Adventure Magazine Cover — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

, : : The Sea-Hawk. When the Spanish ship was attacked by four Moslem galleys, Sir Oliver and Yusuf escaped from their chains and joined the fight. “By Allah!” said the Moslem leader to Sir Oliver when all was over, ‘“‘was there ever such a fighter?” Urged thereto by Yusuf, Sir Oliver embraced the Moslem faith and, because of his valor, became com- mander in chief of Asad, the Basha. Men now called him Sakr-el-Bahr, the Hawk of the Sea. Having sent an ‘English captive home with a letter to Rosamund—telling her of Lionel’s treachery and of the document which would prove his innocence— he was disheartened later to hear that Rosamund had thrown his letter, and the document, into the fire—unread. Five years passed and he again received word from England. He had been presumed dead; Lionel had suceeeded him; Lionel was betrothed to Rosamund. Capturing a Spanish ship on which Jasper Leigh was a slave, Sir Oliver persuaded thatyman to turn Moslem and to sail the ship to England. Lionel he found feasting with Rosamund and carrying them both aboard his vessel = set sail for iers. ‘There he found that Fenzileh, the Basha? s Italian wife, had poisoned Asad’s ear against him. Sir Oliver asked that the two English slaves be given him. Ps ‘“‘Nay,” replied the Basha. ‘Deliver them to the bagnio. They will be sold on the morrow.’ “Tt shall be done,’’ said Sir Oliver. But he gave orders that Rosamund and Lionel should be kept apart from, the other slaves until the hour of sale. Early the next morning the Basha visited the market place. His eyes at once alighted on Rosa- mund and he ordered his wazeer to bid a thousand philips for her. News of this was brought to Fenzileh and she, fearing that the Basha meant to put Rosamund in her place, bade her wazeer to offer fifteen hundred philips for the girl. Lionel was one of the first to be offered for sale. He was sold to Othmani, Sir Oliver’s henchman, for five philips. A beautiful Spanish girl was sold, after much bar- CHAPTER XX “ IN THE SIGHT OF ALLAH dhauphe after she had gone. 4 Again he weighed her every word and considered precisely how he should meet Asad, and how refuse him, if the Basha’s were indeed ‘such an errand as Fenzileh had heralded. Thus in silence he remained waiting for Ali or another to summon him to the presence of the Basha. Instead, however, when Ali entered it was actually to an- nounce Asad-ed-Din, who followed im- mediately upon his heels, having insisted in his impatience upon being conducted straight to the presence of Sakr-el-Bahr. gaining, to a Jew. When he sought to carry her off, she killed herself with a dagger. “She has shown me the way,” muttered Rosa- mund. ‘Surely God will give me the means,” So comforted she offered no resistance when her | time came. Bidding was now act and furious, rising quickly to the limit set by the Basha. “One thousand and one hundred philips!” Fen- zileh’s wazeer cried triumphantly. “One thousand six hundred philips!’ shouted a newcomer. = - It was Sakr-el-Bahr, and there were no other bidders. “Come!” he said to Rosamund. She cowered against the wall. ““Cover her face,” he bade his Nubian attendants, “and bear her to my house.” That night Sir Oliver, by clever questioning, trapped Lionel into confessing his guilt. “Tt was for love of you, Rosamund,” Lionel cried. But she turned on him contemptuously. “Take him away,” growled Sir Oliver. “Chain him to one of the oars of my galley.’ But Rosamund’s attitude toward Sir Oliver did not soften. “Are you not,” she said, “become a heathen and _a robber, a renegade and a pirate? Have you-not sacrificed your God to your vengeful lust?” Came now Fenzileh, “None saw me enter,’ she said and stilled his alarm. ‘“E come about the slave you purchased. Wilt sell her for three thousand philips?” “Not for thirty thousand. She is not for ‘sale. She shall never usurp thy place beside Asad.” “Fool!”’ she answered. ,, Asad will take her whether she is for sale or no.’ The stillness of the night was broken by the tramp of marching men “Asad comes now,”’ she cried. me here. He would kill me.’ “Take cover in*the courtyard until he shall have passed,” said Sakr-el-Bahr. “Thou’lt not relinquish the girl?” : “Be at ease,” he answered, and she departed | satisfied. “He must not find “The peace of the Prophet upon thee, my son,” was the Basha’s greeting. “And upon thee, my lord.” Sakr-el- Bahr salaamed. “My house is honored.” With a gesture he dismissed Ali. “TI come to thee a suppliant,” said Asad, advancing. “A suppliant, thou? No need, my lord. I have no will that i is not the echo of thine own.’ The Basha’s questing eyes went beyond ~ him and glowed as they rested upon Rosamund. “T come in haste,” he said, “like any callow lover, guided by my every instinct to the presence of her I seek—this Frankish pearl, this peri-faced captive of thy latesi raid. I was away from the Kasbah when that pig Tsamanni returned thither from the (E(6) JOOKS 99> aa ANCE