Little Lost Lambs From the Colliery

by Harold Lamb

  The frightened officials kept silent. Carelessly she motioned behind her. “His arms bearer and minstrel ride with us.”

  Gerard bowed, surprised. The warden did not move.

  “Will you clear the road?” Mark asked.

  They did not do that because of a happen-chance. Lights shone beside them from the courtyard gate. Old Fred and the steward and a bevy of the Karth people came out to bring torches to the noble folk, now that the light had failed.

  “Lights this way," cried the warden quickly.

  And through the castle folk, with his arm in a sling, pushed Otto, cloaked against the night's cold. “Eugenia,” he shouted happily. “I had a misgiving about you. . ." He choked, staring. “The thieves!"

  Eugenia heard the warden shout, and a stirring of chain mail as his men moved restlessly. Her own voice said with an effort, “You are very stupid, Otto.”

  Then hoofs clanked slow behind her. She felt the three riders to be in motion. Richard passed her, walking his horse, into the full torchlight.

  He said nothing. The long bright sword moved restlessly in his hand. His rein was tight, his great body bent. Richard Plantagenet had seen the faces of his enemies.

  Mark passed her without looking, keeping his charger at Richard's flank—Luke kept the other side—never taking his eyes from the warden. “Clear the road," he ordered, raising his voice.

  THEY were within sword stroke of the officials. Gerard and Albrecht muttered in their beards, uncertain, but fearful of the long drawn swords. The men-at-arms, hearing no other order, reined back from the middle of the road, keeping their distance from the three who passed them, without pause going on into the dark.

  Eugenia thought: No one dared stop him. She heard only the tread of the three horses. Then they stopped. Mark would be looking back. She knew that.

  She knew the gesture of chivalry to be made, to wave him on his way. Her hand loosened the silk scarf from her throat.

  Around her the men were muttering, questioning, accusing, glancing at her. The warden said loud, “We took her word—she must needs explain to the Duke," while Gerard stammered, “Her guests—" and the men-at-arms smirked.

  In the courtyard gate her folk were packed, Old Fred, Elfrida and the maids, with a thousand tasks behind them, and a thousand days of duty to perform. “Eugenia!" called Cousin Otto.

  From his flushed face, his eyes gleamed at her, excited. “Eugenia, I understand. Let bygones be bygone. Let me take the blame, for the fault was only a little one. And," he cried eagerly, “when you are my wife, no one will accuse you of anything.”

  His wife? Otto's wife? Why, yes, prob­ably—if she hesitated. Ahead of her, through the dark, Mark was riding, away. Out of her life. Her life? Her life was here about her, these people, this castle, Otto. What were these things and these people to her? Walt was gone. Mark was going. Walt she could not have followed. But Mark she could. Why not? What she would lose she cared for not at all. What she might gain was all that she had lost when Walt had gone away.

  "Eugenia,” Otto cried again.

  When she did not answer he caught at her rein; but Eugenia flicked the leather from his hand, smiled at him in a strange way, wheeled the mare away, and spurred past the line of torches, riding fast into the darkness, and the future, after Mark.

  Collier's Magazine artwork

  01-Home from Bethlehem - John R. Flanagan

  02-Where Love Comes First - Franz Felix

  03-At Alexander's Palace - Franz Felix

  04-Behind the Veil - Franz Felix

  05-The Watcher - Franz Felix

  06-The Hour of Ghosts - Ronald McLeod

  07-The Wizard's Eye - AlParker

  08-Money Changer - uncredited

  09-Devil's current - Ronald McLeod

  10-Near Baghdad - Elmore James

  11-Tiger, Tiger - Harry Morse Meyers

  12-The Empress' Yankee - James E. Allen

  13-Bolshaya, Room Three - C. C. Beall

  14-Detour to Persepolis - Harry L. Timmins

  15-Over the Hills to Cathay - John Pike

  16-The Stolen Countess - Francis Chase

  Source acknowledgements

  This is a complete chronological listing of Harold Lamb's appearances in Collier's magazine. The Twenty-seven stories included in the Bison collections Swords from the Steppes(*1), Swords from the West(*2), Swords from the Desert(*3), Swords from the East(*4) and Swords from the Sea(*5), have been italicized and indented

  The Red Cock Crows, June 9 1928 (*2)

  Protection, Aug. 24 1929 (*2)

  The Night Bird Flies, July 25 1931 (*5)

  Home from Bethlehem, Dec. 19 1931

  Wolf Meat, June 25 1932 (*5)

  The Rogues’ Girl, Oct. 29 1932 (*3)

  The Eighth Wife, Dec. 31 1932 (*3)

  Where Love Comes First, Apr. 15 1933

  The Way of the Girl, Aug. 12 1933 (*3)

  Azadi’s Jest, Nov. 11 1933 (*4)

  The Vampire of Khor, Jan. 6 1934 (*1)

  The Bear’s Head, Mar. 17 1934 (*5)

  Longsword, Apr. 14 1934 (*5)

  At Alexander’s Palace, Apr. 21 1934

  Behind the Veil, June 2 1934

  The Golden Empress, Oct. 6 1934 (*5)

  The Watcher, Dec. 22 1934

  The Hour of the Ghosts, Oct. 10 1936

  The Devil’s Song, Apr. 10 1937 (*1)

  The Wizard’s Eye, May 1 1937

  Money Changer, June 5 1937

  Sleeping Lion, Nov. 27 1937 (*4)

  The Devil’s Current, July 30 1938

  Near Baghdad, Aug. 13 1938

  Tiger, Tiger, Apr. 22 1939

  Singing Girl, June 24 1939 (*1)

  Knights with Wings, May 10 1941 (*2)

  The Empress’ Yankee, Aug. 2 1941

  The Bells of the Mountain, Sept. 13 1941 (*2)

  Berserk, Dec, 13 1941 (*5)

  Cossack Wolf, Feb. 28 1942 (*1)

  The Stone Woman, Sept. 26 1942 (*1)

  Elf Woman, Nov. 21 1942 (*5)

  City under the Sea, Jan. 2 1943 (*1)

  The Black Road, Jan. 23 1943 (*2)

  St. Olaf’s Day, Feb. 6 1943 (*5)

  Bolshaya, Room Three, Mar. 20 1943

  Detour to Persepolis, May 8 1943

  Passage to Cathay, June 26 1943 (*5)

  The Two Swords of Genghis Khan, Feb. 5 1944 (*1)

  Over the Hill to Cathay, Dec. 7 1946

  The Stolen Countess, Apr. 16 1949

  Lionheart, May 28 1949 (*2)