Part 33 (1/2)

Hakon looked up as a tall man in trunk-hose, boots and scarlet cloak entered the taproom

”There is Lord Valerian now,” he said

I stared, started and was on my feet instantly

”That ht beyond the border, in a ca Snake!”

Valerian heardpale His eyes blazed like those of a panther

Hakon sprang up too

”What are you saying?” he cried ”Lord Valerian gave his pledge ”

”I care not!” I exclai forward to confront the tall noble ”I saw hi the tamarack I could not mistake that hawk-like face I tell you he was there, naked and painted like a Pict ”

”You lie, daht at the hilt of his sword But before he could draw it I closed with hiht atlike a mading us apart, graspingwith fury, still clutching my neckcloth which had been torn away fros!” he raved ”Take your peasant hands from me! I'll cleave this liar to the chin ”

”Here is no lie,” I said ht and watched while old Teyanoga dragged a Raven chief's soul from his body and forced it into that of a tree-serpent

It was my arrohich struck down the shaman And I saw you there you, a white man, naked and painted, accepted as one of the clan”

”If this be true ” began Hakon

”It is true, and there is your proof!” I exclaimed ”Look there! On his bosom!”

His doublet and shi+rt had been torn open in the scuffle, and there, dim on his naked breast, showed the outline of the white skull which the Picts paint only when they ht to wash it off his skin, but Pictish paint stains strongly

”Disarm him,” said Hakon, white to the lips

”Give me my neckcloth,” I demanded, but his lordshi+p spat at me, and thrust the cloth inside his shi+rt

”When it is returned to you it shall be knotted in a hangman's noose about your rebel neck,” he snarled

Hakon seemed undecided

”Let us take him to the fort,” I said ”Give hiood purpose he took part in the Dance of the Snake Those Picts were painted for battle That symbol on his breast means he intended to take part in the war for which they danced”

”But great Mitra, this is incredible!” exclai those painted devils on his friends and neighbors?”

My lord said naught He stood there between the rasped his arms, livid, his thin lips drawn back in a snarl that bared his teeth, but all hell burned like yellow fire in his eyes where I seehts of madness

But Hakon was uncertain He dared not release Valerian, and he feared what the effectled a captive to the fort

”They will deued, ”and when they learn he has been dealing with the Picts in their war-paint, a panic aol until we can bring Dirk here to question hierous to compromise with a situation like this,” I answered bluntly ”But it is for you to decide You are in command here”

So we took his lordshi+p out the back door, secretly, and it being dusk by that ti noticed by the people, who indeed stayed indoors s, somewhat apart from the toith four cells, and one only occupied, that by a fat rogue who had been i in the street

He stared to see our prisoner Not a word said Lord Valerian as Hakon locked the grilled door upon hiuard But a demon fire burned in his dark eyes as if behind theat us with fiendish triuuard?” I asked Hakon

”Why more?” said he ”Valerian can not break out, and there is no one to rescue him”

It seeranted, but after all, it was none of my affair, so I said no more

Then Hakon and I went to the fort, and there I talked with Dirk Strom's son, the commander, as in coovernor appointed by Lord Thasperas, as now in command of the militia-army which lay at Thenitea He looked sober indeed when he heard aol and question Lord Valerian as soon as his duties perh he had little belief that hty breed He was glad to hear of the men Thandara offered him, and toldthe offer, if I wished to remain in Schohira awhile, which I did Then I returned to the tavern with Hakon, for it was our purpose to sleep there that night, and set out for Thenitea in theScouts kept the Schohirans posted on the movements of Brocas, and Hakon, who had been in their caainst us, whichfor Valerian to lead his Picts against the border But Hakon still doubted, in spite of all I had told hih friendliness as he often did

But I pointed out that no white man, however friendly to the Picts, was ever allowed to witness such a ceremony as the Dance of the Snake; he would have to be a blood-member of the clan

CHAPTER 3

I awakened suddenly and sat up in bed My as open, both shutters and pane, for coolness, for it was an upstairs rooain access But some noise had awakened me, and now as I stared at the , I saw the star-lit sky blotted out by a bulky, s around off the bed, de for htful speed and before I could even rise so htful visage, but all I couldred eyes, and a peaked head My nostrils were filled with a bestial reek

I caught one of the thing's wrists and it was hairy as an ape's, and thick with iron muscles But then I had found the haft of my hatchet and I lifted it and split that misshapen skull with one blow It fell clear ofin every liht and lit a candle, and glared wildly at the creature lying on the floor

In fornarled and292

and black, like the talons of a beast, and its chinnless, loed head was like that of an ape

The thing was a Chakan, one of those ses which dwell deep in the forests

There ca on my door and Hakon's voice called to knohat the trouble was, so I bade him enter He rushed in, axe in hand, his eyes widened at the sight of the thing on the floor

”A Chakan!” he whispered ”I have seen theh the forests the daers?”

A chill of horror crept along my spine as I saw the creature still clutched a neck cloth in his fingers the cloth which he had tried to knot like a hangman's noose about my neck

”I have heard that Pictish shaman catch these creatures and tame them and use them to smell out their enemies,” he said slowly ”But how could Lord Valerian so use one?”

”I know not,” I answered ”But that neck cloth was given to the beast, and according to its nature it so to the gaol, and quickly”

Hakon roused his rangers and we hurried there; and found the guard lying before the open door of Valerian's empty cell with his throat cut Hakon stood like one turned to stone, and then a faint callat us froone,” quoth he; ”Lord Valerian's gone Hark' ee: an hour agone while I lay on e dark wouard He lifted his bow and bade her halt, but she laughed at hi into his eyes and he beca stupidly and Mitra, she took his own knife froirdle and cut his throat, and he fell down and died Then she took the keys from his belt and opened the door, and Valerian cahed like a devil out of hell, and kissed the wench, and she laughed with hi lurked in the shadows behind her soht of the lanthorn hanging over the door

”I heard her say best to kill the fat drunkard in the next cell, and by Mitra I was so nigh dead of fright I knew not if I were even alive But Valerian said I was dead drunk, and I could have kissed him for that word So they went away and as they went he said he would send her coo to a cabin on Lynx Creek, and therein the forest ever since he sent thea would co the Picts, and bring them back to cut all our throats”