Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

THE WINGS OF THE SNOW. Ku-ro rested for a moment t6 get his breath. Glancing upward he saw that the stars were paling, and in the east a faint gray light broke the deep blue of the heavens—dawn was at hand. Furiously he turned once more to his task, and even as he did he heard a shout from the camp of the Sur—some one, early afoot, had found the body of Kas, stark and stiff, lying in a pool of frozen blood. Shouts resounded, calls of men, torches blazed and bobbed back and forth, and soon Ku-ro saw in the growing light of morning that the warriors of the Sur were running toward the spot where he stood. Despairing, he dug frantically at the bridge, hoping that he had at least weak- ened it so that it would fall under the fore- most man. - Cries of rage sounded from the farther brink, darts whistled about his ears, there came a rush of scurrying feet—the warriors were at the bridge! Mad with grief and despair, Ku-ro planted himself at the end, lance in hand, to sell his life as dearly as might be, and saw that but one man rushed toward him. Tho, fearing the weakened span, held back the others. Ku-ro gave one last thrust at the bridge — it gave — creaked — shuddered downward—nhalted—gave—and with ever- increasing ndise the span parted—and the nvass fell. roaring and thundering into the The one warrior who had ventured was near the edge.- With panther-spring he flung himself forward—caught the lip of ‘the crevasse—and even as Ku-ro thrust at him he‘dodged and drew himself up to safe foet- ing, rushing.on Ku-ro, ax swung high. From the Aether brink came howls of fury, and Ku-ro, from the corner of his eye, caught sight of a line of men dancing - with rage on the edge; darts flew about him, one grazing his shoulder, but soon they stopped, for the Sur feared to wound their own man, who now closed with Ku-ro. Ku-ro knew him for one of the deadliest fighters of the Sur, Sa-thur by name, not a big man, but active and courageous be- yond belief, and his heart sank at the com- ing battle. He thrust at Sa-thur with his lance, but fhe other dodged, swung, and the keen ax 6A 657 shore through the oaken staff, leaving Ku- ro weaponless save for his dagger. A howl of delight roge from the men of the Sur as they saw the lance-head fly, spinning, across the ice, and Sa-thur grinned as he sprang on his defenseless enemy. Ku-ro’s heart sank, but as Sa-thur rushed on him he stooped, caught up a handful of snow, and dashed it in the other’s eyes. It was enough—Sa-thur halted an instant— Ku-ro leaped—his dagger gleamed in the morning light — flashed “downward — and from the warriors of the Sur there rose and swelled a long-drawn howl of rage—furious curses—as their champion rolled lifeless at, Ku-ro’s feet! Zigzagging, leaping from side to side, Ku- ro dashed for the shelter of a mound of snow some fifty paces’ ‘away, and reached it safely despite the shower of darts which rattled on the ice about him as he ran. CHAPTER V. THE ‘WINGS OF THE SNOW. FTER some four or five days of merci- less, unsparing travel Ku-ro found ° himself drawing Out from the high hills and working downward to the valleys. Many ranges of low and rolling hills yet lay between him and the Valley of the Ta- an, but he had kept his sense of direction and hoped that he might outspeed the war- riors of the Sur. One thing troubled him; in the valleys and on the low ground over which he must travel the snow lay far thicker than among the peaks. into huge drifts which could often be gone around or which had been hardened and impacted till it would bear the weight of a man, but here it lay soft and deep, often waist-high, seldom less than up to a man’s knees, even where the breezes of the shel- tered valleys had somewhat blown it aside. Therefore the going was slow; Ku-ro must plow laboriously through, and he feared that the Sur, skirting the crevasse, might overtake him, since they could take turns in breaking trail where he must plunge through alone. One comfort, though, there was—game CONMUC There the wind had swept it. NOOLK CO