The Best of Robert E. Howard Volume One: Crimson Shadows

by Robert E. Howard

  So lift me on the pyre.

  The feast is over

  And the lamps expire.

  NOTES ON THE ORIGINAL HOWARD TEXTS

  The texts for this edition were prepared by Rusty Burke, with the assistance of Lee Breakiron, Frank Coffman, David Gentzel, Paul Herman, Glenn Lord, Patrice Louinet, Saturnino Lucio, and the Cross Plains Public Library. The stories have been checked either against Howard’s original manuscripts and typescripts or the first published appearance if a manuscript or typescript was unavailable. Every effort has been made to present the work of Robert E. Howard as faithfully as possible.

  Deviations from the original sources are detailed in these textual notes. In the following notes, page, line, and word numbers are given as follows: 11.20.2, indicating page 1, twentieth line, second word. Story titles, chapter numbers and titles, and breaks before and after chapter headings, titles, and illustrations are not counted; in poems, only text lines are counted. The page/line number will be followed by the reading in the original source, or a statement indicating the type of change made.

  We have standardized chapter numbering, titling, and headings: Howard’s own practices varied, as did those of the publications in which these stories appeared. We have not noted those changes here.

  The Shadow Kingdom

  Text taken from Weird Tales, August 1929. 10.19.4: hall; 25.8.1: wounded.

  The Ghost Kings

  Text taken from Weird Tales, December 1938. No changes have been made for this edition.

  The Curse of the Golden Skull

  Text taken from Howard’s untitled carbon, provided by Glenn Lord. The title comes from a listing of Howard’s stories made by his agent after his death. The carbon runs four pages, while the agent’s list indicates the original was five pages. Some questionable readings were checked against a transcript prepared by Lord. 29.7.12: which; 29.13.1: Accolyte; 30.28.11: invokation; 30.32.8: trandscending; 31.5.11: highst; 32.13.7: “to” repeated.

  Red Shadows

  Text taken from Weird Tales, August 1928. 37.17.2: mephistophelean; 39.8.7: comma after “idly” 43.17.11: “hog-like” hyphenated at line break, similar constructions elsewhere in the story (e.g., “catlike”) not hyphenated; 45.8.14: rôle; 45.9.8: omits closing quotation marks; 45.12.14: omits closing quotation marks; 47.33.10: “is” not capitalized; 48.21.1: swaying; 57.12.1: “man-like” hyphenated at line break, similar constructions elsewhere in the story (e.g., “catlike”) not hyphenated.

  The One Black Stain

  Text taken from The Howard Collector, Spring 1962. 59.14.5: sombre; 59.30.3: sombrely; 60.34.3: sombre. The typescript from which The Howard Collector version was taken was not available; three other drafts of the poem exist and all three conform to the American spelling of “somber.” We have accordingly used this spelling. Otherwise the text is identical with that in The Howard Collector.

  The Dark Man

  Text taken from Weird Tales, December 1931. 64 footnote: period after “AUTHOR” 65.38.2: “wrist-strap” hyphenated at line break; 67.12.13: “wolf-skin” hyphenated at line break; 69.1.7: comma after “muttered” 69.24.5: “beast-like” hyphenated at line break; 79.14.7: drunken.

  The Marching Song of Connacht

  Text taken from Glenn Lord’s transcription of Howard’s typescript. No changes have been made for this edition.

  Kings of the Night

  Text taken from Weird Tales, November 1930. 91.9.12: Cæsar; 91.27.3: Cæsar; 91.31.5: Cæsar; 92.16.13: Cæsar; 93.10.11: stedfast; 97.38.13: “will-power” hyphenated at line break; 98.1.12: “lion-like” hypenated at line break; 107.26.15: “half-way” hyphenated at line break; 110.10.9-10: way possible; 111.21.3: “side-long” hyphenated at line break.

  Recompense

  Text taken from Weird Tales, November 1938. No changes have been made for this edition.

  The Black Stone

  Text taken from Weird Tales, November 1931. 122.26.3: “Midsummer’s Night” not capitalized here, though it is capitalized elsewhere in the story; 123.13.6: gleam (“glean” in Howard’s earlier draft of the story); 124.5.11: no comma after “and” 124.15.8: black-eddy (“back-eddy” in Howard’s earlier draft); 125.6.7: Goeffrey; 125.9.2: “mine” not capitalized; 126.24.7: aboriginies; 130.24.5: rythmically; 131.19.5: ecstacy.

  The Song of a Mad Minstrel

  Text taken from Weird Tales, February-March 1931. No changes have been made for this edition.

  The Fightin’est Pair

  Text taken from Action Stories, November 1931 (as Breed of Battle). 139.21.1: “low-down” hyphenated at line break; 140.11.1: “wharf-side” hyphenated at line break; 140.12.2: no closing quotation marks after “this” 140.28.13: “steel-trap” hyphenated at line break; 141.3.4: repeatedly; 141.6.3: no comma after “him” 142.2.8: water front; 143.19.9: yards; 143.28.14: period after “shape” 144.18.2: “lamp-post” hyphenated at line break; 146.18.6: comma after “said” 146.19.6: no closing quotation marks; 149.2.6: “green-tinted” hyphenated at line break; 149.24.1: “shop-keepers” hyphenated at line break; 150.20.1: no comma after “low” 150.38.1: “death-grip” hyphenated at line break; 151.41.1: “square-shooter” hyphenated at line break; 152.15.7: open quotation marks before “But.”

  The Grey God Passes

  Text taken from Dark Mind, Dark Heart (Arkham House, 1962). 160.38.5: “and” not capitalized; 162.25.1: grisley; 162.37.14: ma; 164.30.8: Skalli; 173.10.2: gallaghlachs.

  The Song of the Last Briton

  Text taken from Howard’s typescript, provided by Glenn Lord. No changes have been made for this edition.

  Worms of the Earth

  Text taken from Weird Tales, November 1932. In a letter to H. P. Lovecraft, circa December 1932, Howard noted several errors in the magazine appearance of the story: “Concerning ‘Worms of the Earth’–I must have been unusually careless when I wrote that, considering the errors–such as ‘her’ for ‘his’, ‘him’ for ‘himself ’, ‘loathsome’ for ‘loathing’, etc. I’m at a loss to say why I spelled Eboracum as Ebbracum. I must investigate the matter. I know I saw it spelled that way, somewhere; it’s not likely I would make such a mistake entirely of my own volition, though I do frequently make errors. Somehow, in my mind, I have a vague idea that it’s connected in some way with the Gaelic ‘Ebroch’–York.” 185.8.3: Ebbracum; 188.15.6: him; 189.1.6: Ebbracum; 193.27.1: Ebbracum; 193.29.11: Ebbracum; 194.33.9: Ebbracum; 196.18.2: Ebbracum; 196.24.14: Ebbracum; 198.10.3: laugh; 198.19.7: her; 198.20.1: loathsome; 199.6.6: there is a dash rather than a hyphen in “night-things” 203.22.3: comma after ‘cast’ 205.40.1: Ebbracum; 210.10.1: Ebbracum’s; 210.13.6: Cæsar.

  An Echo from the Iron Harp

  Text taken from Howard’s original typescript, provided by Glenn Lord. Howard typed his lines across an entire sheet; we have broken these into two lines each. Lines with initial capital letters begin one of Howard’s long lines, while those which begin with lowercase letters continue the line before. The only exception is “Marius” at 216.12.1, capitalized as a proper name but part of a continuing line.

  Lord of the Dead

  Text taken from Howard’s typescript, copy provided by the Cross Plains Public Library. 219.11.3: “to” inserted in pencil by unknown hand; 220.3.1: basketfull; 221.7.11: impetuous; 221.27.10: colon rather than semicolon after “Brent,” “A” capitalized; 222.2.1: street, comma after; 222.5.9: “of” not in typescript; 222.17.14: street; 223.29.6: street; 223.41.5: street; 224.4.7: no comma after “dark” 224.8.12: lislessly: 227.7.15: street; 227.23.10 impells; 227.34.12: any; 228.16.10: no comma after “apprehension” 228.28.2: street; 228.30.2: unobtrusedly; 228.30.5: street; 228.34.3: street; 228.35.7: street; 229.2.3: street; 229.9.14: Alley; 229.19.11: Alley; 229.20.4: street; 230.15.6: “if” not in typescript; 231.34.7: shown; 233.25.4-5: other one end; 233.35.4: broad edged; 235.17.5: street; 235.19.12: street; 235.27.4: Confucious; 237.31.8: street; 238.15.4: paroxism; 240.7.12: word obliterated between “his” and “fury,” possibly “berserk” 240.3
1.10: street; 240.36.2: street; 241.11.15: riection; 241.30.5: comma after “Khan.”

  Untitled

  Text taken from a letter from Robert E. Howard to August Derleth, dated May 9, 1936, copy obtained from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. No changes have been made for this edition.

  “For the Love of Barbara Allen”

  Text taken from Howard’s original typescript, copy provided by Glenn Lord. The story was originally untitled; the title is Lord’s. 249.1.1: T’was; 249.10.8: John; 249.12.7: Joel; 250.5.2: petulent; 250.26.7: saddles; 251.33.8: Alleghanies; 252.29.3: comma after “wagons” 253.23.14: dizzingly; 253.25.8: stable-floor; 253.39.12: “lack-lustre” hyphenated at line break; 254.3.10: times’ 254.4.13: no closing quotation marks; 254.8.1: frowsy headed; 254.29.13: John; 254.34.4: John; 255.11.6: hand; 255.15.4: semicolon after “else,” “that’s” not capitalized; 255.16.12: no closing quotation marks.

  The Tide

  Text taken from Night Images (Morning Star Press, 1976). No changes have been made for this edition.

  The Valley of the Worm

  Text taken from Weird Tales, February 1934. 260.29.7: “Worm’s-bane” hyphenated at line break; 265.14.7: “pow-wow” hyphenated at line break; 275.15.9: heiroglyphics; 278.5.10: “tree-tops” hyphenated at line break.

  The Dust Dance: Selections, Version II

  Text taken from The Howard Collector, Spring 1968. 279.23.7: steal.

  The People of the Black Circle

  Text taken from Howard’s carbon copy, provided by Glenn Lord, supplemented by the text in Weird Tales, September, October, and November 1934. The surviving carbon copy is incomplete, lacking pages 1–9 and 92 of a 98 page typescript; the missing text (from the beginning to “she asked” (289.18) and from “so willingly” (346.25) to “repeated helplessly” (347.10) are taken from the Weird Tales appearance. Howard’s chapters are untitled on the carbon copy; it is not known whether the titles are Howard’s or Weird Tales editor Farnsworth Wright’s. Changes from the Weird Tales text: 286.3.9: sap; 287.4.2: Hills; 288.5.2: Majesty; 288.37.14: Skalos; 289.1.5: Majesty; 289.8.1: “a” omitted. Changes from Howard’s carbon copy: 289.36.15: b; 290.38.1: Eastern; 291.41.1: country-side; 292.5.11: Then; 292.31.10: sent led; 295.7.6: train; 295.10.8: unwanted; 295.20.12: of; 296.7.14: not of one of; 297.7.3: between; 298.37.5: excercise; 298.38.9: excercises; 300.10.9: “the” absent from typescript; 300.15.7: “star-light” hyphenated at line break; 300.18.1: no comma after “carelessly” 300.37.1: quiesence; 301.11.4: when; 301.38.5: gripped; 302.32.1: hillsmen; 303.10.6: irrelevent; 303.12.9: liad; 304.32.12: into; 304.33.4: seem; 306.8.5: Irakzai; 308.10.12: fore-finger; 309.12.11: asonished; 309.13.3: distended; 309.30.4: “as” absent from typescript; 311.5.9: no comma after “through” 313.27.12: profferred; 313.34.10: hit; 313.35.3: supply; 314.22.1: comma after “flight” 315.9.7: north west; 316.13.3: “in” absent from typescript; 316.14.7: what ever; 316.38.6: hypnostism; 318.34.4: hundred; 318.40.4: neophism; 318.41.12: excercise; 319.20.2: Raksha; 320.32.12f: the top-left corner of the carbon paper is torn; “He shook” and the “l” of “loose” are missing; the missing words appear in the Weird Tales version and in the first draft of the story; 321.7.7: river bed; 321.40.6: traffick; 322.6.1: “chief” not in original; 323.34.8: tough; 324.37.7: comma after “than” 325.13.11: gald; 325.20.3: herslf; 325.20.4: in; 325.26.3: scrutinised; 325.32.7: every; 326.20.7: “to” not in original; 326.36.11: loosly; 327.2.5: onlique; 327.13.4: on; 328.7.5: comma instead of semicolon after “fingers” 329.13.6: no comma after “first” 329.25.11: no comma after “suddenly” 329.35.11: “stems” not in original; the word appears in the Weird Tales version and in the first draft; 330.13.8: “in” not in original; 331.22.11: wide braced; 332.2.13: infest; 332.20.3: “did” not in original; 333.7.4: half blinded; 333.12.13: thunder storm; 333.13.7: nightning; 334.14.3: green robed; 334.16.4: “as” not in original; 334.32.1: sheer walled; 335.40.1: “in a” in original; 337.22.4: unprecendented; 338.15.14: black robed; 338.18.13: black robed; 339.22.10: no comma after “mid-stride” 339.40.10: reinacted; 340.12.13: suddeness; 340.15.13: “if” not in original; 340.30.11: “whether” not in original; 340.40.7: black robed; 340.40.12: no comma after “convulsions” (typed to right edge of paper); 341.27.9: “the” not in original; 341.40.10: his; 342.7.7: stars; 342.9.7: left hand; 342.39.2: half way; 343.3.4: sandal-wood; 344.6.1: He (there is no chapter transition at this point in Howard’s carbon copy); 344.14.6: hair; 344.36.2: dociley; 345.7.5: to; 345.34.1: His; 345.38.1: semicolon instead of comma after “Yes” 349.15.6: left hand; 349.30.12: “was” repeated; 349.37.7: van-guard; 350.23.1: accepting.

  Beyond the Black River

  Text taken from Howard’s carbon copy, provided by Glenn Lord. Pages 1 and 65 of the carbon were in such bad shape that they had to be retyped by Lord, respecting Howard’s layout and errors. The chapters are untitled in the carbon copy, except for the first one. A blank line below the heading for each new chapter suggests that Howard intended to add titles later; these may have been present in the typescript sent to Weird Tales or may have been added by editor Farnsworth Wright. 353.8.3: and a; 353.14.8: settlers’ 355.3.8: “been” not in original; 356.13.3: “and” absent from original; 360.34.4: the words “straying” and “strayed” appear on the carbon, one typed over the other, but it is not clear which was Howard’s final choice; 360.41.3: accomodate; 361.4.12: “of” absent from original; 361.15.10: blunder; 364.19.7: pythong; 367.8.7: breek; 367.9.8: sword; 368.19.3: touched; 369.9.8: coifures; 370.3.7: “four of” in original; 370.14.1: accomodated; 370.19.8: of; 372.1.12: that; 372.11.9: beast; 372.26.9: thew; 373.6.6: futiley; 373.17.13: “in” unreadable due to crease in carbon copy; 373.27.8: ancient; 377.30.2: avoiding; 377.36.1: cubs (Weird Tales has “bloodhounds,” Howard’s first draft “blood-hounds”); 377.39.7: “and” absent from original; 379.22.13: carnivora; 379.40.12f: “looking for us” unreadable due to crease in carbon copy, taken from Weird Tales text; 380.2.6: “to” absent from original; 380.13.10: doesn’ (typed to right edge of paper); 381.9.9: villave; 382.2.11: “with” after “trade” in original; 382.40.2: laying; 383.11.8: “the” absent from original; 384.6.7: “a” absent from original; 387.9.12: “yards” absent from original, taken from Weird Tales text; 387.20.7: furious; 387.23.5: no comma after “Cimmerian” 388.12.8: accrosst; 388.19.1: broast; 389.24.4: glancing; 391.37.13: “and” unreadable due to crease in carbon; 392.20.3: hideous; 392.20.4: slashdd; 392.29.1: “was” instead of “no” 392.31.4: growl; 393.21.11: pleasur (typed to right edge of paper); 395.16.8: “shoulders” absent from original, taken from Weird Tales text; 396.25.5: “blood” instead of “wound” in original; 396.31.7: boths; 398.34.12: slepp; 398.39.12: comma after “blazed” 400.25.2: settlers’ 402.21.1f: the carbon is torn here and the first two words (“No; Conajohara”) are unreadable; text taken from Weird Tales.

  A Word from the Outer Dark

  Text taken from Howard’s original typescript, provided by Glenn Lord. No changes have been made for this edition.

  Hawk of the Hills

  Text taken from Top-Notch, June 1935. 405.4.10: “heart-breaking” hyphenated at line break: 406.30.5: “head-man” hyphenated at line break: 407.7.5: coördination; 407.11.9: hyphen between “hand” and “fighting” 408.38.11: today; 410.23.5: semicolon after “structure” 411.40.13: rôle; 415.23.5: “the” not in original; 419.39.5: fire-arm hyphenated at line break; 419.39.8: to-day; 420.25.8: reëchoing; 424.5.3: end quotation after “mine?” 428.1.5: reënforce; 430.29.8: “pit-like” hyphenated at line break; 433.7.6: “El” not in original; 439.33.7: to-night; 440.1.7: To-night; 440.8.12: to-night; 442.17.5: tomorrow; 448.1.1: To-night.

  Sharp’s Gun Serenade

  Text taken from Action Stories, January 1937. 456.28.6: too; 459.36.11: night; 465.9.11: period after “her’n” 465.9.12: A; 465.26.4: period after “business.”

  Lines Written in the Realization That I Must Die

  Text taken from Weird Tales, August 1938. No changes have been mad
e for this edition.

  Our work on this book would never have been possible without the direct and indirect aid of so many people. James Van Hise, who first introduced us to Robert E. Howard. Marcelo Anciano to whom we owe so much. Jack and Barbara Baum for their friendship and trust. Tony Swatton and the gang at Sword & Stone for their excellent armour, weapons, and expertise. M. Graham & Co. for the oils used on the cover illustration. Michael Venables for his priceless textual guidance. And Bill Sampson, for a million reasons. We would also like to express our gratitude to Mark Westermoe, Mark Schultz, Ed Waterman, Tom Gianni, Christian Svensson, Madison Mason, James Black, Eric Underwood, and Beth Kennedy. And of course big thanks to Rusty, Stuart, Patrice, David, Fredrik, and Thommy.

  Jim & Ruth Keegan

  Deepest thanks to Jim, Ruth, and Stuart, who came through like champs; to Marcelo, whose vision continues to inspire us; to Glenn, Paul, Patrice, David, Nino, Lee, and Frank for assistance with the texts; to Cherry Shults at the Cross Plains Library for providing copies of typescripts; to the members of the REH Inner Circle and others who responded to my polling for the best REH stories; to the members of the Robert E. Howard United Press Association, past and present, for thirty-five years of carrying the standard; and as always to Shelly, for her patience, love and support.

  Rusty Burke

  My thanks go once again to Marcelo and Rusty for making this an enjoyable experience, Jim and Ruth for their excellent illustrations–it was a pleasure meeting you both. Thanks also to Mandy and Emma for being even more patient with me as I did this at home on a laptop at the dining table! I’d also like to say thank you to Matthew Foster, for his friendship and our many literary debates over the years on the merits of Howard, Lovecraft, and Machen.