Swords From the East by Harold Lamb Read Free Book Online Page A

went to the door. He had heard the tread of horses without.
    The pine grove was filled with riders. Some wore the skins of beasts over armor. All bore weapons. They sat in their saddles gazing at him curiously. One held the rein of his horse.
    "A strange congregation," thought Hugo, freeing his sword in its scabbard, "has come to mass."
    For the first time monsieur le comte was face to face with inhabitants of the land in a body. His quick eye ran over the throng, noting the ease with which they sat their ponies, their garments of leather and coarse wool and furs, their wild faces and direct eyes. He picked out two that appeared to have authority-a huge, gray rider with but one eye, and a scrawny figure in a long purple tunic and square, yellow cap. Hugo suspected this last was one of the baksa, the witch-doctors.
    This was the one who spoke first.
    "I am Gorun," he chanted, "of the baksa of the Altai. I know when a tongue speaks a lie. I can, without touching you, place a serpent in your mouth and summon it forth. If I do not take it out it will sting you to death. Have a care, Frank-" his eyes gleamed shrewdly-"for you have come to the place of the other Frank!"
    Hugo did not see fit to answer.
    "You are a spy of Galdan Khan," growled Gorun resentfully. "You wear an eagle feather, like his officers."
    A smile crossed Hugo's lips. It was like child's play. But, much in this manner, he had heard himself accused by a great cardinal at the court of France. So, he was an exile. What next?
    "You came to learn the secrets of the other Frank, who came to spy upon us-and tell them to Galdan Khan," muttered the baksa. "I saw omens in the sky this dawn and said that evil was afoot. It is so. You shall have your skin pulled off and the noble khan of the Altai will take your weapons."
    For the first time the one-eyed warrior seemed to take an interest in the words of the baksa. He glanced with interest at the silver-chased pistols and the long sword with its heavy hilt.
    Just then a horse pushed forward into the cleared space between Hugo and the khan. Aruk bent down and touched his forehead.
    "Grant me speech," he chattered. "May the fires of Yulgen burn me, but this is no spy. He is a falcon, or I am a toad. He is a chief of warriors."
    "Proof!" screamed the witch-doctor.
    "It is lying in front of Ostrim's yurt, feeding the crows. Aye, with four thrusts of his sword this falcon slew four robbers."
    Aruk bethought him of something else.
    "Before his coming the omens in the sky were good."
    Hugo was surprised that the little hunter seemed to be speaking in his behalf-much of the meaning he lost, being rudely schooled in the chuckling speech of the Tatars. The exile did not know that a few hours ago he had unwittingly saved the life of Yulga, the beloved of Aruk.
    At this Cheke Noyon, khan of the Tatars, raised his head and spoke for the first time.
    "To the dogs with this squabbling. If this Frank is a chief of warriors, he is not a spy. Then let him use his sword so that we may see the truth with our own eyes. So, let him fight with all his strength. If he conquers our strongest, then he is a falcon and a chief, and no man of mine will raise hand against him."
    Ere the last words had left his lips, Cheke Noyon was off his horse. Stalking toward the French noble, Cheke Noyon drew a heavy, curving sword as wide at the head as two hands joined together.
    Hugo, hand on hilt, bit at his mustache. This was something of a Gordian knot. If Hugo should by chance strike down the chief of these barbarians, his own life, he thought, would not be worth a broken ducat.
    So he reasoned, not knowing the absolute obedience of these men to the word of a chief, living or dead. Cheke Noyon made no salute with his weapon, or any feint. His first stroke was a swishing lunge that would have cut Hugo to the backbone if that gentleman had not stepped aside.
    In so doing he felt the logs of the cabin against his back.
    "Horns of Panurge!" he grimaced. "What a