Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 29: 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 27 By the host of the dead! prophesy before the event!” He studied the face of the young warrior as a wise man might read a book, sheet by sheet. And the finely wrought lips and candid gray eyes made him shake his head. “Nay, you pray as a Moslem, and you walk as one—a little slowly—and. you sit the saddle like a Seljuk and an ameer, but your eyes and mouth say otherwise. Why, by the white horse of Kaidu, do your thoughts dwell on a Christian child, scarce a woman?” Robert merely nodded at Will Bunsley, who jogged ahead on his nag, heedless of the inevitable dust-cloud and the midges that swarmed about his eyes. “Ha, the redbeard!’’ Abdullah smiled. “A skilled bowman and a man without fear. Yet he rides on a vain quest with room in his skull for no more than the idea that brought him forth. Allah, do we draw rein again!” He shaded his eyes to gaze where Inalzig had halted the head of the column to let a string of camels pass. They were racing Bactrians, and the riders jeered at the weary ponies of the Kankalis. Robert, who had an eye for weapons and the men who bore them, observed that the camel-riders wore splendid, silvered: mail under black khalats, that their targets were bossed with gold and-their voluminous turbans crested with peacock feathers. ‘Warriors of the Caliphs of Bagdad,” muttered Abdullah under his mustache. “Mark the white camel of the leader. Ha, it will be a great war if the caliphs are send- ing men to the Shah. Verily the Moslems are gathering their might, like a leopard crouching to spring.’ On other days they sighted detachments of furtive hillmen, who kept well away from Inalzig’s standard, and horsemen mounted on splendid Arabs, who raised the shrill ululation of the Saracens at sight of friends. These were heading through the villages, tending in the same direction as Inalzig, which was toward a line of blue summits Only fools that rose each day a little higher upon the horizon, with one great peak bearing a snow cap standing upon the travelers’ right hand.* *The route taken by the crusader and his companions was not known to Europeans in that age. From the few landmarks observed, they must have crossed the Euphrates near Aleppo and the Tigris a little south of what is now Mosul, entering modern Persia within the next few days by the highlands of Kurdistan. The snow mountain must have been Demavend, some two days’ ride northeast of Teheran. The Sialak Pass is today just as it was then— or as it was in Alexander's day, for that matter. “To the Iron Gates,” Abdullah nedded. ‘‘All who ride to Khar from the west must pass the Gates and give surety te the warders of their purpose. These arrays are no more than the. outlying detachments, bound | for the main armies at the great cities.” “T had rouge hei a mighty force,” observed Robert. Abdullah smiled. “The puppy thought the jackal was a wolf! Navy, the master: of the Throne of Gold hath five times a hundred theusand riders to his command.” This, Robert fancied a jest, for such num- bers were incredible. In Palestine the host of the crusaders amounted te no more than fifteen thousand. | “Ti the red archer,” quoth Abdullah, his eyes gleaming, ‘‘would see vengeance at work, he has come in good time. Aye, he shall see what will fill his eyes. And you, OQ young warrior, will taste the mead of aman.” With that he urged his horse up close to the heels of a pair of Kankalis until the dust nearly choked them and hid the rest of the detachment somewhat from view. Thrusting out his hand suddenly, the minstrel gripped Robert’s fingers and when he drew away something hard and cold was in the knight’s hand. Realizing that he was not to attract attention to himself, Robert did not look down for a moment. When he did so, he recognized within his fingers the chain of rubies that Abdullah had carried, carved in the semblance of roses. “Place it within thy girdle,” whispered the minstrel,’ ‘and show it only at the Sialak. The talsmin will pass you through.” He glanced about and reined closer. “You will have need of all your wit if you live to reach Bokhara. Remember that no Kharesmian has proof‘against you, and you are fairly safe if you do not betray your- seli—so beware of tricks. Remember, too. that it is ever best to face forward and to shun no risk. The Moslems are a folk of many tribes and quarrels—and that is their bane. If aman mocks you, cut him down; if a spy is sent, laugh at him. By all the gods, I have not brought you so far, to find you a weakling!” Robert reflected that a good Moslem does not swear by more than one god. “And you?” he asked. “Whatever happens, I will seek you out COMmMiclboookkSs.G© S|