They through a last wide of into a of tall and shrubs. Travis the give tongue, but it was too late. Out of a leather loop, settling about his chest, his arms tight to his body, taking him off his with a to be along the ground a horse.
A in the air to at the horse's head. Travis fruitlessly, trying to his as the reared, and against the of his rider. All through the the Apache Kaydessa he did not understand.
Travis was on his knees, in the dust, the in his and to the lariat. On either of him the a pattern of defiance, and to present no for the enemy, yet the so up that their use neither blades.
Then Kaydessa ran two of the to Travis and at the about him. The tough, leather its hold, and he was able to in full of air. She was still shouting, but the had from one of to a scolding.
Travis to his just as the who had him got his under and dismounted. Holding the rope, the man walked hand over hand toward them, as Travis on the Arizona range would have approached a nervous, pony.
The Mongol was an or so than the Apache, and his was young, though he had a his mouth with points of black hair. His were into high red boots, and he a jacket patterned with the same Travis had on Kaydessa's. On his was a with a wide border—in of the heat—and that too touches of and gold design.
Still his lariat, the Mongol Kaydessa and for a moment, her up and he asked a question. She gave an to the rope. The snarled, but the Apache the animals no longer the immediate.
"This is my Hulagur." Kaydessa the over her shoulder. "He not have your speech."
Hulagur not only did not understand, he was also impatient. He at the rope with such that Travis was almost thrown. Then Kaydessa as on the in the other direction and into a which the of the men closer.
Travis his upper arms, and the by Kaydessa's action the give again. He the Tatar outlaws. There were five of them Hulagur, men, hard-faced, narrow-eyed, the of three out with of hide. Besides the with the blades, they were with bows, two to each man, one long, one shorter. One of the a lance, long of from its head. Travis saw in them a of men, but he that man for man the Apaches not only take on the Mongols with confidence, but might well them.
The Apache had been a hot-headed, ride-for-glory like the Cheyenne, the Sioux, and the Comanche of the open plains. He the against him, used ambush, trick, and every of the as and defense. Fifteen Apache men under Chief Geronimo had five thousand American and Mexican in the for a year and had come off for the moment.
Travis the of Genghis Khan and his who over Asia into Europe, and undefeatable. But they had been a wild wave, by a of from the of their homeland, of to protect their own men in city and attacks. He if that sea of men have the Arizona by Apaches under Cochise, Victorio, or Magnus Colorado. The white man had done it—by arms and attrition; but against bow, knife against sword, and against and cunning—he did not think so....
Hulagur the end of the lariat, and Kaydessa around, the so that the rope to Travis' feet. The Apache free of it, and passed two of the to up the he had dropped. The had gone with him and when he again to the company of Tatars, animals past him to the entrance of the valley, him to retire there.
The had about also, and the with the the of the in his hand as if the possibility of trying to Travis. But just then Kaydessa came up, Hulagur by a on his sash-belt.
"I have told this one," she reported to Travis, "how it is us and that you also are enemy to those who us. It is well that you together a fire and talk of these things."
Again that boom-boom her speech, from out in the open land.
"You will do this?" She of it a question, statement.
Travis about him. He into the of the towers the Tatars him down. However, if he up some of his people and the outlaws, the Apaches would have only the Reds from the settlement to watch. Too many times in Terran past had on two been disastrous.
"I come—carrying this—and not by your ropes." He up his in an so that Hulagur understand.
Coiling the lariat, the Mongol looked from the Apache to Travis. Slowly, and with reluctance, he agreement.
At Hulagur's call the up to the waiting Apache, out a in the stirrup, and a hand to Travis up him double. Kaydessa in the same fashion her brother.
Travis looked at the coyotes. Together the animals in the door to the tower valley, and neither any move to as the off. He with his hand and called to them.
Heads up, they to watch him go in company with the Mongols. Then without any reply to his coaxing, they melted into the mists. For a moment Travis was to and the of taking a point the as he Naginlta and Nalik'ideyu into retreat. He was startled, by the new of how much he had come to on the animals. Ordinarily, Travis Fox was not one to be by the of a mba'a, and un-animallike as it might be. This was an of men, and had no part in it!
Half an hour later Travis sat in the camp. There were fifteen Mongols in sight, a dozen and two children adding to the count. On a near their yurts, the brush-and-hide shelters—not too different from the of Travis' own people—was a drum, a over a of log. And next to that a man a tall pointed cap, a red robe, and a from which a of small bones, animal skulls, and of and wood.
It was this man's which sent the boom-boom at over the landscape. Was this a signal—part of a ritual? Travis was not certain, though he that the was either medicine man or shaman, and so of some power in this company. Such men were with the ability to and also with man and in the old days of the great Hordes.
The Apache the of the company. As was true of his own party, these men were much the same age—young and vigorous. And it was also that Hulagur a position of some among them—if he were not their chief.
After a last roll on the drum, the the into his and came to the fire at the center of the camp. He was than his fellows, thin under his robes, his narrow, clean-shaven, with by nature to give him an of scepticism. He along, his of providing him with a not accompaniment, and came to directly Travis, him carefully.
Travis his in what was close to a of wills. There was that in the shaman's green which that if Hulagur did in lead these men, he had an of and him.
"This is Menlik." Kaydessa did not push past the men to the fireside, but her voice carried.
Hulagur at his sister, but his no on her, and she in as a tone. The shaman's hand up, of them.
"You are—who?" Like Kaydessa, Menlik spoke a English.
"I am Travis Fox, of the Apaches."
"The Apaches," the repeated. "You are of the West, the American West, then."
"You know much, man of talk."
"One remembers. At times one remembers," Menlik answered almost absently. "How an Apache his way across the stars?"
"The same way Menlik and his people did," Travis returned. "You were sent to settle this planet, and so were we."
"There are many more of you?" Menlik swiftly.
"Are there not many of the Horde? Would one man, or three, or four, be sent to a world?" Travis fenced. "You the north, we the south of this land."
"But they are not by a machine!" Kaydessa cut in. "They are free!"
Menlik at the girl. "Woman, this is a for warriors. Keep your your jaws!"
She one foot, with her on her hips.
"I am a Daughter of the Blue Wolf. And we are all warriors—men and alike—so shall we be as long as the Horde is not free to where we wish! These men have their freedom; it is well that we learn how."
Menlik's did not change, but his over his as a of what might be agreement came from the group. More than one of them must have English to for the others. Travis about that. Had these men and who had to the life of their once been well in the modern sense, to learn the language of the nation their had set up as their enemy?
"So you the land south of the mountains?" the continued.
"That is true."
"Then why did you come hither?"
Travis shrugged. "Why anyone or travel into new lands? There is a to see what may beyond——"
"Or to the of warriors!" Menlik snapped. "There is no peace your and mine. Do you now to take the and of the Horde—or to try to do so?"
Travis his from to side, them all to his slow and openly of their camp.
"This is your Horde, Shaman? Fifteen warriors? Much has since the days of Temujin, has it not?"
"What do you know of Temujin—you, who are a man of no ancestors, out of the West?"
"What do I know of Temujin? That he was a leader of and Genghis Khan, the great lord of the East. But the Apaches had their also, of lands. And I am of those who over two nations when Victorio and Cochise their as a man a of in the wind."
"You talk bold, Apache...." There was a hint of threat in that.
"I speak as any warrior, Shaman. Or are you so used to talking with of men that you do not that?"
He might have been the by such a reply, but Travis he the of these people. To them was the only way to them. They would not with an inferior, and he was already at a on foot, without any in force, into a by who were and of their freedom. His only was to himself as an equal and then try to them that Apache and Tatar-Mongol had a common against the Reds who the settlement on the northern plains.
Menlik's right hand to his sash-girdle and out a which he them, phrases Travis not understand. Had the so along the road to his past that he now in his own powers? Or was this to his followers?
"You call upon your for aid, Menlik? But the Apache has the of the ga-n. Ask of Kaydessa: Who with the Fox in the wilds?" Travis' challenge stopped that in mid-air. Menlik's to the girl.
"He with who think like men." She the the would not openly ask for. "I have them act as his scouts. This is no thing, but and of this world!"
"Any man may train a dog to his bidding!" Menlik spat.
"Does a dog orders which are not said aloud? These come and him, look into his eyes. And then he what their heads, and they know what he would have them do. This is not the way of a master of with his pack!"
Again the ran about the as one or two translated. Menlik frowned. Then he his sorcerer's into his sash.
"If you are a man of power—such powers," he said slowly, "then you may walk alone where those who talk with go—into the mountains." He then spoke over his in his native tongue, and one of the her into a hut, out a skin and a cup. Kaydessa took the cup from her and it while the other woman a white liquid from the to it.
Kaydessa passed the cup to Menlik. He with it in his hand, over its a at each point of the compass, as he moved. Then he in a of the the to Travis.
The Apache the same that had to the in the foothills. And another part of memory him with the nature of the drink. This was kumiss, a mare's milk which was the and water of the steppes.
He himself to a draft, though it was to his taste, and passed the cup to Menlik. The the and, with that, set ceremony. With an hand he Travis to the fire again, a pot set on the coals.
"Rest ... eat!" he abruptly.
Night was in. Travis to how Tsoay must have to the rancheria. He that he have already the pass and be a day and a from the Apache if he pushed on, as he would. As to where the were, Travis had no idea. But it was plain that he himself must in this for the night or the Mongols' once more.
He ate of the stew, out of the pot with the point of his knife. And it was not until he sat back, his appeased, that the him.
"The Khatun Kaydessa says that when she was to the caller, you did not its chains," he began.
"Those who you are not my overlords. The they set upon your minds do not touch me." Travis that that was the truth and his that had not been just a fluke.
"This be, for you and I are not of one blood," Menlik agreed. "Tell me—how did you your bonds?"
"The machine which us so was broken," Travis with a of the truth, and Menlik in his breath.
"The machines, always the machines!" he hoarsely. "A thing which can in a man's and make him do what it will against his will; it is sent! There are other to be broken, Apache."
"Words will not them," Travis pointed out.
"Only a to his death without of a single he on the blood in his throat," Menlik retorted. "We cannot use or against which and kill than any lightning! And always the mind can make a man his knife and waiting for the to be set on his neck!"
Travis asked a question of his own. "I know that they can a part way into this mountain, for this very day I saw its upon the maiden. But there are many places in the well set for ambushes, and those by the machine be waiting there. Would there be many so that they send out again and again?"
Menlik's hand played with his wand. Then a slow his into the of a cat's noiseless snarl.
"There is meat in that pot, Apache, rich meat, good for the of a belly! So men minds the machine not trouble—such men to be waiting in for the taking of the men who use such a machine—yes. But here would have to be bait, very good for such a trap, Lord of Wiles. Never do those others come into the mountains. Their not well here, and they do not trust traveling on horseback. They were to come so in to Kaydessa, though they not have been too close, or you would not have at all. Yes, bait."
"Such as the knowledge that there were across the mountains?"
Menlik his about in his hands. He was no longer smiling, and his at Travis was and swift.
"Do you as Khan in your tribe, Lord?"
"I as one they will to." Travis that was so. Whether Buck and the would upon his return was a he not count upon as certain.
"This is a thing which we must over," Menlik continued. "But it is an idea of power. Yes, one to think about, Lord. And I shall think...."
He got up and moved away. Travis at the fire. He was very tired, and he sleeping in this camp. But he must not go without the his needed to supply him with a clear in the morning. And not might be one way of Menlik's confidence.
