Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

es THE WINGS OF THE SNOW. in respect for his wisdom. Su acknowledged the order, and departed; along the path by the river Ku-ro heard the voices of the tribesmen exclaiming, shouting, exulfing, as the news flew from lip to lp—kKu-ro had returned with a new weapon—there was to be a battle! And the warriors hastened to spread the word throughout the valley and to prepare ax and lance and bow for the fight. But within the cave of Nan-a- ta was silence till the shoutings died away, then the great chieftain spoke: Life is naught to you, por honor?” “‘ Nay, great chieftain, for the Ta-an was it done; for myself I crave but to seek Then-ai!”’ ‘‘ Should I give you death this day you would thank me?” “In very truth, great chieftain!” “Tt is well! Great has been your ser- vice; great also shall be your reward— this very day shalt thou meet the Lance of Dawn. Kneel!”’ . Ku-ro knelt. ‘“ Close your eyes and bend your neck for the stroke.” And Ku-ro obeyed. Nan-a-ta whistled, and Ku-ro heard the pad of skin-shod feet approaching; then Nan-a-ta spoke again. “‘ This man craves death,’’ said the chief- tain to the newcomer. ‘“ Take then this ax and set him free!” Head bent, eyes closed, Ku-ro waited the stroke, but it fell not. For some mo- ments he waited, then raised his head and glanced about to see wherefore the delay. Amazed he stared, his jaw dropping—be- fore him, smiling, stood the Lance of Dawn! Half frightened, Ku-ro raised his arm, thinking it another vision, but Nan-a-ta ' spoke: hy “Nay, Carver of Ivory,” said he, “no . dream is this! The arrow of Tu-sen pierced. not deep, and Then-ai lives. Is this your greeting, that you lay your arm before your eyes to shut out the sight?” | With a shout Ku-ro sprang to his feet, and the lovers flung themselves into each other’s arms, Nan-a-ta watching, a smile on * his stern, scarred face. Presently he spoke again, quizzically, saying: ‘“ But the Carver of Ivory craves death. Kneel then, Ku-ro, and I myself will be- ‘ 663 stow the boon you so desire, since the Lance of Dawn cares not to set you free!”’ Ku-ro turned, his arms about the girl, hers clasped around his neck. “Nay, great chieftain,” he cried, “let me live forever!” And Nan-a-ta laughed aloud. There followed days of intense activity among the People of the Mountain Caves. Men cut and bent and fastened branches of oak for the framework of many pairs of the Wings of the Snow, steaming the dry wood over pots of boiling water till it soft-~ ened and bent freely; others hunted and slew and skinned beasts, that the hides’ might furnish the webs; and still others stretched and fastened the hides in place, the women taking part in this last task. Ku-ro taught the fighting men how to manage the new footgear, and from dawn to dark, as each was supplied, he practised duly to learn, to overcome the first pain of this new mode of travel. Some were more apt than others, but in the end all were furnished with snowshoes, and all could progress more rapidly than in plow- ing through the deep snow which’ lay from end to end of the Valley of the Ta-an And none too soon, indeed, was the task accomplished, for less than a week after the last of the tribesmen had received his snow- shoes there came messengers crying: “Great chieftain, the Sur draw near!” Nan-a-ta had long since planned his bat- tle; the Syr were to be utterly cut off, none escaping, and word had been passed among. the tribesmen so that each knew where lay his task. And now a half-dozen of scouts were sent to the crest of the mountain— among them Ku-ro—to report on the strength and actions of the invaders. “True, the great chieftain had Ku-ro’s word that the Sur. brought some two hun- dred fighting men, but much might have chanced since his escape—others might have joined them, or some might have ,been lost. So the Carver of Ivory climbed the long trail down which he had slid some three weeks before, and looking out across the country which lay to the north, he saw the Sur approaching, strung out in a long line. They did not come precisely along the track he had followed, but angled m some- CO nn Cc DOOK CO