Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

96 wine. His keys were snatched from his hand. He found himself lying on his face in the guardroom and heard the door slam behind him. Before he or his men had collected their wits they were locked in. Bonivard darted up the stair with the keys in his hand. He cried, “Clarissa! Clarissa!’ heard her answer, and found the door of the cell and had her in his arms. “Swift, my children,” Silvain called. The men in the guardroom had begun to hammer at the door and shout, but the door was strong and the windows were barred. Bonivard and his Clarissa came tum- bling downstairs, Silvain thrust them out before him and shut the door of the tower and locked it and tossed the keys into the river. Bonivard and he took the girl be- tween them and ran along the ramparts. From the tower the clamor of the imprisoned guard came dull on the night air. “They will rouse the town,” Bonivard panted. “Time is all,” said Silvan. ‘Do not fear yet, brother.” But the woman laughed. “What is fear now?”’ she said. They came to the steps by the bridge and scrambled into a boat, and Silvain lashed with his sword at the ropes that bound the other boats and set all adrift on the swift stream. Downstream they sped, close under the ramparts and as they went heard footsteps above them and voices, saw lights moving toward the clamor in the tower. But safe and unchallenged they came beyond the walls and rowed on through the thin mist. AN OWL hooted over the bank. glial Silvain looked round. = “Pull your left, brother,’’ he said, and ay on his oars. The boat turned out of the rush of the stream into slack water, brushed against reeds and shallows. The owl hooted again. Silvain bent to his oars and the boat came into the bank by firm ground. There stood Messire Thibaut with his horses, and his teeth chattered. Bonivard swung his lady ashore and put her in the saddle. But Thibaut grunted— ‘‘Now are we out of the trap, as the rats said when they were let loose for the dogs.” “‘Ride, brother, ride,’ Silvain said. ‘The road to Milan.” Adventure “That is the road of all roads they will look for us, lord.” “It is the only road to safety, brother. Forward, forward!” Messire Thibaut led on through the night mists. They had to cross the fields by a narrow causeway on which they could make no speed. When they came at last to the high road Silvain bade the others ride on and himself halted to listen. Through the quiet mur- murs of the night harsher sounds were borne; he heard a trumpet call and. another. “So! They are after us already,” he smiled. ‘This Carlo is better served than I thought.” He galloped away. When he was up with the others he bade Thibaut lead and set such a pace as a com- pany of men-at-arms could hold, keeping together. “So we shall spare our horses and they will not gain on us.” “But who told you they will keep to- gether, lord?”’ Thibaut protested. ‘Surely they will send on their best horses at their best speed.” “T shall be ready, brother,” said Silvain. “You are the guide. Sir Louis rides with his lady. I am the rear guard. Forward!” And what happened was what he had foreseen. The pursuers, not knowing how strong the fugitives might be, held together but sent light horsemen on ahead to find them. The dark of the night fought for Silvain, who, when he heard a horse gaining on him, halted and waited and dashed at the rider unawares and beat him down. So he held off the scouts and the main body coming upon one man and another over- thrown were assured that they had a strong force in front of them and followed the more soberly, and the fugitives made mile after mile toward Milan and kept their lead. But Messire Thibaut looked to the east- ward and groaned. “The night is our friend,” said he. “Now comes the day.”’ A streak of the eastern sky gave a pale light, clear between cloud banks. The mist over the ricefields grew silvery. Silvain drew up beside Bonivard. “Forward, now, Louis,” he said. more use to nurse the horses. Ride, ride!”’ Bonivard looked at him. ‘You have the honor,” “No Carry her off. he said hoarsely. micloool © inn