Harold Lamb

“ But Otrèpiev had gone on, and Kirdy meant to follow. He bade Nada dismount, and took the rein of the bay stallion. The hardy Tatar ponies kept their footing wisely but the charger was all nerves. The Cossack talked to him and Nada coaxed, and it was one of the ponies that missed a short jump, and hurtled screaming down the face of the cliff, with a thunder of rock and loosened dirt.
The charger took the jump with a yard to spare, and it needed all Nada's weight on the rein to keep him from plunging ahead with the sudden spurt of a high-strung horse that thinks danger lurks under his rear. ”

“ During countless ages it had eaten through the soft stone and clay until it formed a chasm. The chasm was thirty yards or so across—its depth unguessable.
And now there was no doubt at all that the city on the plateau had been built by men. The ruin of a wall ran along the rim across the defile. The wall had been built of hewn stone blocks and the Cossack knew that this city of the Golden Horde had been invulnerable to attack. No enemy, advancing down the ramp and forming, shelterless, along the ledge, could have stormed the city wall. ”

“ Nada's yataghan clattered on the stones, and she bent her head, fumbling with a long lock of hair that had fallen over her shoulder. Gathering the golden tresses in her hand, she pressed against her side, where Otrèpiev's saber had pierced under the heart.
Then she sank to her knees and lay down, as if utterly weary, on the stones. Tall Feodor came and bent over her with professional interest.
“Kniaz veliky,” he spoke for the first time, “my prince, your blade did not go deep. To make sure, another thrust is best.” ”

“ The close-set blue eyes blazed upon her restlessly. Whenever Otrèpiev spoke, neither eyes nor hands were still, and yet his voice was full and deep. A man of great physical strength, acting impulsively, he made no secret of his delight in Nada's beauty and youth. He addressed her as a child, to be humored—a woman to be desired. ”

“ A BLAZING sun, beating on the white dust of streets and the gray and red ruins, half blinded them, and a vagrant wind clutched at them. They stood within sight of what had been the registan, the open square of the city. ”

“ Then he took the saddle from the stallion and the packs from the two ponies that had followed patiently, to be unloaded. He watched them go down at once toward the muttering rush of a stream.
Then he hurried back to listen to the girl's even breathing. And the glare of exhaustion and anger left his dark eyes.
“She sleeps, the little Nada,” he smiled. “Eh, there is faith in her, in all things. When the Muscovites would have taken her captive, she met them with the sword. With the dawn she will open her eyes.” ”

“ Yet no living man could carry the suffering girl up that wind-whipped ramp to the desolate pass—or make the horses follow. When he had circled Otrèpiev's bait of a camp—and had noticed that the fire was left to die and the horse likewise—he had suspected the trap set for him and had gone back instantly, until he heard the clash of weapons and had run like one possessed. But before then he had seen what Otrèpiev had discovered, a road winding down the east face of the plateau. ”

“ Nada mused, “would have gone down to that city. He would like to see what the ruins are, and what people live there.”
“Eagles live there,” Kirdy made answer, “and vipers—not men.”
“We will soon know. At least some one has gone down the trail.”
That much the Cossack had already ascertained. He had seen tracks in a cascade of soft earth, where one horse had rubbed against the slope, and another had trampled the fresh dirt. ”

“ Upon thee, O Khan of the Altyn Juz, Lord of the Lesser Horde, master of the plain, mirror of the faith, tree of the fruit of understanding—the salute!
“The words of caravan men from Cathay have reached my ears, and this is the tale:
“Where the forest meets the desert, far—far—these men beheld a pair of the tengri that come down at seasons from the heights and are visible to mortal eyes, as is well known. The tale was that one of these spirits was a man, wearing a silver helmet and bearing a sword as long as a spear. ”

“ When he returns to you we will be waiting, and Feodor will slice off another head.”
“The people of this city are the dead. We heard them ride upon the Earth Girdle.”
“Doubtless. They did not trouble my dreams. But we shall strike east from here. The valley below has a pleasant look.”
“You are not master of this place, Otrèpiev, because it is peopled with the dead!”
The man on the marble throne slab smiled.
“I remember now, little Nada, you said that peace was to be found here. ”

“ But—promise me you will not leave me, White Falcon. Hold me in your arms and take me from this place, down to the valley, my Falcon.”
The rush of words ceased and her lips quivered.
Kirdy looked up. Already vultures were dropping down on the columns and the throne slab. The wind threshed through the dry growth, and up the Earth Girdle clouds of driven dust hid the pass and the heights.
“Aye, little Nada,” he said, gently, “I promise.” ”