Adventure Magazine Cover — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

60 were clad in red velvets and sables and silver | cloth, and their garments were sewn with jewels from skirt to cap.” Kirdy pushed aside the Tatar in front of him, to hear the better. “Allahim barabat yik saftir,”? murmured Tevakel Khan. “God is just and merci- ful!” By this he meant that all matters were ordained, and what was happening could not be altered. “The Fanga nialma,” went on the war- rior, “held in his hand at that time an apple, and the apple was of pure gold. He had changed it to gold.” “What else?” “Six geese took flight from the grass at the moment when the six fanga ap- peared.” It was apparent to the old Tatar that mighty forces were opposed to him. The marauding Turkomans were evil, but this fellowship of magicians, drinking fire and changing fruit into gold were more to be dreaded. But all at once it seemed to him that his captive, the Cossack, had become possessed of a devil. Kirdy’s dark eyes were blazing and the veins in the forehead stood out. The men- tion of a cup of fire had aroused his curi- osity; the five companions of the wizard had aroused his suspicion, and the gold apple had made him certain of a strange fact. He remembered seeing, in other days, a gold apple among the crown pieces of the Tsars. “O Khan,” he cried, “this Panga nialma is no more than a man, and I have found mine enemy!” The Tatars shook their heads and whis- pered gutturally— ““‘Nay—he is beside himself!” But Kirdy, on his feet upon the carpet before the khan, seized a bowl of wine and emptied it down his throat. Facing the warrior who had taken a prisoner, he asked— “Was there not a Kazak woman among the five companions?” “‘Balméz! Who knows? Yet, there was a woman dressed as a warrior.” “Aye, so. And this stranger—no hair is on his face?”’ “Vallah! When did a wizard have hair on his face?” “Still, I say that Iknow thisman. He is cunning as a steppe fox, and he flees from Frankistan because he has stolen the jewels ) HAROLD LAMB and garments of a king. I followed him hither.” Tevakel Khan considered and shook his head. “Kai—can a common man drink fire?” “Aye, so. I can drink fire from a cup. Bring hither my saddle-bags—thouw!”’ A stir of interest went through the throng in the tent, and the khan signed for the captive’s bags to be brought. The White Falcon, he thought, was possessed of a devil, but of what kind of a devil remained to be seen. Kirdy asked for a small china bowl, and breathed a sigh of relief when he found his leather flask of gorilka safe in the bag. There was enough of the white spirits left to almost fill the bowl. Deliberately, he placed it on the carpet before the khan and went to the fire. With his knife he cut a sliver from a pine stick and lighted it in the fire. He touched the light to the spirits in the cup and a thin, bluish flame danced on the surface of the gorilka. Tevakel Khan rose on his knees to watch the better, and Kirdy lifted the china bowl in both hands. When the Tatars saw the smokeless blue flame, they shivered. “Glory to God!’ said the Cossack, pre- senting the fire to the four quarters of the winds. ‘*K-eh!”? breathed the watchers. Tipping the cup toward him, Kirdy drank; but the instant before the spirits touched his lip, he let out his breath, sound- lessly. Unseen by the khan, the blue flame flickered out. The young warrior drank down the gorilka, and sighed. It was good, and it was his last. For some moments the old chief remained buried in thought. He thought of the other Cossack who had power over the wolves, and he reached a decision. ““Kai—it must be thou art also a fanga. A wizard who bears a sword, with hair on his face.”’ Though Kirdy had not been prepared for this conclusion, he took instant advantage of it. “Then grant me to ride in the battle. I will seek out this other fanga who drinks fire, and destroy him.” The advantages of such an arrangement were apparent to Tevakel Khan and he agreed at once, only demanding that Kirdy remain near him until the fighting began. COMmMiCoooks C©@