Adventure Magazine Cover — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

54 take care of all that herself. All alone. Costa had a grudge to settle with Ursu. That was all his affair. -The grudge between herself and Petrackio was a separate thing. “Whoa, look who is here!”’ several peas- ants called out loudly at Costa’s appear- ance at the inn. “And here is his daughter, Margarita. Come in, come in. ata mare, come in and let us look at your eyes,”’ said the innkeeper, being seconded by the popa, the priest of the village. “Still training cubs, girl, fata mare?” Popa Jancu asked, trying to pinch Mar- garita’s arm. “Cubs!” called out Costa. ‘“‘Cubs! She is taming the wildest quite as well as I can.” And, growing suddenly very proud of his daughter: “‘Better, even better, I say. She may sit among men at the inn and every- where. Bring wine, the oldest, Calin, you swind- ling innkeeper, and set glasses, big glasses, Hungarian fashion, for each of us, includ- ing my daughter.” And turning to Mar- garita, he said: ‘And if you want music, I will send a messenger to bring Yancu Lau- tauru, or any one you like best to hear. No? As you wish it to be.” “Ursu has gone by, an hour ago,” said the innkeeper Calin as he filled the glasses. “And why do you tell me that?” broke out Costa ina rage. “Have I ever inquired about him, what?” “No, Costa, but he was bitten by a snake while he was in the mountains. He had to cut off one of his toes—he may lose his right foot—it swells so rapidly and he is lame, maybe forever,” said the innkeeper. “Is that so? Tell us more. What do you know about it?” the peasants asked, curious for further information. “That’s all 1know. I sold him some pure brandy. It’s good to have it near oneself before the end comes,” the innkeeper added. “He looks old and worn, and is bent like a twig after a hailstorm.” “Well that’s different, Calin, that’s dif- ferent,’ Costa muttered as he sat down again and began to bite off the ends of his long beard as he always did when he had to suppress great rage. “And do you say he will remain lame for life, Calin?” “Looks to me that way.” Father and daughter’s eyes met. She knew how he hated Ursu. He looked at her and she understood. He was being cheated of his revenge. He could not fight Sit near me, Margarita, here. | Adventure a lame man. He did not know what her look said. He was blinded by his own rage against men and bears and life itself. Life was becoming too tame an affair. Men were tame. Bears were tame. No fights. No wolves. No robbers. No women were stolen. Ursu had been the only man and now he was lame. “Has a fine lad for a son, Ursu has,”’ the popa said as he looked at Margarita and winked to the rest of the assemblage. “He is a better hunter than his father.” “That’s not very much,” said Costa. They all laughed at the sally and punched the Gipsy in the ribs. “Well, no, it’s not so at all,” explained the popa. “He is as strong a boy as there is within fifty miles of here. Quiet and strong,and good too. And he can tame a bear as well as anybody. I ought to know!” It was only on rare occasions that the popa thus revealed the fact that he was himself the son of a bear-tamer. It was plain that the Popa favored Petrackio. “Well, be that as it may,” said Costa, “but I bet a gold-piece that Margarita could throw him.” “No, no, no,” many voices rose at once. “T bet a hundred gold-pieces.” “You might as well bet a thousand!” the popa exclaimed. “TI know the boy too well. He won’t wrestle a girl.” “But I tell you that she can throw any man,” Costa argued as the wine began to have its effect. He was a bad drinker and was becoming boisterous and quarrelsome after a few drinks. - “Well; Calin, it’s all your fault. Giving news about some one at least one of the party is not interested in,” said an old peasant as he made ready to leave the table. “That’s so. Miron is right,’ seconded Costa as he rose from his chair. “Here I come ready to drink and have some music, talk with friends and please my daughter when he finds nothing else to tell me but that Ursu had gone by. Here, take your money from this gold-piece. Come, daugh- ter. Good night, men.” And Costa stalked out of the inn before anybody had left the place. MARGARITA rode silently near her father. Like a flock of golden sheep the rays of the sun broke and scattered themselves on the cold, silver mountain-peaks. From time to time an COMMiclooolKSEee)