Adventure Magazine Cover, March 20, 1925 — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

The Snow Driver black mood. The Laps had mirth in them, and Tuon grinned fearsomely. And this served to change Peter’s mood in a twink- lng. He cast down his blanket with an oath and spread his stocky legs, clasping his great fists. “So ye would bait Peter Palmer? Put up your fibbers and I'll best the lot of ye scurvy dogs.”’ “Let be!” cried Thorne. ‘‘Here is no ‘troll maiden, but a child out of the Scot’s land.” IN SPITE of this assurance Peter regarded Joan Andrews with misgiv- : ings while the others strove to talk with Tuon; and to the end of his time on the island gave her a wide berth. He never forgot that she had influence over the Laps, and by a process of reasoning all his own, was convinced that she must be a troll maiden out of the sea in human form. Meanwhile Joan made a bargain with Tuon. The Laps were to have possession of the trade goods, all Thorne’s stores and weapons except his sword. She was to be allowed to live in the tower, and the two Englishmen in the hall, and they were not to be harmed. Thorne was not pleased, for it amounted to a surrender, but the girl pointed out that he was giving no more than the Laps would take in any case, and, besides, his only fol- lower had assuredly yielded himself without any terms at all to her mercy. “‘This island is theirs,’ she added prac- tically. ‘’Tis true the Wardhouse was built by other hands long dead—perhaps by the Norsemen. But Tuon’s men hold that it is theirs. They ask why you have come hither, if not to plunder or avenge the death of the pirates.” So Thorne explained the voyage and its purpose, and she shook her head gravely. “IT fear me for your comrades. There lies no passage to the eastward. My father often said that it is closed with ice, that never opens. So the FEasterlings told him.” For a space Thorne thought that this might bring about Chancellor’s return, un- til he recalled the stubborn courage of the pilot-major and his settled determination to find new lands. There might be no northeast passage to Cathay, but Chancel- lor would press on as long as strength re- mained to him and his men. 39 CHAPTER XII SNOW LHe days passed, and Thorne went more often to the lookout because it irked him to sit in the Wardhouse where he felt that the very food he shared was taken from her bounty. Moreover she had warned him earnestly not to venture abroad without her, and this went sorely against his pride. And there came a day when the hoar frost was white on the ground. Snow fell that night, driving the Easterlings into the Wardhouse. Their hunger sharpened by the bitter wind, the savages fell upon Thorne’s store of victuals. Only half warming the meat and fish at the fire, they gorged until their bodies swelled. Thorne went out to the hill as soon as the snow ceased, after cautioning Peter against quarreling with Tuon and his men. The aspect of the island was changed; the sun was invisible behind clouds and the gray light seemed to arise from the white ground under his feet. In spite of the brisk walk he was shivering when he reached the rocky height and searched the sea with his eyes. No sail was to be seen and, peering to the eastward, he saw ice floes in the course taken by the Edward. This made it cer- tain that Chaneellor would not return to the islands until next season. No animals were astir, and Thorne, who was not given to imagination, could not rid himself of the belief that invisible and malignant forces were closing in upon the island; elementals, his father had termed them. Thrusting his numbed hands into his belt, he was setting himself to consider means by which they could live through the winter, when a clear voice hailed him cheerily. ‘‘Ho, Master Thorne, you have disobeyed orders again. I’ faith, you have led me a merry chase!” The girl was climbing swiftly to the look- out, clad in a new manner, her small feet snug in deerskin boots, her slim body wrapped in a fcx-fur tunic and a felt hood drawn over her head. It was the first time he had seen a@ woman without a skirt that came clear to the ground, but Joan Andrews was careless of her unwonted dress. “Why, the lad is in a pet.”” She glanced searchingly at his drawn face. ‘The frost GomiGcooo