doth Sir Robert, castellan of Antioch; end ‘his days; and from here doth Robert the =e step forth.” TAKING advantage of the dawn mists, they: worked out of the foot- hills into a: cattle path known to Robert, and sunrise found them well away from the castle. Avoiding the main road to the east, they climbed steadily until they were past the line of the Montserrat watch towers, Abdullah remarking grimly that the warders of the marquis would pay little at- tention to two Moslem ‘riders when they were seeking a fugitive of their own race upon whose head a reward had been placed. Here they turned back into the trail that had been taken by the raiders, as they COMICLOOCKS. EGO S|