Part 9 (2/2)
”All mine, monsieur Your wife is a very pure woman She loves only you The fault that you saas all ht me there was no fault of either the Countess de Coude or myself Here is a paper which will quite positively demonstrate that,” and Tarzan drew froned
De Coude took it and read D'Arnot and Monsieur Flaubert had drawn near They were interested spectators of this strange ending of a strange duel None spoke until De Coude had quite finished, then he looked up at Tarzan
”You are a very brave and chivalrous gentleman,” he said ”I thank God that I did not kill you”
De Coude was a Frenchman Frenchmen are impulsive He threw his arms about Tarzan and embraced him Monsieur Flaubert embraced D'Arnot
There was no one to embrace the doctor So possibly it was pique which prompted him to interfere, and demand that he be perentleman was hit once at least,” he said ”Possibly thrice”
”Twice,” said Tarzan ”Once in the left shoulder, and again in the left side--both flesh wounds, I think” But the doctor insisted upon stretching hi with him until the wounds were cleansed and the flow of blood checked
One result of the duel was that they all rode back to Paris together in D'Arnot's car, the best of friends De Coude was so relieved to have had this double assurance of his wife's loyalty that he felt no rancor at all toward Tarzan It is true that the latter had assuhtly his, but if he lied a little he may be excused, for he lied in the service of a woentleman
The ape-man was confined to his bed for several days He felt that it was foolish and unnecessary, but the doctor and D'Arnot took the h it h to think of it
”It is droll,” he said to D'Arnot ”To lie abed because of a pin prick! Why, when Bolgani, the king gorilla, tore me almost to pieces, while I was still but a little boy, did I have a nice soft bed to lie on? No, only the dale Hidden beneath some friendly bush I lay for days and weeks with only Kala to nurse me--poor, faithful Kala, who kept the insects from my wounds and warned off the beasts of prey
”When I called for water she brought it to me in her own mouth--the only way she knew to carry it There was no sterilized gauze, there was no antiseptic bandage--there was nothing that would not have driven our dear doctor mad to have seen Yet I recovered--recovered to lie in bed because of a tiny scratch that one of the jungle folk would scarce realize unless it were upon the end of his nose”
But the time was soon over, and before he realized it Tarzan found hiain Several times De Coude had called, and when he found that Tarzan was anxious for employment of some nature he promised to see what could be done to find a berth for hio out that he received ahim to call at the count's office that afternoon
He found De Coude awaiting hiratulation that he was once more upon his feet Neither had everupon the field of honor
”I think that I have found just the thing for you, Monsieur Tarzan,”
said the count ”It is a position of much trust and responsibility, which also requires considerably physical courage and prowess I cannot iine a man better fitted than you, my dear Monsieur Tarzan, for this very position It will necessitate travel, and later it may lead to a very much better post--possibly in the diplomatic service
”At first, for a short tient in the service of the entleman ill be your chief He can explain the duties better than I, and then you will be in a position to judge if you wish to accept or no”
De Coude himself escorted Tarzan to the office of General Rochere, the chief of the bureau to which Tarzan would be attached if he accepted the position There the count left hieneral of the many attributes possessed by the ape-man which should fit him for the work of the service
A half hour later Tarzan walked out of the office the possessor of the first position he had ever held On the h General Rochere had ht prepare to leave Paris for an almost indefinite period, possibly on the s of the keenest elation that he hastened hoood news to D'Arnot At last he was to be of some value in the world He was to earn money, and, best of all, to travel and see the world
He could scarcely wait to get well inside D'Arnot's sitting roos D'Arnot was not so pleased
”It seeht you to think that you are to leave Paris, and that we shall not see each other for rateful beast!” and D'Arnot laughed
”No, Paul; I am a little child I have a new toy, and I am tickled to death”
And so it ca day Tarzan left Paris en route for Marseilles and Oran
Chapter 7
The Dancing Girl of Sidi Aissa