Page:Harold Lamb--The House of the Falcon.djvu/192

 The girl listened eagerly, gleaning for the first time an insight into the character of the adventurer.

"And so," explained Iskander, "we called him khan. Afterward, he became the friend of Yakka Arik. Yet he would not admit that he was a soldier, like the Vulture. Nay, but—Dono-van Khan knows the name of the man who is the Vulture, and he alone can tell me the name of my enemy. Soon Dono-van Khan will tell it to me.

"Aie! My daughter had seen fourteen summers. Her eyes were like twin moons and the scent of her hair was like the jasmine flower. Her teeth were white pearls. I did not see her again. It was told to me that her mother was sold in the Yarkand bazaar. But when I traced her to Khotan and the slave house of a merchant, she had died. But I have not forgotten the Vulture. Come, Mees Rand, I will help you."

He assisted her to the ground. Mahmoud rose and stalked down toward the village. Edith glanced at Iskander pityingly and curiously. Then she uttered a stifled cry.

Gunshots had sounded from the mountain overhead. Two quick reports were followed by another.

Mahmoud looked up and smiled.

"The dog is dead," said Iskander, with the assurance of one who knew he was voicing the truth. "Come!"

He strode along restlessly, a gnawing fever in his eyes. Edith had to run to keep up, and a slipper fell from her foot. Iskander noticed it.

"Why," she asked, "did that—that man run when he saw Mahmoud? The hakim was unarmed"

"Fear is sharper than a sword. The dog looked upon the face of him who is master of the caravan, and feared lest he be sent away"