Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 146 No. 4 — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

your saddle! Gholam Mahmoud » broke into another hearty laugh. a let him search!” he cried gayly. “When I met with Ripperda, yesterday, ‘I threw the box into the river. The box is gone, Mulai Ali is dead—there is an end to all intrigue! Here come three horsemen who rode with me.” The horsemen, among whom were some of Ripperda’s bodyguard, were returning. At the saddle of the three foremost were three bloody heads. Steel, says the prov- erb, is swifter than judgment. Thus the three, reunited, rode back into Udjde. If Patrick Spence thought that he was done with intrigue, however, he was far wrong, for Mulai Ali, though wounded and hidden away by the old governor, was not dead at all. CHAPTER X. “ He will spend his mouth and promise, like Brabbler the hound; but when he performs, astronomers foretell it!” HA RIPPERDA sat in the justice hall of the kasbah and enjoyed his triumph. With the death of Mulai Ali, the one external danger that menaced him was gone. This thin man with the haunted eye was the supreme ruler of west- ern Africa; the combined Barbary armies and fleets obeyed his orders—Egypt was in alliance with him. Inwardly, gout rioted in his blood. As he sat and gave orders and heard reports, _agony twisted him. Around him were his famous renegades, bitter, cruel men, de- voted to him. And they could not save him from the devils that dwelt in his blood. ‘Messengers were dispatched to the sherif with news of Mulai Ali’s death—though ee not been found—and Rip- erda ordered a litter made ready that night, Ai he was ecsieg swiftly to the gegen " aa! Y hake aw, P 2 ’ id ee ee Oar ga of Pe ee a, - ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ies. Te Se no oe grace had once been ‘mnt from Jiens back among the cushions. _ ; a In the eyes of the girl lay pity. Dr. Shaw, after one cold bow, stood the man with no evidence of ot ons shrewd doctor was sensible that he faced — an enemy. Ripperda began to speak in English, and suddenly the inner man shone forth. That tongue of Ripperda’s had done incredible feats, and had not lost its cunning. He ig- nored Shaw for the moment and addressed the girl, whose story he had learned from Spence on the road. ‘You have naught to fear under my pro- tection, mistress,’ he concluded with that wan and haunted smile of his. “ I shall take you to the coast and place you aboard the first Christian ship available; I have promised the same to Captain Spence. And, lady, I have heard much regarding your skill with the stars.. I would talk with you later in the day regarding these augurs of destiny. This gentleman, I take it, is the famous Dr. Shaw, of Algiers?” Shaw bowed again, assenting dryly. Rip- perda eyed him, smiled, assumed a blunt frankness. “What say you—shall we consign the past to oblivion, sir? I know in whose company you have journeyed; but as our Spanish proverb says, ‘The dead have no friends.’ How say you?” Shaw chuckled. “Tt is also said that a living dog is better than a dead lion. I pay you my compli- ments for your generosity, admit my culpa- bility, and pray your grace.” Ripperda, generous enough in victory, ut- tered a frank laugh. “Greatness knows how to punish and how to forgive. I pardon you and wi you, for your erudition is famed. I pray that you will join me for the noon meal; meantime, soar te peel eed With a brief bow Sk “ace : fis See st oe comicbooks.com