Adventure Magazine Cover, March 20, 1925 — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

60 through the heart. The deadly play of the rapier was more than the rest could stomach and they fled beyond the circle of firelight, vanishing into the gloom under the trees. “Faith,” muttered Peter, glancing around, “we were sore beset, but we cleared the deck. Where lie the ships?”’ He was astonished past belief when he understood that they were twenty leagues from the coast and Sir Hugh’s vessels. WHILE Peter and Joan washed Kyrger’s hurt and made him com- fortable on some cloths from the sp teh haha? goods on the sleds, Thorne put more wood on the fire and—when Joan told him all that had passed between her and Durforth— took the letters from the pouch of the Burgundian. Carefully he read them through after breaking the seals, and when he had done, placed them in his belt. “In these missives,” he said to the ex- pectant girl, ‘lieth the true way to Cathay.”’ “Ts it far?’ she wondered. adventure there?”’ He smiled at her wish. “Nay, Joan. There is no passage by sea; but the way by land hath been discovered already by the Muscovites. The silks and spices, aye, the ivory and carpets of Cathay and the Indies are borne each year through Tatary to the emperor of the Muscovites, Ivan, called the ‘Terrible,’ and entitled in these missives emperor of Astrakhan and lord of the forests and the Sibir Desert.” “Now marry and amen!” cried Peter who had come up, and had been fingering Dur- “Could we forth’s chain longingly. ‘Here is that same © lord Ivan or John of the land of gold and silver. The dons were wiser than we. What more, lad?”’ “Why, simply this: The Spaniards de- Adventure can, but if we are to live we must gain the borders of Muscovy.” “‘What says the other missive?” pressed the boatswain, who had great faith in letters. “Cornelius Durforth, the Burgundian, was a trusted councilor of Spain.’”? He glanced down thoughtfully at the body of his enemy: “Peter, “tis my thought that the Fox is dead.” “How?” quoth the shipman, scratching his head. ‘‘Messems we left my lord Renard on his feet.” “It is evident,” said Thorne, ‘‘that Renard was Durforth’s man. And Durforth was Philip’s spy called by us the Fox. While we watched Renard, the Fox came and went. D’Alaber served him and came against me while Durforth waited. When there is a killing to be managed, ’tis the servant who handles the knife while the lord waits the result.” “Your father!” cried Joan and fell silent. “Aye, Durforth desired his end, and Renard saw that it was done. The spy’s work in Burgundy was finished long since; his task in England done, and but for one thing he would have gained to the court of Ivan.” “Your sword, it was,” said Joan proudly. “Nay, greed. Durforth was petty in craving gold. He stopped to snatch it where he could. He went back to plunder the ships when Sir Hugh and his brave company died.” Peter put his hands behind him and looked away from the Burgundian’s sword hilt and gold chain. “The black rogue!” ““Nay—” Thorne shock his head—“rogue he may have been, but brave he was. Now that he is sped it is not honorable in us to miscall him.” sired Ivan to make a compact with them,so + that the trade of the Indies could be borne overland, which is shorter by much than the sea, route to the Indies, to them. They would have the great Emperor Ivan know that they are masters of all Christiandom, save England which will soon be under their - hand.” “Then,” cried Joan angrily, “we must bear these missives to the lords of England, and rouse them to their peril.” “Faith, Joan—” the armiger laughed out- right—“‘are you Puss-in-Boots, to girdle the earth, east or west? We will do what we CHAPTER XVII THE INLAND SEA T IS written in the chronicles of that reign how the armiger and the shipman, knowing not whither they should take their course, turned southeast as Durforth’s route had been planned. So it was said of them that the hand of Durforth which had been ever against them, living, now guided them out of the ¢ayga, the dense forest of the Easterlings. They GOMIGIOO CO