Adventure Magazine Cover — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

: " Ny Pies Wteoly ie OREN 4 a Oo TS Ui Ce Us ad Wet Th ee hay LS as ee 7 : : J I es ¥ Mi pay \ Sah ly t LA in grim silence. _ of Badakshan. +n | eating with Jani Beg, who: sat his horse — Behind them. came the. cavalcade of donkeys ushered by four or _ five miserable slaves. The little beasts carried weighty packs. I caught the glit- ter of brass upon one. A cloud of dust rose about them and hung in the air, for there was no wind. The jewels gleamed in the turban of: the Rajput and he laughed more than once, but Jani Beg did not laugh. . Nearer they came and nearer. I could see the sweat on the donkeys’ shoulders and marked the outline of the powder boxes under the packs. God has given me keen sight, and all that followed I saw clearly. I saw the Rajput halt the donkey-men and order them off with a contemptuous gesture and Jani Beg and Sir Weyand peer at the packs as if to make sure of what they held. I saw the beasts begin to nuzzle for grass to crop jand Raja Man Singh ride up to the wait- ing two. By now the donkey-men were a good bow-shot distant. | Then all four of the riders dismounted, watching one another. I leaned upon the peak of my saddle and swallowed, hard, for my throat was dry. The dust settled ‘down. I marked a pigeon wheeling over- head. There was a great stillness on the leds Khanjut was far, far dis- tant and Shirzad Mir stood with three men at his side, all being armed. The Rajput’s white teeth showed in a laugh. This time Jani Beg smiled. He was in a cordial mood, for he advanced to Shirzad Mir and made a low salaam. Afar off, I heard a holy man cry to prayers. | Then suddenly I saw the lean arms of Jani Beg spring forth and grip Shirzad Mir. Like a swift. snake he twined about my master, holding Shirzad Mir’s arms to his sides. “Strike him!” cried Jani Beg. throat above the armor!” It was to the ferang that he had said this. The eyes of Raja Man Singh widened in astonishment. Sir Weyand’s muscles quivered, but he did not move to aid the treacherous Uzbek. Instead he stepped toward the litter. The thing was clear to me. Jani Beg “In the ee: had ee that the ferang would slay Mir, as he had cried for him to 4 : Adrentere: = i. Se do. Something had gone amiss with Jani Beg’s plan, for neither Sir Weyand nor the Rajput moved. Aye, the Rajput was a man-of high honor. Shirzad Mir strained at the Uzbek’s grip. Jani Beg’s face grew dark with rage. I dug my spurs deep into the side of my horse. He sprang forward—a-leap that would have unsettled another rider—and I bore down on Jani Beg. Hot was my heart with anger at the sight of Shirzad Mir helpless among the three. I had lifted my scimitar to strike down ‘Jani Beg. I had galloped within arm’s reach and there reined in my mount on its haunches. Aye, I drew rein at sight of the three, for the Rajput and Sir Weyand and Shir- zad Mir were staring not at Jani Beg but at the litter, and on the three faces was the mark of amazement and horror. I also looked down at the litter. Krish- na Taya had pushed back the shawl. She sat upon her knees with the head of Said Afzel on her lap. The sleek face of Said Afzel was red and his eyes glazed, as in the opium trance. He lay still, very From his gaping mouth hung the end of a string of pearls. The pearls looked like the tip of a necklace. I had seen them before. I looked from the mottled face that glared up at me to the neck of the maiden. The necklace had gone from the throat of Krishna Taya. She sat very straight on the litter and there was a smile on her childlike face. “Here is Said Afzel, Jani Beg,” she said softly, ‘whole and without a scratch upon his skin.” The Uzbek looked from her to the head of the dead man on her knee, and his mouth opened slowly. His arms that were about Shirzad Mir dropped to his side and he tried vainly to swallow, like one who has the palsy. I heard my lord mutter in his beard—” “By the ninety holy names of God, I knew naught of this.” Yet I heeded not. fluttered away. Then hate leaped into the evil face of Jani Beg as flame sears paper. “Wench! Child of sin —traitress—” he grasped and then choked to silence. “Nay,” she spoke calmly. “What I promised you has been done. I have cut The pigeon overhead