Adventure Magazine Cover — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

Prisoners of War brother. I abide that name. At your hands I accept this woman. She is my wife. I accept these men. They shall obey me; and, whatever destiny may bring, they shall at least say they have followed one who stood beside his friends in need and kept faith whatsoever came of it!’’ Then Tros took the broad gold band that he had replaced on his forehead, and by Sheer strength broke it, signifying that a chapter of his life was ended. He began the next by binding the broad gold around his bride’s right arm, she staring at the symbols carved on it and wondering what gods they charged with her protection. | But there were some who murmured it was witchcraft; and a married woman cried aloud that the breaking of the golden circle was an omen of ill-luck. Thereafter Tros had hard work to prevent his Northmen from drinking themselves useless, since the mead flowed without limit and as host Caswallon was too proud to check them. But Tros imposed restraint by promising the widow-woman to the soberest, whereat Conops, in a panic, began drinking behind Tros’ back. And when the hurried feast was nearly at an end there came a bare-back galloper, mud-spattered, sweating, who burst into the -+hall and ran to Caswallon’s chair, thrusting his head and shoulders between the chief and Fflur. He whispered, but Tros heard him: “Lord! Make ready to hold Lunden! Glendwyr and two hundred men are marching! They are at the king’s stone* by the Thames! They mean to make Glendwyr chief while you stand on a hill- side communing with dead men’s souls! All Lunden is empty! Not a light! No guard at Lud-gate! They have all gone to the druids’ circle!” “Aye. Why not?” Caswallon answered. But he glanced at Tros. “Lord! Stay and fight Glendwyr! He will burn your house!” “Not he!” Caswallon laughed. “Lud rot him, he would like too well to live in it! Two hundred men, you say? Did you count them?” “Nay, I rode! dred.” Caswallon laughed again. *Kingston-on-Thames. The old stone in the market- place is nowadays said to be of Saxon origin, but there is no proof it is not druidic and its true early history is obscure. But I heard two hun- 59 “Maybe he rides like us to the burying.” But he glanced at Tros. “Lord Caswallon, I have warned you. I have done my part!’ “Nay, not yet the whole of it,” Caswallon answered. And he looked a third time straight into Tros’ eyes, while he wiped his mustache with a freckled, blue-veined hand. “Take a fresh horse. Ride and find Glendwyr. Bid him meet me at the hill- side where the druids wait. Say—there= when the souls of the dead have traveled their appointed path and all the fires die, I will fight him, he and I alone. It will be dawn before the fires die. Say I will fight him for my house and Lunden when dawn rises over the druids’ hill.”’ “He will not believe me.” “Show him this,” Caswallon answered; and he pulled a great gold bracelet off his wrist. But Fflur shook her head and sighed, as if words failed her. The man would have gone at once to ride his errand, but Tros, who had been whisper- ing to Fflur, leaned behind her and caught the fellow’s arm. “Let him wait. Let him see us all go,” he whispered, wrenching at the man’s arm so that he swore aloud and struggled, not hearing what was said. “Let him first see me and my men march out with the rest.” Caswallon nodded. “Wait,” he ordered. ‘‘Ride when I tell SO THE man went and sat by the fireside, drinking mead and rubbing a wrist that Tros had come near breaking. | “Caswallon, will you hear me?” Fur asked. “Nay, for you are always right!’ he laughed, ‘and I know what you will say, Fflur: That the druids rule Britain, which is true enough. But you will tell me I should ride it rough over the druids, which I dare not, right though it may be you are. A druid’s neck may break like any other man’s, and I could butcher a herd of them, maybe, like winter’s beef, but can I convince Britons I am right to do it? “How long would they be about raising a new king to rule in place of me? The druids would choose that king, and be stronger than ever! The druids summoned you, me Eomicbooks.com