Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

70 Adventure mace and gripped him about the knees. Gasping with the effort, he put forth all the strength of sinews and back muscles, raising the struggling body of the chieftain to his shoulder, shifting his grasp in a second to throat and belt of his foe, holding Su- botai at the full reach of stiffened arms. No one among the watchers moved to intercept him, and, filling his laboring lungs, he hurled Subotai to the ground. The warrior, striking on head and shoulder, rolled over and was still. Robert stood looking down at him, swaying the while on his feet from utter weariness. He heard Chepe Noyon call out, and the deep voice of the Khan bark a command, and he tried to step toward the place where his mace had fallen, but had no longer strength to move foot or arm. He saw Chepe Noyon running toward him, felt the iron embrace of the Mongol’s arms about his bruised ribs and looked up as a shout roared forth from ten thousand throats— “Ahatou koke Mongku, hol’? “O little son,” cried the Tiger Lord, “‘you overthrew the Buffalo! You lifted him in your hands and tossed him down! Hai— I chose well—by the white horse of Kaidu, by the eyes of all the gods—I picked a man!” He drew back to look into Robert’s scarred features. “Did you hear the salute of the Horde? No man hath overthrown Subotai before. Nay, you know not the words of the Horde. ‘Ho, brother, warrior of the Mongols, ho!’ ”’ - Genghis Khan spoke again, first to Chepe Noyon, then to a group of swordsmen who ran to the fallen Subotai and'stood over him. The Buffalo had opened his eyes; now he shook his head savagely and sprang up. Instantly a score of powerful hands gripped him and held him, while the red glare faded from his eyes and he looked at Robert curiously. “The command was given,” explained Chepe Noyon to the knight, “to stay the Buffalo until his anger passed. You and he must pour water on your swords. The Khan is not minded to lose either of you.” Robert lifted his head with a wry smile. “What mockery is this? I fought against you and slew many. Make an end!” “Then will I tell you the judgment of the Khan. He said— “<The two Nazarenes kept faith with each other, and so will they keep faith with all men.’ “Tf you will ride with us, you will sit in a high place at the feasts and ride the best of the horses and have a great tent. Little son, this battle was a test, even as my offer to you to surrender Bokhara was a test, and in each thing you have stood your ground and held to your faith. We have honor for such a hero, as you will see.” The knight was silent, finding this hard to believe. Yet the warriors he had wound- ed came to look at him closely and examine the morning star, utterly indifferent to their hurts. Subotai after a while walked over and took up the mace, whirling it about his head like a sling. He grunted something, and Chepe Noyon interpreted: “He says that you are to make him such a weapon and he will go against you or any other three warriors.”’ Now Robert laughed a little unsteadily. ‘“‘Well for me he did not have the mace a while ago. Nay, spare me another such test.” He remembered Will Bunsley and sought him out, to learn from Chepe Noyon that the Mongols had refrained from slaying the archer and had had him borne away to a tent to mend his wounds. As they talked Genghis Khan wheeled his horse and made off, a lane opening for him through the Mongol ranks. Robert saw that smoke was rising in dense plumes over the wall of Bokhara, and flames, fanned by a stiffening wind, were leaping through the smoke over the mosques. “Tis the end of Bokhara,’”’ nodded Chepe Noyon, following his glance. “But the treasure is safe. Come, [ have put aside a tent for you, and your share of the treasure awaits you.” AS THE wind-storm lashed the plain and the horse-herds of the camp turned their backs to the eddies of dust the flames raged in Bokhara, and the plumes of smoke grew into great clouds that hid the sun and swirled down on the quivering tents. Robert and Chepe Noyon wrapped their mantles over their arms, and the knight shielded his torn face as best he could from the smarting dust. Coming to the closed flap of a round woolen tent, the Mongol raised it and signed for the crusader to enter. Still holding his mace, Robert stooped _ under the pole that served as a lintel, and COMmMiCLOoOokkS.G©