Adventure Magazine Cover — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

62 He observed again. On his left hand, almost exactly midway between his chosen ambush and the town-gate, was the clump of trees and undergrowth that looked like such a perfect lurking place. “Helma,” he said, pointing to it, “take this old skinful of ague and hide yonder in the trees. I will give you the three worst- wounded men as well, and there is flint and tinder in the guardhouse. Mark this place in your mind. When the enemy comes abreast of me—for I will hide here along with Sigurdsen.and all the others—you strike flint on steel and make a good noise in the bushes. If that does not check them, light a torch or two.” “TY would liefer die beside you,” Helma answered. “You will do my bidding!” Tros retorted, and she said no word to that. SO TROS went for his Northmen, putting the three most badly wounded, along with the old gate- | house-keeper, in Helma’s charge; and them he hid carefully in the clump of trees, showing them precisely between which branches to make their sparks and how to thrash the undergrowth; but as to the proper time to do that, he trusted Helma. “Wife or widow!” he said, throwing an arm around her, laughing gruffly, for he had a long road yet to travel before he would trust the gentler side of him. “Do your part and I will do mine. So the gods will do theirs; for they like to see men and women prove themselves!”’ With that he left her to her own devices and tramped away with Sigurdsen, the other Northmen following; and presently he hid them all on the shoulder of the slope above the road, where even if mounted men should spy them from the higher level of horse or chariot, their heads would look like tree-stumps in the mist. He was careful to space them at unequal intervals, not in a straight line. But the Northmen were nervous. ‘They had drunk too much and had been told too little; nor had they any interest in fighting, except that they would rather, for their own sakes, please Tros than offend him. It was hard to keep them quiet, although Sigurd- sen went down the line whispering hoarsely, rebuking, even striking them. They com- plained of their wounds and the chill night Adventure air, repeatedly crowding together for warmth, protesting that the turf was damp, yet neglecting to keep their bow-strings dry. Then a stallion neighed not far away; another answered, which sent the shivers up Tros’ spine. Orwic had told him which way Glendwyr must come if he should come at all; but those stallions were somewhere be- hind him, whereas the road spread in front to left and right until it turned away through distant trees and followed the riverbank. His next trouble was that the Northmen, even Sigurdsen, grew sleepy; some of them snored and he had to throw stones at them. All of them were half-asleep when he caught the sound. of horsemen in the distance; and it was the sound of so many horses that he feared for one long minute his chilled, in- different men would welcome panic and take to their heels. But Sigurdsen sensed the panic, and stood up, swearing he would die beside Tros. Tros had to force him down again before the advance-guard of what seemed to be at least a hundred horsemen began looming through the mist. Then, to the rear again, three horses neighed; but it sounded strangely as if the neighing were half-finished, smothered. Some of the advancing horses answered it, but there was no reply. “Zeus, we are in for it!’ Tros muttered to himself. ‘A hundred coming—more! An- other lot behind us waiting to join them! No quarter! Horsemen front and rear! Well, there’s a laugh in everything. My Northmen have nowhere to run! Zeus! What a mad fool must Caswallon be, to leave me and this handful to defend all Lunden!’”’ He took a long chance, crept along the line to see that bow-strings were all taut, shaking each man as he passed, growling orders that accomplished more because the Northmen could not understand a word he said. If they had understood him they might. have tried to argue. The leading horsemen riding — slowly, peering to left and right, drew nearly abreast of the ambush. One of them turned and shouted. At least a hundred in the mist along the road began cantering to catch up. Helma heard that. Her sparks flashed and there began a crashing in the under- brush, just as the advance-guard began to spur their horses to a gallop. They saw, heard, drew rein again, began shouting to Gomicbooks.com