Part 13 (2/2)

And once, probably because of the fact that he rode alone, he was like to have lost his life He was riding slowly through a little ravine when a shot sounded close behind hih the cork helalloped rapidly to the top of the ravine, there was no sign of any ene until he reached Bou Saada

”Yes,” he soliloquized, in recalling the occurrence, ”Olga has indeed throay her twenty thousand francs”

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

”Your hunting has not been very fortunate?” questioned the officer

”No,” replied Tarzan; ”the game hereabout is tiame birds or antelope I think I shall erian lions”

”Good!” exclai toward Djelfa on the morrow You shall have company that far at least Lieutenant Gernois and I, with a hundred men, are ordered south to patrol a district in which theconsiderable trouble Possibly we ether--what say you?”

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

”You will find lion hunting ,”

reazelle 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 timid of anilance rest only casually upon Gernois after he had spoken, for he did not wish the man to know that he was under suspicion, or surveillance, no ht think The effect of his reht tend to prove his connection with, or knowledge of, certain recent happenings Tarzan saw a dull red creep up froed the subject

When the colu there were half a dozen Arabs bringing up the rear

”They are not attached to the command,” replied Gerard in response to Tarzan's query ”They merely accompany us on the road for coh about Arab character since he had been in Algeria to know that this was no real motive, for the Arab is never overfond of the coers, and especially of French soldiers So his suspicions were aroused, and he decided to keep a sharp eye on the little party that trailed behind the column at a distance of about a quarter of athe halts to enable hi been convinced that there were hired assassins on his trail, nor was he in great doubt but that Rokoff was at the bottoe for the several occasions in the past that Tarzan had defeated the Russian's purposes and humiliated him, or was in some way connected with his mission in the Gernois affair, he could not determine If the latter, and it seemed probable since the evidence he had had that Gernois suspected him, then he had two rather powerful enemies to contend with, for there would be eria, for which they were bound, to dispatch a suspected ene suspicion

After ca at Djelfa for two days the column moved to the southwest, froainst the tribes whose DOUARS were situated at the foot of the mountains

The little band of Arabs who had accompanied theht that orders had been given to prepare for thethe men, but none could tell hione He did not like the looks of it, especially in view of the fact that he had seen Gernois in conversation with one of them some half hour after Captain Gerard had issued his instructions relative to the new move Only Gernois and Tarzan knew the direction of the proposed march All the soldiers kneas that they were to be prepared to break ca Tarzan wondered if Gernois could have revealed their destination to the Arabs

Late that afternoon they went into camp at a little oasis in which was the DOUAR of a sheik whose flocks were being stolen, and whose herdsoatskin tents, and surrounded the soldiers, asking ue, for the soldiers were themselves natives Tarzan, who, by this time, with the assistance of Abdul, had picked up quite a ser men who had accompanied the sheik while the latter paid his respects to Captain Gerard

No, he had seen no party of six horse from the direction of Djelfa There were other oases scattered about--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 sht indeed have been a fewto the band from a pleasure trip to one of these cities

Early the nextLieutenant Gernois command of one party, while he headed the other

They were to scour the mountains upon opposite sides of the plain

”And hich detachment will Monsieur Tarzan ride?” asked the captain ”Or maybe it is that monsieur does not care to hunt o,” Tarzan hastened to explain He ondering what excuse he could make to accompany Gernois His embarrassment was short-lived, and was relieved from a most unexpected source It was Gernois hio the pleasure of Monsieur Tarzan's company for this once, I shall esteem it an honor indeed to have monsieur ride within cordiality In fact, Tarzan iined that he had overdone it a trifle, but, even so, he was both astounded and pleased, hastening to express his delight at the arrangement

And so it was that Lieutenant Gernois and Tarzan rode off side by side at the head of the little detachment of SPAHIS Gernois' cordiality was short-lived No sooner had they ridden out of sight of Captain Gerard and his men than he lapsed once round becaher Steadily it ascended toward the h a narrow canon close to noon By the side of a little rivulet Gernois called the al meal, and refilled their canteens

After an hour's rest they advanced again along the canon, until they presently caed Here they halted, while Gernois hts from the center of the depression

”We shall separate here,” he said, ”several riding into each of these gorges,” and then he commenced to detail his various squads and issue instructions to the non-commissioned officers ere to command them

When he had done he turned to Tarzan ”Monsieur will be so good as to remain here until we return”

Tarzan de for one of these sections,” he said, ”and troops cannot be e action”