Adventure Magazine Cover — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

‘ The Grand Cham ‘two bodies and the moan of the master of the slaves had been heard. “Reply,” snarled Michael at the staring Janissery who was going through the mo- tions of ablution, kneeling in the sand. The Moslem wished to die with this rite performed. ‘Reply with the words I put into your mouth or we will fill your throat with the unclean flesh of the dead.”’ The warrior,hesitated, then bowed his head. “It is naught,” he called back over the stone wall as Michael prompted him, “but the death of a dog, upon whom be the curse of Allah for his sins.” A satisfied laugh from the listeners with- out, who believed that a Christian slave had been killed, came to the ears of the captives. Wasting no time, Michael had green tama- risk branches cast on the fire causing smoke to fill the au! entrance. Behind this makeshift curtain he ordered El-Arjuk stripped of his brilliant yellow coat and insignia and instructed the nervous captives how to rewind the white turban so as to conceal the blotches of blood. This done, the Portuguese who was like’the master of the slaves in build was clad in the garments and given the shield and simitar. Meanwhile the excited men would have slain the stolid sentry had not Michael in- tefvened. “T made a pledge,” he said coldly. “You want blood, methinks, and you will find plenty before long.” So the surprized sentry was bound and wrapped around with the clothing of the Portuguese until he was helpless either to move or cry out. Then, with the two bodies, he was laid in a corner of the en- closure and covered with sheepskin robes. “Sav to Bayezid,” smiled Michael, ‘‘that I bid him not farewell—for I shall seek him again.”’ When the fire died down presently and passing soldiers glanced idly into the aul, a group of men issued ferth without torches. uniform of the master of the slaves, and their feet were bound with leather thongs, permitting them to walk only slowly. It was entirely natural that El-Arjuk - should have work for the caphar slaves to do that night, so the revelers paid scant heed to the group. It was whispered, moreover, that one of the infidels had been slain, so it was entirely to be expected that the others At their head was the familiar: os At the outskirts of the tents where dark- ness concealed them Michael called a halt. Passing near the fires, the garments of EI- Arjuk had been their safeguard; in the dark they would be challenged at once by the mounted riders who patroled the camp. So Michael waited, kneeling on the ground in order to raise passing figures on the sky-line. He ordered his comrades to cut off with the weapons they had con- cealed under their clothes their bonds and to carry the cords until they could be con- cealed at a distance from the camp. Not until he was satisfied that a patrol of horse- men had passed the ridge in front of him did he give the word to advance. An hour later they were beyond the outer guards and running due east, under the stars that guided them, toward the Gate of Shadows. ON THE second night they took their ease. Michael had gone among the hill villages at twilight. He had worn the dress of El-Arjuk and when he returned to the men waiting in the thicket up the mountain-slope he said: “The Darband-1-Ghi, the Spirit Gate, lies six hours’ march above us. Come.” The six had run before now—too swiftly at first for long endurance—by the north shore of Van. Michael had steadied them to a slow trot and had taken pains to pass through such rocky ravines as offered, in order to wipe out traces of their passage. They had seen no pursuers, even-after leav- ing the lake. “Nay,” growled a Genoese. “Par Dex, our bones ache and our feet bleed. We must sleep.” “Sleep!” cried Michael. ‘With Mame- lukes riding in our tracks who have orders not to return alive without us. I’m think- ing that Bayezid made short work of the Janissery guard whose life we spared. Will his horsemen yearn for a like fate?”’ He himself was near the point of exhaus- tion, for his arm was scarcely knit and fever had weakened him. But the men would not move from the spot where they had been watching the lights of the Kurd village and talking among themselves. Realizing that they must rest, Michael sat down against a tree for a brief sleep. The half-light of dawn was flooding the 1 ri » would be used to dig a grave. thicket and the sky over the black hills to Eomichbookszco &