Adventure Magazine Cover — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

said Afzel’s Elephant I was a middling shot with a bow, but my lord was a marksman among many. His shafts sought out the Pathans, who had no time to use their matchlocks before they had to leap out of the way of Most Alast. Yet he killed none. Before long, I knew why. _ “Hat—Shirzad el kadr—hai!” cried my lord for the last time, and ordered mie to seek the horses. While the boy plied his arrows from the cliff, we two, with the Ferang, rode rapidly down until our horses stood at the slope above the pile of stones. called upon the Pathans to throw down their arms. A Pathan is a good fighter when and if it suits him. These men were less afraid of us than of Most Alast, who was trumpet- ing back and forth along the path, heedless: of the efforts of his mahout. They saw that we were armed and ready. They did not know how many more of us there were. Three of the Pathans were hurt by the arrows of Shirzad Mir. Two others had fallen among the rocks and thorns of the slope below. The other two were afoot and watching the elephant. All who could do so put down their mus- kets and swords and said that they had had enough of the affair. Shirzad Mir would not move until he had seen the two who were in the thorn thicket climb out, curs- ing, but little the worse for their fall, and join the others. Then we left Sir Weyand, who had picked up a brace of their dis- carded pistols, to watch the group, and went forward with me at his side. “Find Said Afzel,’’ he ordered me. I saw the Uzbek prince leaning turbanless against a rock, feeling of himself tenderly. It is no light thing to fall from the howdah of an elephant. Kasim Kirlas, the pro- fessional courtier, was stretched on the ground at his feet—but this was no salaam; the man was stunned. Shirzad Mir caught the dazed prince by the shoulder and bade him sternly walk before his horse. My lord had drawn his sword, and this he kept near the bare neck of Said Afzel. “‘Where is the elephant?” he asked me. I pointed to the stream below and Shirzad Mir laughed aloud. He ever appreciated a good jest. Most Alast had smelled water, and had somehow got him- self down the slope to the stream unhurt. Here Shirzad Mir 75 He was drawing water up in his trunk and squirting it over his sore back—mahout and all. Later Most Alast lay down in the mud. It was many hours before we could get him to leave it. Shirzad Mir pushed through the be- wildered bearers swiftly. Half of the camelmen had fled. One or two of the eunuchs drew their scimitars when my lord came near the camels on which were the women, but when they saw the plight of Said Afzel, with my lord’s sword at his ear, they threw down their weapons. It was a sorry gathering that we grouped against the cliff wall. Eunuchs and slaves are masters of brave words, but I have yet to see the ones who will face danger to their bodies without shrinking. I cast about and discovered that the Pathan who had formed the rear guard had fled. Shirzad Mir was now master of the field. He called to the boy on the clifi—our foes thought that many more were there—to shoot down the first man of the caravan who moved from his place. Then he ordered me to ride my horse - slowly back and forth among the remaining camels, the women and their attendants, and see that none escaped. It was now growing dark, so of my own will I set four of the camelmen to building a great fire at the lower end of the caravan and another by the heap of stones. So it happened that when it grew dark we had our prisoners securely between the two fires and could see all that passed. Shirzad Mir had gone straight to the Pathans and talked with them a long time. Presently he came to me and said: “They will join my party, being men who sell their swords. For this reason I did not slay them. They were near enough for good shooting. I have cared for those who were hurt. The others are cooking food. In the morning we will give them a sword apiece—perhaps.”’ With the other attendants we did not speak. They were men of low breeding and jumped to obey our orders. Shirzad Mir kept Said Afzel ever at his side, in case of treachery. One at a time we ate of the food for which we yearned. The boy joined us proudly, and Shirzad Mir set him to collect- ing the few weapons of the eunuchs. Of these he made a pile and sat on it, feeling greatly the honor we did him. Gomichbooks.¢o