Adventure Magazine Cover — page 170: what you’re looking at

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

160 courage behind when heentered thealleyway. Who is this dog he sent as a substitute?” “A Frenchman—a gibbering gadabout— an insolent mocker 2 “Allah will reward his servant who sends that goat into the seven hells!” “Father of witless ones,” said the voice of the woman with shaking scorn, “did I not say there would be an investigation if violence is done the European? Consider! The big man knows the Frenchman is here! If he does not return there will certainly be an investigation of this place!”’ “Taib! That is said with wisdom!” “Wisdom! Wisdom is Allah’s! Let us throw this dog off the roof. He arrived head first; let him descend head first. On whom can blame fasten?” “Who spoke of blame? Who cares if you throw even a thousand Nasrani into the pits of Eblis? Allah is my witness, you men reflect with your hands and act with your tongues! Make an effort to be sensible! Is the cause of Allah of such light weight that you will risk it for a little private ven- geance? This Frenchman is but an incident. “Reflect! It is better that I send him away with soft words, caresses, the memory of hope deferred— He will make a tumult to return! He will advertise his hopes! Show a man but one of the eight heavens and he will walk happily through all seven hells to return to it again!” ; “Waul’”’ said the voice of Abu Khalil angrily. “It is not becoming for you to bring men to this housetop! It will become a byword! Consider your reputation. The strength of a woman’s mind can never equal that of a gossip’s tongue.” : ‘““My strength is in Allah!” declared the woman in a voice of extraordinary sweet- ness and assurance. “I have no fear of men. God places them before me as in- struments of his will.” “There is this possibility,” said’ another voice. “The man we want may yet return. He did not go toward his own house. He went the other way and turned into the bazaar.” “To Juda bin Ismael’s!” exclaimed the woman. “He will return!” Cohusac’s head was in no condition to follow the words of this conversation, spoken rapidly in whispers and hisses that rose and fell, broken with exclamations and curses; but he distinguished the voices of men and the woman arguing as if on an ’ Adventure equal footing, without attaching blame to her. He didn’t understand. All he wanted now was to rise over that parapet and drop into the street. The voices within all at once simmered down into silence. Two Arabs came out and looked at him. Presently one gave him a tentative kick in the ribs with a bare but toughened foot. “Ouch!” grunted Cohusac involuntarily, as pain shot through him. “Tab!” said the Arab pleasantly. ‘‘He is a gift of Allah!”’ They went and stood by the parapet, looking down in silence, shadowed by the high roof, while the woman remained in the doorway, looking up at the moon. All at once a wave of apprehension swept over the Frenchman. The prolonged silence and in- action had something extremely ominous about it. While he was beginning to speculate with decreasing humor on his dangerous situation one of the Arabs stepped away from the parapet and again approached him. For a moment he stood looking down at the inert figure. The Arab who had remained at the edge of the roof made a sharp gesture. Instantly the other began to kick Cohusac violently. The shock and the pain of the attack sur- prised a cry of pain out of Cohusac. He made an effort to rise; but the Arab knocked him down and proceeded to beat him bru- tally. A moment later Sevier swarmed over the parapet. | At the sound of his friend’s voice crying out in pain Sevier had come up the wall like acat. He landed on the roof on all fours; but before he could get to his feet the Arabs were upon him. The American was bowled over by the suddenness of the attack. Even as he fell he knew that capture probably meant death; sprawling, he fought with the savage abandon of a leopard. One hand had his closest assailant by the beard, and the other clutched the loose neck of his kansa. Falling on his back, he dragged the Arab down on top of him; doubling his legs, he placed his feet in the man’s stomach and shot him head over heels with considerable force against the stone parapet. On his feet in an instant, the American then flung himself upon the second Arab, taking him at such a disad- vantage that he toppled him off the roof. NOOK 1 @)