Introduction
A Kirby O’Donnell tale. The story was received by Howard’s agent, Kline, on November 15, 1933.
Alternate titles:
THE TREASURES OF TARTARY and GOLD FROM TATARY
From the letters:
In a letter (#323) to Clark Ashton Smith, on July 23, 1935:
I’ve been concentrating on adventure stuff recently, trying to break into that field permanently. I’ve made a start, with yarns published in Action, Thrilling Adventures, and Top-Notch; got a couple of cover designs in a row with Top-Notch and am toiling manfully to become a regular contributor.
A Breckinridge Elkins story appeared in each issue of Action Stories from the March-April 1934 issue through September 1936. “The Treasures of Tartary” appeared in the January 1935 issue of Thrilling Adventures; there would be no other Howard stories in the magazine until “Son of the White Wolf” in December 1936. Four Howard stories appeared in Top-Notch: “Swords of Shahrazar,” October 1934; “The Daughter of Erlik Khan,” December 1934; “Hawk of the Hills,” June 1935; and “Blood of the Gods,” July 1935. The last two were featured in the cover illustration. No further Howard stories appeared in the magazine.
A letter (#333) to Otis Adelbert Kline, January 8, 1936:
Concerning Thrilling Adventures, my yarn, “The Trail of the Blood-Stained God” recently rejected by Margulies was an effort to write one on the order of “Gold From Tartary”. I seem unable to sell him more than one story to each magazine.
The Kirby O’Donnell stories; “Gold from Tartary” was published in the January 1935 Thrilling Adventures as “The Treasures of Tartary,” while “The Trail of the Blood-Stained God” remained unsold during Howard’s lifetime. Leo Margulies was the editor of the Standard Magazines, which included Thrilling Adventures and Thrilling Mystery.