Adventure Magazine Cover — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

The Witch of Aleppo “Bid the other,” suggested ‘the warrior, ‘draw back the curtain. Let him sum- mon hither some of my men and also the galley slaves.” “Fool,” she whispered, “would you have them set-eyes on me?” As Demid made no further remark she concluded reluctantly that he meant what he said. In a moment there came troopmg to ‘the Tattice bearded Cossacks, weapon in hand, and gaunt, shambling figures reeking of sweat and wine. They thrust aside the blacks and pressed close to the openings. As a swift current draws flotsam upon a stream, the singing girl drew their eyes. “This captive,” said Demid, putting his hand on the girl’s arm, “is mine. If any of you venture to the lattice agam, a ball m the forehead. Have you heard?” ““We hear, father!” cried the ‘Cossacks, who stood erect, arms at their side. As they were trooping away Ayub came swaggering up, his duties on the upper-deck atanend. He sniffed at the negroes; then his glance wandered through the lattice and his jaw dropped when he beheld Demid at ease on the couch, emptying the goblet of wine. “Oho!” he roared, thrusting ‘his great head through the aperture, ‘Sultan Demid, itis! May the fly away with me, but I thought your sconce had ‘been cracked by a simitar, so long were you below. Aye, that would have been better than this, for your wits would not be covered up by a petticoat.” ‘A smile curved Demid’s thin lips. Ayub had a deep conviction that all women were witches—the more beautiful, the more dangerous. ‘“You will be safe from my men who have seen that you serve me,” he said gravely to the flushed girl. “Meanwhile, consider this, Lali. Our road leads to Aleppo, and thither we will take you. You have a mind to stratagems, so beat your wings against the cage, if you wish, but do not forget that you must please Sidi Ahmad, or the Sultan’s gift would be vain.” Lali bowed, deeply puzzled. “When will my lord visit his slave again?” “‘When the slave summons the boar of the steppe.” The curtain fell behind him and though ‘Lali ran to it and listened she could not make out what the Cossacks ‘said to each 25 other. She contemplated the untouched dainties, frowning. Then tripped to an ivory chest and drew-out from a pile of gar- ments a mirror of burnished bronze. Glancing around to be sure that she was unobserved, she snatched the veil from her cheeks and stared at the image in the mirror—at the delicately moulded cheeks, the fair, white throat and the lips that had been termed rose-petals by her women. She pushed back the strands of dark hair, to see the better. _ Lali had believed in her soul and her women had assured her that the first man to look upon her unveiled would become her slave. And the ‘Cossack had not so much as touched the veil. Bie “HAVE you eaten opium? Has a Fe vampire settled upon you and sucked your ‘brain dry?” Ayub walked around his comrade and contemplated him from all sides with the greatest amazement. “Did I hear you say you would take that peacock to—Aleppo?”’ “You heard.” Ayub’s head had room within for aly one idea at a time. Now he scratched his skull with stubby fingers, caked with dried blood. “With the Don Cossacks? With me?” “You will*have her under your care, for she is valuable to me.” The big Cossack crossed himself and breathed heavily. “YT would rather shepherd yonder turtle- doves of the rovers’ benches. Nay, kunak, in what way have 1 crossed you? Has the young witch begun to make play with you already—hke a fish on a line? Hearken, Demid, I was with Rurik when he stormed a galleon of Constantinople in other days, and when he found a nest of these Turkish. girls in the hold, he weighted them down with shot and dropped them over the side. That is the best way.” “Nay, kunak, she is our passport to Aleppo.” That night Ayub in common with the other Cossacks drank heavily, for Demid had given leave. But, though he sought enlightenment in wine, he did not grasp what Demid had in mind. How could a- woman serve as a safe-conduct? His ex- perience had been otherwise. “Tt can not be,” he remarked after long oO Comicloooks (©