Read Online Swords From the East by Harold Lamb - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Harold Lamb
Tags: Fiction, Historical fiction, Suspense, Historical, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Short Stories, Short Stories (Single Author), Adventure stories, Adventure fiction
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She was a handsome little thing, and her eyes were tragic.
"Peste! What is it to me?" he grumbled.
Then he growled at the watching Kalmucks: "Back, dogs! Back, I say. These Tatars are my prisoners."
The soldiers hesitated at the ring of command in the voice of the tall Krit. They eyed the feather in his cap, the accouterments of his horse, sullenly. Were not the Tatars their legitimate prey? Who was this tall bey they had not seen before?
Aruk, Ostrim and his daughter, and the other Tatars gathered about the horse of Hugo, fingering their weapons defiantly.
"These are prisoners, to be questioned by the chiefs," Hugo asserted, watching the Kalmucks. "Would you taste a stake, that you disobey the command of a bey? Be off, before I am angry. Loot the temple yonder."
Sight of the deserted doorway of the pagoda decided the Kalmucks. Here was easy spoil. The Tatars could still bite. Let the bey have them if he wished. They made off.
At a sign from Aruk, Hugo urged his horse toward the archway through which he had come. The fires had not yet reached that quarter, and once in the darkness they would be reasonably safe from discovery.
Abreast of the burning house he reined in with a muttered oath. Several riders paced out of the alley to confront him. He saw a stout officer in a fur kaftan and the round, white hat of a Turkish janissary.
In response to the man's question, Hugo answered that he was escorting prisoners to be questioned. But the other stared evilly and shook his head. Prisoners with arms! They should be bound by the necks.
He peered closely into Hugo's bearded face and drew back with an angry hiss.
"You are a Christian. I have seen you before. What are you doing here?"
Without replying, Hugo edged his horse nearer the other. Suddenly the Turk snatched at a pistol in his belt.
"Caphar-dog!" he screamed. "You have fought against the believers. You were at Zbaraj. I was there-"
Before the long pistol was fairly in his hand his words ended in a groan. Drawing his sword, Hugo had caught the Turk under the chin with the hilt while the point was still in the scabbard. The janissary swayed, choking and clutching his throat.
Putting spurs to his mount, Hugo rode down another rider, his big bay knocking the small Arab off its feet.
"Kill, kill!" cried the other Turks.
Before they could put their weapons in play, the Tatars were dragging them from their horses, slipping under their scimitars.
One or two of the Tatars fell in the short struggle, but the rest were now mounted. The feel of horseflesh between their legs put new heart into them, for a Tatar is at sea without his horse.
Under the guidance of Aruk, who knew every alley of Kob, they made their way unmolested to one of the gates. The sack of the city was beginning in earnest, and no guards had been posted as yet by the Kalmucks. A drunken cavalry patrol fired shots after them as they sped away in the darkness.
Some distance out on the quiet plain toward the lake, Aruk dismounted and came to Hugo. He seized the stirrup of the Frank and bent his head.
"Our lives are yours, my lord. Have I not said to these other jackals that you were a falcon and a wolf-chaser? Hai-they will believe me now."
Out of the darkness came the guttural answer of the other men.
"Our lives are yours. We have seen you strike a good blow against the wolves."
Hugo moved impatiently, wishing to be gone.
"Because of that blow," went on Aruk slowly, "you cannot go back to your yurt on the mountain. The Turks would skin you alive and set you on an ant-hill. Besides, they have set fire to the yurt where you slept, and plundered your goods. Come then with us, with the men of the Altai."
"Come," echoed the others.
Chapter IV
The Gate of the Winds
The water of Kobdo Nor was like a mirror under the stars, a mirror that reflected as well the scattered glow of fires about the shore of the lake. Water-fowl, roused by the presence of men in the unwonted hours of darkness, flew about with a
"Peste! What is it to me?" he grumbled.
Then he growled at the watching Kalmucks: "Back, dogs! Back, I say. These Tatars are my prisoners."
The soldiers hesitated at the ring of command in the voice of the tall Krit. They eyed the feather in his cap, the accouterments of his horse, sullenly. Were not the Tatars their legitimate prey? Who was this tall bey they had not seen before?
Aruk, Ostrim and his daughter, and the other Tatars gathered about the horse of Hugo, fingering their weapons defiantly.
"These are prisoners, to be questioned by the chiefs," Hugo asserted, watching the Kalmucks. "Would you taste a stake, that you disobey the command of a bey? Be off, before I am angry. Loot the temple yonder."
Sight of the deserted doorway of the pagoda decided the Kalmucks. Here was easy spoil. The Tatars could still bite. Let the bey have them if he wished. They made off.
At a sign from Aruk, Hugo urged his horse toward the archway through which he had come. The fires had not yet reached that quarter, and once in the darkness they would be reasonably safe from discovery.
Abreast of the burning house he reined in with a muttered oath. Several riders paced out of the alley to confront him. He saw a stout officer in a fur kaftan and the round, white hat of a Turkish janissary.
In response to the man's question, Hugo answered that he was escorting prisoners to be questioned. But the other stared evilly and shook his head. Prisoners with arms! They should be bound by the necks.
He peered closely into Hugo's bearded face and drew back with an angry hiss.
"You are a Christian. I have seen you before. What are you doing here?"
Without replying, Hugo edged his horse nearer the other. Suddenly the Turk snatched at a pistol in his belt.
"Caphar-dog!" he screamed. "You have fought against the believers. You were at Zbaraj. I was there-"
Before the long pistol was fairly in his hand his words ended in a groan. Drawing his sword, Hugo had caught the Turk under the chin with the hilt while the point was still in the scabbard. The janissary swayed, choking and clutching his throat.
Putting spurs to his mount, Hugo rode down another rider, his big bay knocking the small Arab off its feet.
"Kill, kill!" cried the other Turks.
Before they could put their weapons in play, the Tatars were dragging them from their horses, slipping under their scimitars.
One or two of the Tatars fell in the short struggle, but the rest were now mounted. The feel of horseflesh between their legs put new heart into them, for a Tatar is at sea without his horse.
Under the guidance of Aruk, who knew every alley of Kob, they made their way unmolested to one of the gates. The sack of the city was beginning in earnest, and no guards had been posted as yet by the Kalmucks. A drunken cavalry patrol fired shots after them as they sped away in the darkness.
Some distance out on the quiet plain toward the lake, Aruk dismounted and came to Hugo. He seized the stirrup of the Frank and bent his head.
"Our lives are yours, my lord. Have I not said to these other jackals that you were a falcon and a wolf-chaser? Hai-they will believe me now."
Out of the darkness came the guttural answer of the other men.
"Our lives are yours. We have seen you strike a good blow against the wolves."
Hugo moved impatiently, wishing to be gone.
"Because of that blow," went on Aruk slowly, "you cannot go back to your yurt on the mountain. The Turks would skin you alive and set you on an ant-hill. Besides, they have set fire to the yurt where you slept, and plundered your goods. Come then with us, with the men of the Altai."
"Come," echoed the others.
Chapter IV
The Gate of the Winds
The water of Kobdo Nor was like a mirror under the stars, a mirror that reflected as well the scattered glow of fires about the shore of the lake. Water-fowl, roused by the presence of men in the unwonted hours of darkness, flew about with a
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