Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

The Making of the Morning Star 25 _ “Canst withstand one of these fellows with a quarterstaff?” “Aye, by all the saints, that can I, lord brother.” The yeoman grinned cheerfully. “Last Martinmas I won a silver shilling for a bout : “The Moslem will have a long stabbing- spear, and he will not stop at the first blood. You stand in dire peril, Master Will, and it will go hard if you do not prevail.” The archer declared that he would hold his own with anything on two legs at brawl- ing or dicing and desired nothing better than to crack the skulls of his tormentors. ‘The fool,’”’ Robert explained to the Kan- kali, ‘“‘will think that a stout stick is a spear, so let him have one. Yet if he is victor, will you permit him to ride with me unharmed?” “Verily,” laughed the warrior, who was studying Robert curiously. “Have you also a devil that you speak the language of the infidel?” “He dwelt at their court for a year and more,’ put in Abdullah quickly, “and learned much of their ways. For this was he chosen to ride. to the Shah with his story.” Saying that it was all one to him and that he fancied there were three fools in- stead of one at his tent, Inalzig called for one of his men to stand forth with a spear. A thin warrior with a huge, knotted turban stepped into the cleared space, carrying a five-foot weapon. Will Bunsley cast about until he found a spare tent-pole of teak as long as he was tall and as large around as his two thumbs joined together. Tossing up the staff, he caught it in the fingers of one hand and twirled it around his head. Then, setting his long legs, he gripped the quarterstaff with both hands widely separated, well in front of him. To the on- lookers this seemed the merest bombast, and the eyes of the Kankali glittered as he advanced on the archer and thrust at Buns- ley’s ribs, meaning to wound the red mana few times before killing him. Instead the yeoman warded the blow by lowering one end of his pole. Again the Kankali thrust with no better result. _ Angered by the gibes of his companions, the spearman shortened his grasp and feinted, minded to end the matter out of hand. But Will halted him abruptly by bringing up one arm and jabbing wickedly at the throat. Choking, the Kankali stag- gered back and the yeoman smote him on either ear so quickly that the two thuds sounded as one. Blood flowed down the warrior’s jaw, and he rocked dizzily, then crumpledy down on the sand. “‘The fool is strong in the arm, observed Inalzig. ‘Now we will try his skill.” He barked an order, and a stocky war- rior sprang out from the growing throng oi watchers. The khan tossed him a javelin— a throwing-spear no more than a yard long with a small, barbed point. “Send him to jekhannum or taste a hun- dred lashes.” Robert, who had watched English yeo- men practising with the quarterstaff in An- tioch, had known that Will could make a long spear look ridiculous, but a javelin was not to be warded so easily. Nor could he come to the archer’s aid, for such a move would mean drawn weapons and a swift end for them both. But Will, watching his adversary keenly, yelped cheerfully. “So-ho, here be a dog with sharp teeth, so give heed, Master Robert, to some pretty work.” Leaping about in front of the Kankali, he whirled the quarterstaff in the man’s eyes until the warrior decided that the Frank was not going to attack, and launched the javelin. Will, having waited for just this, dodged alertly, and the short spear did no more than glance from one shoulder, cut- ting it to the bone. The warrior snarled and drew a curved dagger. Rushing in, he slashed at the arch- er’s ribs, only to drop like a log and lie where he had fallen. Will had stepped aside and slid one hand down to the other, swing- ing lustily with the full weight of the staff upon the Kankali’s skull. “Now St. Dunstan send that he be the one that cracked my pate in the battle,” he remarked. . To the Moslems his skill with the staff savored of the marvelous, for they were men who used none but edged weapons. Even the khan was stirred to interest and asked if the red man could do tricks with any- thing but a stick. ‘Put a bow into his hands and set the best of your archers against him,” suggested Robert. After some hesitation Inalzig agreed and had one of the short Turkish bows brought COMmiclboookkS.G©