On the same day that Kadour ben Saden rode south thediligence from the north brought Tarzan a letter fromD'Arnot which had been forwarded from Sidi-bel-Abbes.It opened the old wound that Tarzan would havebeen glad to have forgotten; yet he was not sorry thatD'Arnot had written, for one at least of his subjects couldnever cease to interest the ape-man. Here is the letter:

MY DEAR JEAN:

Since last I wrote you I have been across to London on amatter of business. I was there but three days. The very firstday I came upon an old friend of yours--quite unexpectedly--inHenrietta Street. Now you never in the world would guess whom.None other than Mr. Samuel T. Philander. But it is true.I can see your look of incredulity. Nor is this all.He insisted that I return to the hotel with him, and thereI found the others--Professor Archimedes Q. Porter, MissPorter, and that enormous black woman, Miss Porter's maid--Esmeralda, you will recall. While I was there Claytoncame in. They are to be married soon, or rather sooner, forI rather suspect that we shall receive announcements almostany day. On account of his father's death it is to be avery quiet affair--only blood relatives.

While I was alone with Mr. Philander the old fellow becamerather confidential. Said Miss Porter had already postponedthe wedding on three different occasions. He confidedthat it appeared to him that she was not particularly anxiousto marry Clayton at all; but this time it seems that it isquite likely to go through.

Of course they all asked after you, but I respected yourwishes in the matter of your true origin, and only spoke tothem of your present affairs.

Miss Porter was especially interested in everything I hadto say about you, and asked many questions. I am afraid Itook a rather unchivalrous delight in picturing your desireand resolve to go back eventually to your native jungle.I was sorry afterward, for it did seem to cause her realanguish to contemplate the awful dangers to which you wishedto return. "And yet," she said, "I do not know. There aremore unhappy fates than the grim and terrible jungle presentsto Monsieur Tarzan. At least his conscience will be freefrom remorse. And there are moments of quiet and restfulnessby day, and vistas of exquisite beauty. You may find itstrange that I should say it, who experienced such terrifyingexperiences in that frightful forest, yet at times I long toreturn, for I cannot but feel that the happiest moments ofmy life were spent there."

There was an expression of ineffable sadness on her faceas she spoke, and I could not but feel that she knew that Iknew her secret, and that this was her way of transmittingto you a last tender message from a heart that might stillenshrine your memory, though its possessor belonged to another.

Clayton appeared nervous and ill at ease while you werethe subject of conversation. He wore a worried and harassedexpression. Yet he was very kindly in his expressions ofinterest in you. I wonder if he suspects the truth about you?

Tennington came in with Clayton. They are great friends,you know. He is about to set out upon one of his interminablecruises in that yacht of his, and was urging the entire partyto accompany him. Tried to inveigle me into it, too.Is thinking of circumnavigating Africa this time. I told himthat his precious toy would take him and some of his friendsto the bottom of the ocean one of these days if he didn't getit out of his head that she was a liner or a battleship.

I returned to Paris day before yesterday, and yesterday Imet the Count and Countess de Coude at the races. Theyinquired after you. De Coude really seems quite fond of you.Doesn't appear to harbor the least ill will. Olga is asbeautiful as ever, but a trifle subdued. I imagine that shelearned a lesson through her acquaintance with you that willserve her in good stead during the balance of her life. It isfortunate for her, and for De Coude as well, that it was youand not another man more sophisticated.

Had you really paid court to Olga's heart I am afraid thatthere would have been no hope for either of you.

She asked me to tell you that Nikolas had left France.She paid him twenty thousand francs to go away, and stay.She is congratulating herself that she got rid of him beforehe tried to carry out a threat he recently made her that heshould kill you at the first opportunity. She said that sheshould hate to think that her brother's blood was on yourhands, for she is very fond of you, and made no bones insaying so before the count. It never for a moment seemed tooccur to her that there might be any possibility of any otheroutcome of a meeting between you and Nikolas. The countquite agreed with her in that. He added that it would take aregiment of Rokoffs to kill you. He has a most healthyrespect for your prowess.

Have been ordered back to my ship. She sails from Havre intwo days under sealed orders. If you will address me in hercare, the letters will find me eventually. I shall write youas soon as another opportunity presents.Your sincere friend,PAUL D'ARNOT.

"I fear," mused Tarzan, half aloud, "that Olga has thrownaway her twenty thousand francs."

He read over that part of D'Arnot's letter several timesin which he had quoted from his conversation with JanePorter. Tarzan derived a rather pathetic happiness fromit, but it was better than no happiness at all.

The following three weeks were quite uneventful. Onseveral occasions Tarzan saw the mysterious Arab, and onceagain he had been exchanging words with Lieutenant Gernois;but no amount of espionage or shadowing by Tarzan revealedthe Arab's lodgings, the location of which Tarzan wasanxious to ascertain.

Gernois, never cordial, had kept more than ever alooffrom Tarzan since the episode in the dining-room of thehotel at Aumale. His attitude on the few occasions thatthey had been thrown together had been distinctly hostile.

That he might keep up the appearance of the characterhe was playing, Tarzan spent considerable time hunting inthe vicinity of Bou Saada. He would spend entire days inthe foothills, ostensibly searching for gazelle, but on thefew occasions that he came close enough to any of thebeautiful little animals to harm them he invariably allowedthem to escape without so much as taking his rifle from itsboot. The ape-man could see no sport in slaughtering themost harmless and defenseless of God's creatures for themere pleasure of killing.

In fact, Tarzan had never killed for "pleasure," nor tohim was there pleasure in killing. It was the joy of righteousbattle that he loved--the ecstasy of victory. And the keenand successful hunt for food in which he pitted his skilland craftiness against the skill and craftiness of another;but to come out of a town filled with food to shoot down asoft-eyed, pretty gazelle--ah, that was crueller than thedeliberate and cold-blooded murder of a fellow man.Tarzan would have none of it, and so he hunted alonethat none might discover the sham that he was practicing.

And once, probably because of the fact that he rode alone,he was like to have lost his life. He was riding slowlythrough a little ravine when a shot sounded close behindhim, and a bullet passed through the cork helmet he wore.Although he turned at once and galloped rapidly to the topof the ravine, there was no sign of any enemy, nor did hesee aught of another human being until he reached Bou Saada.

"Yes," he soliloquized, in recalling the occurrence,"Olga has indeed thrown away her twenty thousand francs."

That night he was Captain Gerard's guest at a little dinner.

"Your hunting has not been very fortunate?" questionedthe officer.

"No," replied Tarzan; "the game hereabout is timid, nor doI care particularly about hunting game birds or antelope.I think I shall move on farther south, and have a try atsome of your Algerian lions."

"Good!" exclaimed the captain. "We are marching toward Djelfaon the morrow. You shall have company that far at least.Lieutenant Gernois and I, with a hundred men, are orderedsouth to patrol a district in which the marauders are givingconsiderable trouble. Possibly we may have the pleasureof hunting the lion together--what say you?"

Tarzan was more than pleased, nor did he hesitate to say so;but the captain would have been astonished had he knownthe real reason of Tarzan's pleasure. Gernois was sittingopposite the ape-man. He did not seem so pleased with hiscaptain's invitation.

"You will find lion hunting more exciting than gazelleshooting," remarked Captain Gerard, "and more dangerous."

"Even gazelle shooting has its dangers," replied Tarzan."Especially when one goes alone. I found it so today.I also found that while the gazelle is the most timidof animals, it is not the most cowardly."

He let his glance rest only casually upon Gernois afterhe had spoken, for he did not wish the man to know that hewas under suspicion, or surveillance, no matter what hemight think. The effect of his remark upon him, however,might tend to prove his connection with, or knowledge of,certain recent happenings. Tarzan saw a dull red creep upfrom beneath Gernois' collar. He was satisfied, and quicklychanged the subject.

When the column rode south from Bou Saada the nextmorning there were half a dozen Arabs bringing up the rear.

"They are not attached to the command," replied Gerardin response to Tarzan's query. "They merely accompany uson the road for companionship."

Tarzan had learned enough about Arab character sincehe had been in Algeria to know that this was no real motive,for the Arab is never overfond of the companionship ofstrangers, and especially of French soldiers. So hissuspicions were aroused, and he decided to keep a sharp eyeon the little party that trailed behind the column at a distanceof about a quarter of a mile. But they did not come closeenough even during the halts to enable him to obtain aclose scrutiny of them.

He had long been convinced that there were hired assassinson his trail, nor was he in great doubt but that Rokoff wasat the bottom of the plot. Whether it was to be revenge forthe several occasions in the past that Tarzan had defeated theRussian's purposes and humiliated him, or was in some wayconnected with his mission in the Gernois affair, he could notdetermine. If the latter, and it seemed probable since theevidence he had had that Gernois suspected him, then hehad two rather powerful enemies to contend with, for therewould be many opportunities in the wilds of Algeria, forwhich they were bound, to dispatch a suspected enemyquietly and without attracting suspicion.

After camping at Djelfa for two days the column moved to thesouthwest, from whence word had come that the marauders wereoperating against the tribes whose DOUARS were situatedat the foot of the mountains.

The little band of Arabs who had accompanied them fromBou Saada had disappeared suddenly the very night thatorders had been given to prepare for the morrow's marchfrom Djelfa. Tarzan made casual inquiries among the men,but none could tell him why they had left, or in whatdirection they had gone. He did not like the looks of it,especially in view of the fact that he had seen Gernois inconversation with one of them some half hour after CaptainGerard had issued his instructions relative to the new move.Only Gernois and Tarzan knew the direction of the proposed march.All the soldiers knew was that they were to be prepared tobreak camp early the next morning. Tarzan wondered ifGernois could have revealed their destination to the Arabs.

Late that afternoon they went into camp at a little oasis inwhich was the DOUAR of a sheik whose flocks were beingstolen, and whose herdsmen were being killed. The Arabscame out of their goatskin tents, and surrounded the soldiers,asking many questions in the native tongue, for the soldierswere themselves natives. Tarzan, who, by this time, with theassistance of Abdul, had picked up quite a smattering ofArab, questioned one of the younger men who had accompaniedthe sheik while the latter paid his respects to Captain Gerard.

No, he had seen no party of six horsemen riding fromthe direction of Djelfa. There were other oases scatteredabout--possibly they had been journeying to one of these.Then there were the marauders in the mountains above--they often rode north to Bou Saada in small parties, andeven as far as Aumale and Bouira. It might indeed have beena few marauders returning to the band from a pleasure tripto one of these cities.

Early the next morning Captain Gerard split his commandin two, giving Lieutenant Gernois command of one party,while he headed the other. They were to scour the mountainsupon opposite sides of the plain.

"And with which detachment will Monsieur Tarzan ride?"asked the captain. "Or maybe it is that monsieur does notcare to hunt marauders?"

"Oh, I shall be delighted to go," Tarzan hastened to explain.He was wondering what excuse he could make to accompany Gernois.His embarrassment was short-lived, and was relieved from a mostunexpected source. It was Gernois himself who spoke.

"If my captain will forego the pleasure of Monsieur Tarzan'scompany for this once, I shall esteem it an honor indeedto have monsieur ride with me today," he said, nor was histone lacking in cordiality. In fact, Tarzan imaginedthat he had overdone it a trifle, but, even so, he was bothastounded and pleased, hastening to express his delight atthe arrangement.

And so it was that Lieutenant Gernois and Tarzan rodeoff side by side at the head of the little detachment ofSPAHIS. Gernois' cordiality was short-lived. No soonehad they ridden out of sight of Captain Gerard and his menthan he lapsed once more into his accustomed taciturnity.As they advanced the ground became rougher. Steadily it ascendedtoward the mountains, into which they filed through a narrowcanon close to noon. By the side of a little rivuletGernois called the midday halt. Here the men prepared andate their frugal meal, and refilled their canteens.

After an hour's rest they advanced again along the canon,until they presently came to a little valley, from whichseveral rocky gorges diverged. Here they halted, whileGernois minutely examined the surrounding heights fromthe center of the depression.

"We shall separate here," he said, "several riding into eachof these gorges," and then he commenced to detail his varioussquads and issue instructions to the non-commissioned officerswho were to command them. When he had done he turned to Tarzan."Monsieur will be so good as to remain here until we return."

Tarzan demurred, but the officer cut him short. "There maybe fighting for one of these sections," he said, "andtroops cannot be embarrassed by civilian noncombatantsduring action."

"But, my dear lieutenant," expostulated Tarzan, "I ammost ready and willing to place myself under commandof yourself or any of your sergeants or corporals, and tofight in the ranks as they direct. It is what I came for."

"I should be glad to think so," retorted Gernois, with asneer he made no attempt to disguise. Then shortly:"You are under my orders, and they are that you remain hereuntil we return. Let that end the matter," and he turned andspurred away at the head of his men. A moment later Tarzanfound himself alone in the midst of a desolate mountain fastness.

The sun was hot, so he sought the shelter of a nearbytree, where he tethered his horse, and sat down upon theground to smoke. Inwardly he swore at Gernois for the trickhe had played upon him. A mean little revenge, thoughtTarzan, and then suddenly it occurred to him that the manwould not be such a fool as to antagonize him through atrivial annoyance of so petty a description. There must besomething deeper than this behind it. With the thought hearose and removed his rifle from its boot. He looked to itsloads and saw that the magazine was full. Then he inspectedhis revolver. After this preliminary precaution he scanned thesurrounding heights and the mouths of the several gorges--he was determined that he should not be caught napping.

The sun sank lower and lower, yet there was no sign ofreturning SPAHIS. At last the valley was submerged inshadow Tarzan was too proud to go back to camp until he hadgiven the detachment ample time to return to the valley,which he thought was to have been their rendezvous.With the closing in of night he felt safer from attack, forhe was at home in the dark. He knew that none might approachhim so cautiously as to elude those alert and sensitiveears of his; then there were his eyes, too, for he couldsee well at night; and his nose, if they came toward himfrom up-wind, would apprise him of the approach of an enemywhile they were still a great way off.

So he felt that he was in little danger, and thus lulledto a sense of security he fell asleep, with his back againstthe tree.

He must have slept for several hours, for when he wassuddenly awakened by the frightened snorting and plungingof his horse the moon was shining full upon the little valley,and there, not ten paces before him, stood the grim cause ofthe terror of his mount.

Superb, majestic, his graceful tail extended and quivering,and his two eyes of fire riveted full upon his prey, stoodNuma EL ADREA, the black lion. A little thrill of joytingled through Tarzan's nerves. It was like meeting an oldfriend after years of separation. For a moment he sat rigid toenjoy the magnificent spectacle of this lord of the wilderness.

But now Numa was crouching for the spring. Very slowlyTarzan raised his gun to his shoulder. He had never killed alarge animal with a gun in all his life--heretofore he haddepended upon his spear, his poisoned arrows, his rope, hisknife, or his bare hands. Instinctively he wished that he hadhis arrows and his knife--he would have felt surer with them.

Numa was lying quite flat upon the ground now, presentingonly his head. Tarzan would have preferred to fire a littlefrom one side, for he knew what terrific damage the lioncould do if he lived two minutes, or even a minute after hewas hit. The horse stood trembling in terror at Tarzan's back.The ape-man took a cautious step to one side--Numa but followedhim with his eyes. Another step he took, and then another.Numa had not moved. Now he could aim at a point betweenthe eye and the ear.

His finger tightened upon the trigger, and as he firedNuma sprang. At the same instant the terrified horsemade a last frantic effort to escape--the tether parted,and he went careening down the canon toward the desert.

No ordinary man could have escaped those frightful clawswhen Numa sprang from so short a distance, but Tarzan wasno ordinary man. From earliest childhood his muscles hadbeen trained by the fierce exigencies of his existence to actwith the rapidity of thought. As quick as was EL ADREA,Tarzan of the Apes was quicker, and so the great beastcrashed against a tree where he had expected to feel the softflesh of man, while Tarzan, a couple of paces to the right,pumped another bullet into him that brought him clawingand roaring to his side.

Twice more Tarzan fired in quick succession, and thenEL ADREA lay still and roared no more. It was no longerMonsieur Jean Tarzan; it was Tarzan of the Apes that put asavage foot upon the body of his savage kill, and, raisinghis face to the full moon, lifted his mighty voice in the weirdand terrible challenge of his kind--a bull ape had made his kill.And the wild things in the wild mountains stopped in theirhunting, and trembled at this new and awful voice,while down in the desert the children of the wilderness cameout of their goatskin tents and looked toward the mountains,wondering what new and savage scourge had come to devastatetheir flocks.

A half mile from the valley in which Tarzan stood, a scoreof white-robed figures, bearing long, wicked-looking guns,halted at the sound, and looked at one another withquestioning eyes. But presently, as it was not repeated,they took up their silent, stealthy way toward the valley.

Tarzan was now confident that Gernois had no intentionof returning for him, but he could not fathom the objectthat had prompted the officer to desert him, yet leave himfree to return to camp. His horse gone, he decided that itwould be foolish to remain longer in the mountains, so heset out toward the desert.

He had scarcely entered the confines of the canon whenthe first of the white-robed figures emerged into the valleyupon the opposite side. For a moment they scanned the littledepression from behind sheltering bowlders, but when theyhad satisfied themselves that it was empty they advancedacross it. Beneath the tree at one side they came upon thebody of EL ADREA. With muttered exclamations they crowdedabout it. Then, a moment later, they hurried down the canonwhich Tarzan was threading a brief distance in advance of them.They moved cautiously and in silence, taking advantage of shelter,as men do who are stalking man.