Adventure Magazine Cover — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

. ‘ Lae i OES Mme OA ; “Tai te ali wie) ‘ y 2 Ae 3 7 4 \ 1 ) ‘ * ea ‘ts : observed Clavijo mechanically. =. of the Moors, as he chose to call them, he had been careful to avoid discussion with the Breton. “As you wish. But soon we will come upon the piles of human skulls. I suppose you would say there is no danger there.” He shook his head in gentle reproof. “Now, sirs, I have a plan. Messer Soranzi seeks to avoid robbery. Methinks you all would fain live longer. So be it. I, who have mastered the dangers of the mountains and the sands and the Cathayans, I will go ahead from here alone.” Michael glanced at him searchingly and was silent. “You will be safe here, sirs,” continued the Spaniard, ‘‘under the potent protection of Rudolfo and his men. I have no fear. What I have done once can be accomplished again. Even though I never return, I would prefer to press on from here alone. A score of swords and halberds will avail us little against the Cathayans. Better one should die than all.” “If I am not back by the first of Winter, sirs, you can retrace your steps easily to Trebizond. By tying the mules, head to tail, in a fashion I wot well of, I can make shift to bear with me the gifts for the Grand Cham, placed in packs upon the mules.” Rudolfo, however, voiced a blunt negative. “By the rood, sir, we have made a bond between us. We will go in a body or not at all.” This view was shared by Soranzi, who, despite privations and plundering, had hugged to his bosom the dream of fabulous ~ profits promised him by his astrologer in Venice. “Aye,” put in Bembo seriously; ‘‘we will go in our bodies or not at all.” “T would fain see the bull-stag that you say is to be met with in Cathay,” insisted Michael. : -“A& most curious beast, Master Bearn,” ‘It has more hairs on its tail than a lion in its mane.* The pagans in Cathay entrap the beast by setting a snare artfully between two trees so that when the ¢awrus—which ___is the name bestowed upon it by Herodotus _ —=passes between the trees, its tail is caught _ fast. So tender i is the beast of its fine tail out, when the Cathayans may easily make : FS it prisoner.” * Clavijo had heard ‘of the Central Asian yak. The Grand Cham 143 “Vet, signor,” added Michael, “they must take care in freeing it, for if they should sever the tail from the body by stroke of sword, the bull-stag would per- ceive that its valued member was lost be- yond repair and would no longer feel con- strained to quietude. I fear that many im- prudent Cathayans have died unshriven because they cut off the tail of a taurus.” Clavijo pulled at his beard—a habit when he was dubious. “Most true, Master Bearn. Only one such as I who have knowledge of the wiles of the Cathayan beasts may cope with them. JI remember a mighty serpent that I set out to slay. I found the serpent en- gaged in a monstrous struggle with a dragon before its cave.”’ “Saint Bacchus preserve us!” Bembo glanced fearfully at the shadows in the cor- ners of the damp, leaf-strewn hall. Several of the men-at-arms who were listening from their fire drew nearer and gaped. “The dragon is the mightiest monster of Cathay,” resumed Clavijo more readily. “Tt has a lance at the end of its armored tail that can strike through the stoutest mail. Signort, I carefully avoided the sweep of the deadly tail and waited. As God willed, the dragon seized the serpent by the head. Both pulled mightily, and when their necks were taut I stepped nearer and smote with ' my sword, severing the Medusa-like head of the dragon from its shoulders.” “Well struck!” approved Michael. the serpent?” ‘“‘Alas, that was a most fearsome beast. For days I awaited an opportunity to slay it. Before long it transpired that the foul beast came from its lair to attack a passing “And lion. Verily, signori, it twined about the: king of beasts and swallowed its victim hindquarters first. Forsooth, that was my chance. Rushing forward, I swung my sword upon its neck as it lay sluggish. When the head of the serpent fell to earth the head of the lion fell off with that of its conqueror, and I rode back with double booty to the city of the Cham.” Michael was rolling himself in his cloak on a table for the night when Bembo ap- proached. ; “Master,” whispered the jester, “verily just now I looked without the castle and saw two spirits.” “Bah! Your own fears you saw.’ “Nay, they had two great i. Eomicboo Gian, “SE (S@)