The Early Adventures of El Borak

And then came another Turk to report that a soldier had been found murdered in the upper corridors.

A Turkish surgeon was brought who informed Kemul Bey that the soldier had evidently been slain by a blow from a bare fist. Kemul Bey mused upon the statement.

"By Allah," said the Turk, "I know of no man who could slay such a man as that soldier with his bare hands-except Gordon, whom they call El Borak."

A soldier rushed into the room.

"Your Excellency!" he shouted. "El Borak has escaped!"

Kemul Bey leaped from his throne.

"What! Ho! Mirza Suleiman, take fifty soldiers and search the castle. Throw a cordon about the walls and let no one leave the castle until Gordon is recaptured or slain."

Then to the soldier, "How did he escape?"

"Your Excellency," the soldier answered, "El Borak overpowered the sentry and, taking his rifle from him, with it forced officer Nureddin to unlock the cell door. Soldiers coming to relieve the sentry found both the officer and sentry bound and gagged on the floor of the cell."

Kemul Bey rose and picked up his fez. The report of a pistol sent the echoes flying from walls to ceiling and the fez flew out of Kemul Bey's hand.

With a curse the Turk leaped back, snatching out a pistol. The soldiers started at the shot and raised their rifles. But they paused, uncertainly. There was nothing to tell them from whence the shot came. They stood, looking fearfully about the great castle room.

All of the Howard stories, poems, letters and portions thereof contained in The Early Adventures of El Borak come from Howard's original typescripts, manuscripts, and carbons. Virtually all of the original REH papers were scanned from the Glenn Lord collection, now at the University of Texas, Austin; the Robert E. Howard collection at Texas A&M University; and the typescript collection at Cross Plains Library.

CHANGES FROM THE FIRST EDITION: In this Ultimate Edition, "Drag" has been added. Transcriptions of Howard's typescripts or previously edited versions of "The Further Adventures of Lal Singh," "Red Curls and Bobbed Hair," Untitled ("Madge Meraldson"), Untitled ("The Hades Saloon"), and "The West Tower" have been restored to typescript. In the first edition, a handwritten first draft was used for "The Tale of the Rajah's Ring"; this edition uses an incomplete typed second draft, finished with the text from the handwritten first draft. Accordingly, all texts are now from REH typescripts except "Under the Great Tiger," which is from first publication.

"Gordon is in the castle somewhere," said Kemul Bey, somewhat recovering his poise. "Search the castle. Capture El Borak or slay him."