Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

38 : Adventure the wide street that led from the Otrar gate through the righistan—the central square on which the great Jumma mosque was situated—past the two palaces of the Shah and Osman, over the bridge that spanned the canal, to the western gate. — All this Robert observed, for his ena= brasure faced the east and north; but he saw too that while the Bokharians prepared a triumphal entry for the Shah, many cara- vans came out of the east and passed by the city. while none went the other way. He reflected that if the Shah had overthrown ‘his foes merchants would not be bearing away their goods. While he was watching visitors came to his door, and he beheld bearded faces topped by huge turbans peering in at him. A low- voiced argument between the owners of the turbans and Osman’s guards followed, until the door was flung open for the first time since his entry and a stout man with wor- ried, sunken eyes walked in. “This is the mullah,”’ announced one of the spearmen, ‘‘who has in his keeping the Jumma mosque, and Allah alone knows why he is bearing you hence for a day, O dog of an unbeliever,”’ he grumbled. The mullah drew up the skirts of his silk robe as he passed Father Evagrius, and stared for a full moment at Robert. “‘Are you verily the infidel bahator who withstood Nasr-ud-deen at Antioch and broached the wall of Damietta?” he asked in scholarly Arabic. Robert bent his head to conceal his sur- prize, but the Bokharian guessed his thought. “We of Khar are conversant with the events of the borderland of Islam, for this is the heart of Islam. The heart would not beat as high if a vein in one finger were opened. Speak, O caphar, for Abdullah sang your praises and made known to us that you are acquainted with our speech.” “True, O kadji.” For the mullah wore the green turban cloth that showed-he had performed the pilgrimage to Mecca. With another scornful glance at the im- passive blind man the mullah signed for Robert to follow and led the way down the tower stair. In the street they were joined by a half-dozen dignitaries of the town, amams and kadis—hawk-faced Turkomans and stalwart Uzbeks, all looking more than a little troubled and all armed. They took ae the shortest way—as Robert knew from his study of the streets—to the canal and the wall beyond the bridge. Once he set foot on the walk that ran on the summit of the wall, Robert strode to the crenellated parapet and stared down. The nobles watched -him silently as men might eye a horse that was going through its paces. “‘Abduliah,” observed . one presently, “who is a cup-companion of the Shah— upon whom be peace—said in our hearing that the Saracens of Syria set the price of a king’s ransom on your head because you were master of the art of siege.”’ Robert kept silence, inwardly cheered by the knowledge that the various Moslem races were more often. than not tearing at each other’s throats and that the Khares- mians apparently. were not allied to the Saracens whom he had fought. So he waited for the speaker to explain himself. “In the mulberry grove below,” the man went on, ‘‘is the mazar of a venerable sheikh who dared to prophesy. Aye, he foretold to Muhammad that a -day would come when the walls of Bokhara would be one with the plain, and cattle would graze where its mosques had been.” The mullah pushed forward to add his word. | “By command of Muhammad, the shadow of God upon earth, this man was cast into the pit of vermin, having first been blinded. ‘Thus his death was slow, yet because of his sanctity the mazar was erected. Muhammad did not act wisely.” Seeing that they sought something from him, Robert continued to gaze indifferently down at the grove and. its shrine. “How long, O caphar,’”’ demanded the mullah at last impatiently, ‘could Bokhara withstand a siege?”’ “With how many men for garrison?” “You have seen them, and you have seen the wall.” Robert shook his heat smiling. “Will one claw show the size of a tiger— or its teeth?” After consulting together they led him a league or so around the summit of the wall until they were winded, and the knight waxed exultant with his first hour out in the sun. The guards at each tower and stair looked at him until he was out of sight. The sentries that squatted by each ballista to cast arrow sheaves and each COMICLOOCkKS. CGO