Tarzan's first mission did not bid fair to be eitherexciting or vastly important. There was a certain lieutenantof SPAHIS whom the government had reason to suspectof improper relations with a great European power.This Lieutenant Gernois, who was at present stationed atSidibel-Abbes, had recently been attached to the general staff,where certain information of great military value had comeinto his possession in the ordinary routine of his duties.It was this information which the government suspected thegreat power was bartering for with the officer.

It was at most but a vague hint dropped by a certainnotorious Parisienne in a jealous mood that had causedsuspicion to rest upon the lieutenant. But general staffs arejealous of their secrets, and treason so serious a thing thateven a hint of it may not be safely neglected. And so it wasthat Tarzan had come to Algeria in the guise of an Americanhunter and traveler to keep a close eye upon Lieutenant Gernois.

He had looked forward with keen delight to again seeinghis beloved Africa, but this northern aspect of it was sodifferent from his tropical jungle home that he might as wellhave been back in Paris for all the heart thrills of homecomingthat he experienced. At Oran he spent a day wandering throughthe narrow, crooked alleys of the Arab quarter enjoying thestrange, new sights. The next day found him at Sidi-bel-Abbes,where he presented his letters of introduction to both civiland military authorities--letters which gave no clew to thereal significance of his mission.

Tarzan possessed a sufficient command of English to enablehim to pass among Arabs and Frenchmen as an American,and that was all that was required of it. When he met anEnglishman he spoke French in order that he might not betrayhimself, but occasionally talked in English to foreignerswho understood that tongue, but could not note the slightimperfections of accent and pronunciation that were his.

Here he became acquainted with many of the French officers,and soon became a favorite among them. He met Gernois,whom he found to be a taciturn, dyspeptic-looking man ofabout forty, having little or no social intercourse withhis fellows.

For a month nothing of moment occurred. Gernois apparentlyhad no visitors, nor did he on his occasional visitsto the town hold communication with any who might evenby the wildest flight of imagination be construed into secretagents of a foreign power. Tarzan was beginning to hope that,after all, the rumor might have been false, when suddenlyGernois was ordered to Bou Saada in the Petit Sahara far tothe south.

A company of SPAHIS and three officers were to relieveanother company already stationed there. Fortunately one ofthe officers, Captain Gerard, had become an excellent friend ofTarzan's, and so when the ape-man suggested that he shouldembrace the opportunity of accompanying him to Bou Saada, wherehe expected to find hunting, it caused not the slightest suspicion.

At Bouira the detachment detrained, and the balance of thejourney was made in the saddle. As Tarzan was dickering atBouira for a mount he caught a brief glimpse of a man inEuropean clothes eying him from the doorway of a nativecoffeehouse, but as Tarzan looked the man turned and entered thelittle, low-ceilinged mud hut, and but for a haunting impressionthat there had been something familiar about the face or figureof the fellow, Tarzan gave the matter no further thought.

The march to Aumale was fatiguing to Tarzan, whoseequestrian experiences hitherto had been confined to a courseof riding lessons in a Parisian academy, and so it was that hequickly sought the comforts of a bed in the Hotel Grossat,while the officers and troops took up their quarters at themilitary post.

Although Tarzan was called early the following morning,the company of SPAHIS was on the march before he hadfinished his breakfast. He was hurrying through his meal thatthe soldiers might not get too far in advance of him when heglanced through the door connecting the dining room with the bar.

To his surprise, he saw Gernois standing there inconversation with the very stranger he had seen in the coffee-house at Bouira the day previous. He could not be mistaken,for there was the same strangely familiar attitude and figure,though the man's back was toward him.

As his eyes lingered on the two, Gernois looked up andcaught the intent expression on Tarzan's face. The strangerwas talking in a low whisper at the time, but the Frenchofficer immediately interrupted him, and the two at onceturned away and passed out of the range of Tarzan's vision.

This was the first suspicious occurrence that Tarzan hadever witnessed in connection with Gernois' actions, but hewas positive that the men had left the barroom solely becauseGernois had caught Tarzan's eyes upon them; then there wasthe persistent impression of familiarity about the strangerto further augment the ape-man's belief that here at lengthwas something which would bear watching.

A moment later Tarzan entered the barroom, but the menhad left, nor did he see aught of them in the street beyond,though he found a pretext to ride to various shops before heset out after the column which had now considerable start of him.He did not overtake them until he reached Sidi Aissa shortlyafter noon, where the soldiers had halted for an hour's rest.Here he found Gernois with the column, but there was nosign of the stranger.

It was market day at Sidi Aissa, and the numberless caravansof camels coming in from the desert, and the crowds ofbickering Arabs in the market place, filled Tarzan with aconsuming desire to remain for a day that he might see more ofthese sons of the desert. Thus it was that the company ofSPAHIS marched on that afternoon toward Bou Saada withouthim. He spent the hours until dark wandering about themarket in company with a youthful Arab, one Abdul, whohad been recommended to him by the innkeeper as a trustworthyservant and interpreter.

Here Tarzan purchased a better mount than the one hehad selected at Bouira, and, entering into conversation withthe stately Arab to whom the animal had belonged, learnedthat the seller was Kadour ben Saden, sheik of a desert tribefar south of Djelfa. Through Abdul, Tarzan invited his newacquaintance to dine with him. As the three were makingtheir way through the crowds of marketers, camels, donkeys,and horses that filled the market place with a confusingbabel of sounds, Abdul plucked at Tarzan's sleeve.

"Look, master, behind us," and he turned, pointing at afigure which disappeared behind a camel as Tarzan turned."He has been following us about all afternoon," continued Abdul.

"I caught only a glimpse of an Arab in a dark-blue burnooseand white turban," replied Tarzan. "Is it he you mean?"

"Yes. I suspected him because he seems a stranger here,without other business than following us, which is not theway of the Arab who is honest, and also because he keepsthe lower part of his face hidden, only his eyes showing.He must be a bad man, or he would have honest business ofhis own to occupy his time."

"He is on the wrong scent then, Abdul," replied Tarzan,"for no one here can have any grievance against me.This is my first visit to your country, and none knows me.He will soon discover his error, and cease to follow us."

"Unless he be bent on robbery," returned Abdul.

"Then all we can do is wait until he is ready to try hishand upon us," laughed Tarzan, "and I warrant that he willget his bellyful of robbing now that we are prepared forhim," and so he dismissed the subject from his mind, thoughhe was destined to recall it before many hours through a mostunlooked-for occurrence.

Kadour ben Saden, having dined well, prepared to take leaveof his host. With dignified protestations of friendship, heinvited Tarzan to visit him in his wild domain, where theantelope, the stag, the boar, the panther, and the lion mightstill be found in sufficient numbers to tempt an ardent huntsman.

On his departure the ape-man, with Abdul, wandered againinto the streets of Sidi Aissa, where he was soon attractedby the wild din of sound coming from the open doorway ofone of the numerous CAFES MAURES. It was after eight, andthe dancing was in full swing as Tarzan entered. The roomwas filled to repletion with Arabs. All were smoking, anddrinking their thick, hot coffee.

Tarzan and Abdul found seats near the center of the room,though the terrific noise produced by the musicians upontheir Arab drums and pipes would have rendered a seatfarther from them more acceptable to the quiet-loving ape-man.A rather good-looking Ouled-Nail was dancing, and, perceivingTarzan's European clothes, and scenting a generous gratuity,she threw her silken handkerchief upon his shoulder,to be rewarded with a franc.

When her place upon the floor had been taken by anotherthe bright-eyed Abdul saw her in conversation with twoArabs at the far side of the room, near a side door thatlet upon an inner court, around the gallery of which werethe rooms occupied by the girls who danced in this cafe.

At first he thought nothing of the matter, but presently henoticed from the corner of his eye one of the men nod intheir direction, and the girl turn and shoot a furtive glanceat Tarzan. Then the Arabs melted through the doorway intothe darkness of the court.

When it came again the girl's turn to dance she hoveredclose to Tarzan, and for the ape-man alone were her sweetestsmiles. Many an ugly scowl was cast upon the tall Europeanby swarthy, dark-eyed sons of the desert, but neither smilesnor scowls produced any outwardly visible effect upon him.Again the girl cast her handkerchief upon his shoulder, andagain was she rewarded with a franc piece. As she was stickingit upon her forehead, after the custom of her kind, shebent low toward Tarzan, whispering a quick word in his ear.

"There are two without in the court," she said quickly, inbroken French, "who would harm m'sieur. At first I promisedto lure you to them, but you have been kind, and I cannotdo it. Go quickly, before they find that I have failed them.I think that they are very bad men."

Tarzan thanked the girl, assuring her that he would be careful,and, having finished her dance, she crossed to the littledoorway and went out into the court. But Tarzan did not leavethe cafe as she had urged.

For another half hour nothing unusual occurred, then asurly-looking Arab entered the cafe from the street. He stoodnear Tarzan, where he deliberately made insulting remarksabout the European, but as they were in his native tongueTarzan was entirely innocent of their purport until Abdultook it upon himself to enlighten him.

"This fellow is looking for trouble," warned Abdul. "He isnot alone. In fact, in case of a disturbance, nearly everyman here would be against you. It would be better to leavequietly, master."

"Ask the fellow what he wants," commanded Tarzan.

"He says that `the dog of a Christian' insulted the Ouled-Nail, who belongs to him. He means trouble, m'sieur."

"Tell him that I did not insult his or any other Ouled-Nail, that I wish him to go away and leave me alone.That I have no quarrel with him, nor has he any with me."

"He says," replied Abdul, after delivering this message tothe Arab, "that besides being a dog yourself that you are theson of one, and that your grandmother was a hyena.Incidentally you are a liar."

The attention of those near by had now been attractedby the altercation, and the sneering laughs that followedthis torrent of invective easily indicated the trend of thesympathies of the majority of the audience.

Tarzan did not like being laughed at, neither did he relishthe terms applied to him by the Arab, but he showed nosign of anger as he arose from his seat upon the bench.A half smile played about his lips, but of a sudden a mightyfist shot into the face of the scowling Arab, and back of itwere the terrible muscles of the ape-man.

At the instant that the man fell a half dozen fierce plainsmensprang into the room from where they had apparently beenwaiting for their cue in the street before the cafe.With cries of "Kill the unbeliever!" and "Down with thedog of a Christian!" they made straight for Tarzan.A number of the younger Arabs in the audience sprang totheir feet to join in the assault upon the unarmed white man.Tarzan and Abdul were rushed back toward the end ofthe room by the very force of numbers opposing them.The young Arab remained loyal to his master, and withdrawn knife fought at his side.

With tremendous blows the ape-man felled all who camewithin reach of his powerful hands. He fought quietly andwithout a word, upon his lips the same half smile they hadworn as he rose to strike down the man who had insulted him.It seemed impossible that either he or Abdul could survive thesea of wicked-looking swords and knives that surroundedthem, but the very numbers of their assailants proved thebest bulwark of their safety. So closely packed was thehowling, cursing mob that no weapon could be wielded toadvantage, and none of the Arabs dared use a firearm forfear of wounding one of his compatriots.

Finally Tarzan succeeded in seizing one of the mostpersistent of his attackers. With a quick wrench he disarmedthe fellow, and then, holding him before them as a shield,he backed slowly beside Abdul toward the little door whichled into the inner courtyard. At the threshold he paused foran instant, and, lifting the struggling Arab above his head,hurled him, as though from a catapult, full in the faces ofhis on-pressing fellows.

Then Tarzan and Abdul stepped into the semidarkness ofthe court. The frightened Ouled-Nails were crouching at thetops of the stairs which led to their respective rooms, theonly light in the courtyard coming from the sickly candleswhich each girl had stuck with its own grease to the woodworkof her door-frame, the better to display her charmsto those who might happen to traverse the dark inclosure.

Scarcely had Tarzan and Abdul emerged from the room erea revolver spoke close at their backs from the shadowsbeneath one of the stairways, and as they turned to meet thisnew antagonist, two muffled figures sprang toward them,firing as they came. Tarzan leaped to meet these two newassailants. The foremost lay, a second later, in the trampleddirt of the court, disarmed and groaning from a broken wrist.Abdul's knife found the vitals of the second in the instantthat the fellow's revolver missed fire as he held it to thefaithful Arab's forehead.

The maddened horde within the cafe were now rushing out inpursuit of their quarry. The Ouled-Nails had extinguishedtheir candles at a cry from one of their number, and theonly light within the yard came feebly from the open andhalf-blocked door of the cafe. Tarzan had seized a swordfrom the man who had fallen before Abdul's knife, and nowhe stood waiting for the rush of men that was coming insearch of them through the darkness.

Suddenly he felt a light hand upon his shoulder from behind,and a woman's voice whispering, "Quick, m'sieur; this way. Follow me."

"Come, Abdul," said Tarzan, in a low tone, to the youth;"we can be no worse off elsewhere than we are here."

The woman turned and led them up the narrow stairwaythat ended at the door of her quarters. Tarzan was closebeside her. He saw the gold and silver bracelets upon herbare arms, the strings of gold coin that depended from her hairornaments, and the gorgeous colors of her dress. He saw thatshe was a Ouled-Nail, and instinctively he knew that shewas the same who had whispered the warning in his earearlier in the evening.

As they reached the top of the stairs they could hear theangry crowd searching the yard beneath.

"Soon they will search here," whispered the girl."They must not find you, for, though you fight with thestrength of many men, they will kill you in the end.Hasten; you can drop from the farther window of my room to thestreet beyond. Before they discover that you are no longer inthe court of the buildings you will be safe within the hotel."

But even as she spoke, several men had started up thestairway at the head of which they stood. There was a suddencry from one of the searchers. They had been discovered.Quickly the crowd rushed for the stairway. The foremostassailant leaped quickly upward, but at the top he met thesudden sword that he had not expected--the quarry had beenunarmed before.

With a cry, the man toppled back upon those behind him.Like tenpins they rolled down the stairs. The ancient andrickety structure could not withstand the strain of thisunwonted weight and jarring. With a creaking and rendingof breaking wood it collapsed beneath the Arabs, leavingTarzan, Abdul, and the girl alone upon the frail platformat the top.

"Come!" cried the Ouled-Nail. "They will reach us fromanother stairway through the room next to mine. We havenot a moment to spare."

Just as they were entering the room Abdul heard andtranslated a cry from the yard below for several to hastento the street and cut off escape from that side.

"We are lost now," said the girl simply.

"We?" questioned Tarzan.

"Yes, m'sieur," she responded; "they will kill me as well.Have I not aided you?"

This put a different aspect on the matter. Tarzan had ratherbeen enjoying the excitement and danger of the encounter.He had not for an instant supposed that either Abdul or thegirl could suffer except through accident, and he had onlyretreated just enough to keep from being killed himself.He had had no intention of running away until he saw thathe was hopelessly lost were he to remain.

Alone he could have sprung into the midst of that close-packed mob, and, laying about him after the fashion ofNuma, the lion, have struck the Arabs with such consternationthat escape would have been easy. Now he must thinkentirely of these two faithful friends.

He crossed to the window which overlooked the street. Ina minute there would be enemies below. Already he couldhear the mob clambering the stairway to the next quarters--they would be at the door beside him in another instant.He put a foot upon the sill and leaned out, but he did notlook down. Above him, within arm's reach, was the low roofof the building. He called to the girl. She came and stoodbeside him. He put a great arm about her and lifted her acrosshis shoulder.

"Wait here until I reach down for you from above," hesaid to Abdul. "In the meantime shove everything in theroom against that door--it may delay them long enough."Then he stepped to the sill of the narrow window with thegirl upon his shoulders. "Hold tight," he cautioned her.A moment later he had clambered to the roof above with theease and dexterity of an ape. Setting the girl down, he leanedfar over the roof's edge, calling softly to Abdul. The youthran to the window.

"Your hand," whispered Tarzan. The men in the room beyondwere battering at the door. With a sudden crash it fellsplintering in, and at the same instant Abdul felt himselflifted like a feather onto the roof above. They were not amoment too soon, for as the men broke into the room whichthey had just quitted a dozen more rounded the corner in thestreet below and came running to a spot beneath the girl's window.