Adventure Magazine Cover — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

a = a ee endl ~~ i ¢ - « ~ : < = : « Y - ' 102 = ‘ - f = 3 - a, + ” of those, since Asad was perfervidly devout. what yourself contributed to it. _. “Thus only,” he ended, “can I place you _ beyond his reach,” - But she was still scornfully reluctant. _ “Tt is too desperate a remedy even for so desperate an ill,” said she, and thus drove . him into a frenzy of impatience with her. “You must, I say,” he insisted almost angrily. “You must—or else consent to be borne this very night to Asad’s harem— and not even as his wife, but as his slave. Oh, you must trust me for — own sake! You must!” “Trust you?” she cried, and almost laughed in the intensity of her scorn. “Trust you! How can I trust one who is a renegade and worse?” He controlled himself that he might reason with her, that by cold logic he might conquer her consent. “You are very unmerciful,” he said. ‘In ~ judging me you leave out of all account the suffering through which I have gone and Knowing now how falsely I was accused’ and what other bitter wrongs I suffered, consider that I was one to whom the man and the woman I most loved in all this world had proven false. I had lost faith in man and in God, and if I became a Moslem,-a renegade, and a corsair, it was because there was no other gate by which I could escape the unutterable toil of the oar to which I had been chained.” He looked at her sadly. “Can you find no excuse for me in all that?” - It moved her a little, for if she maintained _ a hostile attitude, at least she put aside her scorn. “No wrongs,” she told him, almost with _ sorrow in her voice, “could justify you in outraging chivalry, in dishonoring your manhood, in abusing your strength to perse- cuteawoman. Whatever thecauses that may have led to it, you have fallen too low, sir, to make it possible that I should trust you.”’ ‘ He bowed his head under the rebuke ° which already he had uttered in his own heart. It was just and most deserved, and since he recognized its justice he found it impossible to resent it. “i know,” he said. “But Iam not asking you to trust me to my profit, but to your own. It is for your sake alone that I implore you to do this.” Upon a sudden inspiration he drew the ~ heavy dagger from his — and proffered it, hilt foremost. Adventure © crf you need an earnest of my good faith,” he said, ‘‘take this knife with which tonight you attempted to stab yourself. At the first sign that I am false to my trust use it as you will—upon me or upon yourself.” She pondered him in some surprize. Then slowly she put out her hand to take the weapon, as he bade her, “Are you not afraid,” she asked him, “that I shall use it now, and so make an end?” “IT am trusting you,” he said, “that in return you may trust me. Further, I am arming you against the worst. For if- it comes to choice between death and Asad, I shall approve your choice of death. But let me add that it were foolish to choose death whilst yet there is a chance of life.” “What chance?” she asked, with a faint return of her old scorn. “The chance of life with you?”’ “No,” he answered firmly. “If you will trust me I swear that I will seek to undo the evil I have-done. Listen. At dawn my galeasse sets out upon a raid. I will convey you secretly aboard and find a way to land you in some Christian country—Italy or F rance—whence you may make your way home again,” “But meanwhile,” she reminded him, ol shall have become your wife.” He smiled wistfully. “Do you still feat a trap? Can Sie convince you of my sincerity? A Moslem marriage is not binding upon a Christian, and I shall account it no marriage. It will be no more than a pretense to shelter you until we are away.” “How can I trust your word in that?” “Howe” He paused, baffled; but only for a moment. “You have the dagger,” he answered pregnantly. _z She stood considering, her eyes upon the weapon’s lividly gleaming blade. ‘And this marriage?” she asked. is it to take place?” He explained to her then that by the Moslem law all that was required was a declaration made ,before .a kadi or his superior and in the presence of witnesses. He was still at his explanation when from below there came a sound of voices, the tramp of feet, and the flash of torches. “Here is Asad returning in force,” he cried, and his voice trembled. “Do you consent?” “How GO OOK 5 (©)