Adventure Magazine Cover, August 18, 1921 — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

Murkwood Spears unshakably just. Once he is seated firmly on the English throne, the lawlessness and rapine that have torn his land so long will end; peace and justice will be restored. For that reason the archbishop will sup- port him and is even now in communica- tion with him. It is my task to journey up and down the Midlands, persuading all peaceful and upright men to enroll under Henry’s banner. “The king does not dare interfere with us openly. The power of the archbishop, always great, has recently been increased by the declaration of Winchester, in which all the higher ranks of the church avowed themselves openly his supporters. “Thus England stands divided: Henry of Anjou has my master’s aid and that of the clergy; the citizens have not declared themselves for fear of the barons, but they will do so as soon as Henry sets foot in England. The barons still stand aside, knowing that Henry’s success would end their bloody tyranny, but despising Stephen too much to fight for him. We shall not know whom they will support until the issue is joined. “Stephen, of course, has his Flemish mercenaries——bold men, trained in war and Jeyal to the hand that pays them. The division being so close, we must win the aid of every noble that has remained un- corrupted by the king’s weakness and his own greed. Alas! Such men are all too few.” The priest, whose face had grown rud- dier with the heady wine, crossed himself and sighed. “Too few indeed!” he exclaimed. “God and His saints know what we have suffered, these eighteen Winters that Stephen has been king. The barons and the evil men have filled the land with castles, forcing the poor to labor for them with. stone and mortar. : “When the castles have been built, the thieves who own them have filled them with devils and evil men. They have cast the innocent into their dungeons, hanged them up by the thumbs, made fires under them and smoked them with foul smoke. They have plundered churches and slain God’s priests. They have swept through towns and villages, burning, murdering, ravishing, _ so that’one might journey half a day with- out seeing a town inhabited, a church un- scorched or crops standing. Blood, blood 23 on all this land—torture and cruelty, so that the poor skulk in the woods, fearing to be seen, and honest men believe God and His saints asleep!” “God and the saints sleep not, nor do they forget,” Becket spoke solemnly. “But God works by the hand of man, so that it is time for true men to range themselves on His side. I have come to you, Sir Giles, with this word from Theobald of Canter- bury: “You are known for a faithful subject and an upright man. You have endured hatred and wrong rather than ally yourself with those wicked nobles who torment our country. Now God and England have need of you. Look to it that you be on their side when Henry of Anjou, their champion nuh your rightful king, declares himself on English soll. “Say now, Sir Giles, will you heed this message?” Becket’s eyes gleamed in his head like coals. “More wine!’ Sir Giles commanded; and when the cups had been filled he rose to his feet, the wine-cup raised in his hand. Moved by the fierce compulsion in his features, the others followed his example— yes, even the strong man, Thomas Becket. Holding them all with his eyes, Gislac pro- claimed: “Long live Henry the Second, true King of England!’ Becket, Brother Wilfred, the Lady Mar- garet, all drained their glasses with him. repeating with eager enthusiasm: ‘‘Long live Henry, true King of England!” When they were seated, the priest, as if communing with himself, muttered: “He will be like his grandsire, the first Henry. Ah, there was a king! Good man he was, and great was the fear of him. He made peace for men and beasts. Whoever bore his burden through the countryside, yea, though it was of gold or silver, no man durst say to him anything but good.” He smiled and looked suddenly at Mar- garet with his blue eyes, weak from por- ing over manuscripts. Becket was smiling, too, but he turned grave as Sir Giles asked: “When will the king land?” “TI know not. Within a few weeks cer- tainly; perhaps tomorrow, perhaps not for a month. It must not be too soon, before we are ready to defend him. The arch- a hopes he will bring an army with im. . CO MICLOOKS ©