Adventure Magazine Cover — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

THE WAY OF SINNERS “Stand back, fellow!’ says he. or it will be worse for thee. purse for thee to slit here.” “But—” says I. “Aye, but—but,”’ he advised, “‘turn about and go home. Thou’st missed the trail of whatso fat merchant thou’st been follow- ing; ’tis easy done on these dark roads; I am one of Pietro Uccello’s men, and know whereof I speak; but that ’tis un- mannerly for wolf to eat wolf, I’d have had thy brains on the road a minute agone. Besides, we are to lead new lives, it ap- pears. But begone, friend, begone. I am in haste.” “So am I.” “Ah? And whither?” “Out of the duke’s country.” “Ah!” He appeared to jconsider. ‘Ah! Art thou, then, of the number of those that have displeased the good prince?” “Not so much as ye have; but enough.” “Ah! And what is thy name?” “Francesco Vitali.” He said nothing for some time; then thoughtfully muttered ‘Ah!’ again. ““Meseems,” said I, ‘‘that since thou’rt on thy way to the border, we might—”’ “How dost thou know I’m for the border?” “Because the road leads thither,” I told “Err not, There’s no “True,” says he; and I thought I heard him chuckle in the dark. After which he was silent again until I had my mouth open to curse his ill manners and ride on; then he said slowly: “‘Well, if it please thee, let us ride to- gether. Is thy mount fresh?” “Fairly so.” “Tis well; Iam in haste; I must be at the border by dawn—to join the troop.” “?Tis at the border?”’ He chuckled again. ‘Aye. At the border.” His horse moved off, and I spurred mine. ‘Doth that sur- prize thee?”’ “T had thought it was too busy stealing the Countess Anita’s dowry.”’ “Ah! Well, we would not have the poor wench wed in her shift; and besides, his Highness was beginning to send whole armies against us. Perhaps this was known to thee?”’ “That—aye. Iwas in the duke’s guard.” He pulled his horse to a halt again. 149 “‘The duke’s guard? Then how comest thou here?”’ ‘Guardsmen can hang,” I told him; and once more he seemed to reflect. At last he chuckled again; said ‘‘Ah!’”’ and shook out his bridle. ‘“‘We have conversed enough,” says he; “now let us ride. The sooner I shall be out of this rain, the better.”’ He spoke no more; indeed, had he shouted, it would have been hard to hear him over the thunder of our hoofs as we galloped down the road; he knew it well; his horse hesitated not at bends and cross- roads, and my animal followed at the other’s heels. “We shall founder the brutes at this rate!”’ I called to him after an hour or more, as my mount threw up his head and flung a great clot of foam back on my cheek; there was no answer; and I e’en plied the spurs to keep up. Already in the east, meseemed the blackness was streaking with gray, and the stars no longer twinkled at their windows in the murk, but looked forth pale and still like prisoners condemned to die at the dawn. The wind in my face grew cold- er, and my horse seemed refreshed thereby; the rain ceased, and the night about us be- came strangely silent, exhaling the scent of wet earth; we galloped on, not pausing, not slackening speed, until of a sudden our hoofs thumped hollow on the wooden floor of a bridge; then, after perhaps a minute, upon another. The dawn was coming; there was light enough now for me to see my guide raise his hand in token that he would halt; I drew on my bridle and stopped beside him. “Tis Benedetto!” he called suddenly and loudly, while our horses snuffled and snorted side by side. A voice issued from behind a hedge. ‘And who with thee?’’ “No business of thine. him.” Now the hidden sentry stood up; and I perceived that before him was an arquebus on its crutch, leveled at us. ‘“‘Thou’st no authority to answer for any one,” he said. “TI will whistle for the lieu- tenant.”’ “Aye, whistle away and get thine ears split!” ‘‘Who’s to do that?” “The lieutenant for one, for waking of him up; and I the other, by ——, for I answer for COMICOOO® C S C@