Adventure Magazine Cover — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

150 and made a living as hamal, which is a car- rier of loads, in the employ of the Austrians, who were then building bridges across the Milyaka River. The engineer who built these bridges was a captain in the Austrian army, named Hessler Bey. I knew him well. His assistant was a lieutenant whose name was Kohlman. man and tall. Taller than any of the Aus- trianms who were part of the garrison of Sarajevo, as they called Bosna Seray. One day, when I was resting at noon time . in the shade of an olive tree, Kohlman Effendi approached me and began to ask me questions. Did I know the country west of Sarajevo? Had I ever traveled as far as Banyaluka and did I know the mountain trails? My father’s Han stood on the Ponir pla- teau overlooking Banyaluka and well did Kohlman know what my answers would be. To make a long tale short, Effendi, he engaged me as guide and promised to pay me well. We were to start afoot during the next morning. I was to meet him on the Banyaluka road, which leads out of Bosna Seray from the western gate. The sun had just come over the Borya Planina when I passed through the gate, but there was no Austrian in sight, but a bearded moslem, a Hadshi, for he wore the green turban of the prophet. Great was my surprize, Effendi, when he made himself known to me. It was Kohl- man. As we walked the many weary miles, he told me that he was going to catch the ban- dit of Banyaluka. ‘This also surprized me, for the Austrians were never prone to tell their plans to the people of Bosnia, for there was little love for them in the hearts of the people. He gave me money, with the promise of a rich reward if I did his bidding. I was poor then, Effendi, poorer than {1 am now, for I have never amassed riches and-I accepted his offer and promised to guide him faithfully if he did not insist that I should raise my hand against my own people. | At this he laughed. He would take care ot the bandit himself. I was to be his guide, naught else. When we arrived at Banyaluka, he did not go to the commander of the garrison. We lived at the #an of Yussuf Ibrahim, who Strong was this Adventure felt honored to give shelter to a Hadshi and his follower. Well did Kohiman speak the languages of the land. He knew both Turkish and Servian and so he was able to question the people about the bandit. The people answered him gladly, for they thought him to be a holy man who went into the moun- tains with his follower to meditate and to pray. it often aroused my anger to see this infidel spread his prayer rug and turned his face toward Mekka. He did not pray, he merely went through the motions, in order to deceive the people. But he paid me well and I was a poor man.. I held my tongue and bided my time. , THEN came days when I could show him no more. He knew the country as well as I did and “he went out alone: I would spend my days in the coffee houses and in certain other places. Even in those days many troupes of Arabian performers came as far north as Banyaluka and they carried with them a number of dancers, which were known as Ouled Nayls. Those I loved to see, for I was young then, Effendi. One day, Kohlman returned after an absence of three days. The deeds of the bandit were now a byword of the people and with the exception of the Austrians, no one paid much attention to his exploits, for he never harmed the people. As I have told thee, Effendi, he only robbed the military trains of the Austrians. They had increased the guards for these trains and many soldiers walked alongside of the wagons and horses. In the begin- ning the bandit had boldly robbed during comichbooks:.com