Adventure Magazine Cover — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

16 “Probably slain by dog-Cossacks,”’ the colonel muttered and was passing on when Kirdy detained him courteously. “Ts not the emperor of the Muscovites in this adul?”’ “Nay. Two days ago he rode north.” “To his imperial city?” “Aye, to Moscow.” ‘“‘And are you, O orda khan, in command of all these men?” Visibly flattered, the Polish colonel shook his head. “Not I. The prince Basmanof was left in command. I have heard that he is tak- ing horse for the north. God only knows what is happening and who is in command.”’ Kirdy could well believe this. On the highroad he found the baggage sleds of the nobles in a hopeless confusion and the drivers at a wordy war; in the fields only the veteran Polish hussars and the light cavalry of Tatars preserved good order. When he learned beyond doubt that Bas- manof had left the army, taking his suite with him, Kirdy was satisfied that the Cos- sacks were in no danger of pursuit. Their quick march through the village, where the Tsar’s army had expected them to bivouac, had saved them. The Mongol was seen that morning, by certain Jews who had an interest in him, moving here and there among the regiments. A little before noon he bought a horse from a boyarin who had lost heavily at dice the night before—a shaggy mustang with a high Muscovite birch saddle. In this he appeared in due course at noon, as he had promised, by the tavern gate, and Yusyski who had been weighing the relative chance of profit in betraying the Cossack, or wait- ing for the reward, greeted him with pro- found delight. “Okh, never for an instant did I doubt the noble lord would keep his promise.” Kirdy, through narrow eyes, stared at him coldly. “Mantourami tsai,’ he responded. speak naught but Manchu.” Little understanding, but guessing at his meaning, Yusyski wagged his head admir- ingly and counted the ten gold pieces from one hand to the other, hiding them swiftly in his wallet. Then Kirdy, as he had seen Khlit do the evening before, bent down to shorten still more the stirrup strap—be- cause a Mongol rides almost squatting in the saddle. oT HAROLD LAMB “Tell me, Jew,” he whispered, ‘‘is this in truth the army of Dmitri—the Tsar?” “Aye,” said Yusyski, his eye on the wallet at Kirdy’s girdle. ‘“‘And this Basmanof, who is he—the com- mander?”’ “Aye,” the elder said again, cautiously. “The prince Basmanof was the friend of Boris Godunov. When the boyare rebelled against him and the son of Boris Godunov, the prince was swift to join the new Tsar. Many hated him, but the Tsar loves him because he is daring, and can squeeze the last kopek out of us Jews. Now, my Lord, give me another ten ducats!”’ Kirdy laughed. “T swore that you should have ten. more.” When he rode on, the one eye of Yusyski glared after him as if in some manner the elder of the tribe had been cheated, although in reality he had profited greatly. Kirdy however was thinking of anything but the Jew. He had seen Khlit accept the baton of a broken and driven army as the honor that it was; and now he had heard of the Tsar and Basmanof leaving this great array, victorious, well fed and equipped— as if a plague had broken out in the village. If the false Tsar was in Moscow he must go thither, but he decided that he would over- take the prince’s suite and travel with it. It was the third day before he came up to the camp of the prince’s party, and he was a little surprized to find it out in the open, although settlements were fairly thick here- abouts. He presented himself before Basmanof— a ruddy man with gray hair, who looked more than a little worried—and told the same story that he had improvised for the Polish colonel. Saying that his servants had been lost, he requested permission to buy a spare horse, rice and tea for himself and fish for the dog. This was granted indifferently and he added to his stock a bearskin, spreading it beside one of the fires of the encampment. During that night, awakened by Karai’s sudden growl, he heard a rider come in from the north and go to the prince. After breakfast the next morning he heard the Muscovites saying that Basman- of had ordered a horse saddled before dawn and had ridden off with only one servant to make haste to Moscow. And Kirdy thought there was dire need, No COMmiclboooks C©