THURSDAY, JULY 2, 1914.
PLATTSMOUTH SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL.
PAGE 7.
Copyrijht. 1013. by
PROLOGUE.
Readers of "Tarzart of the
Apes" there were millions of
them have been awaiting with
eagerness "The Return of Tar
zan." They need no introduc
tion to the ape-man, who was
cn English lord by ancestry and
an inhabitant of the ireetops by
fate until the same fata brought
him out and made him a civilized
men after twenty years of life
among the great apes of Africa.
His adventures, as wonderful and
interesting as any set forth in
words, have been the center of
interest in a story that is unique
in its originality.
.YJow we have "The Return of
Tarzan," cs thrilling as its fore
runner. In it are told the fur
ther adventures of the splendid
ape-man, rjho at lest wins his
way to the side of his true love
after facing countless perils by
land and sea.
Whoever reed "Tarzan cf the
Apes" needs no invitation to
peruse this story. Others are
warned that after they read this
sequel to "Tarzan of the Apes"
they won't be satisfied until they
have read that story also.
CHAPTER V.
A Plot Against a Woman.
, OR a mouth Tarzan v.-as a regu
lar and vry welcome devotee
at the shrine of the beautiful
Counters de Coude. Often he
liiet other members of the select little
totetle tliat dropped in for tea of an
afternoon. More often Olga found de
vieos that would give her an hour of
Ti-rzna alone. She prcw to speculate
much upon the strange force which
teemed to attract her toward the gray
eyed stranger. She did not wish to
love Lim. nor did she wish his love,
lie was honorable a::d chivalrous. She
was not afraid of hini. That she could
trust liiru she Lad felt instinctively
from the first.
From a distance Kclco.T Lad watched
this growing intimacy with malicious
p lee. Ever since he had learned that
Tarzan knew that he was a Itussiin
spy there Lad been added to his hatred
fur the ape-man a groat fear that he
would expose him. lie was hut wait
ing now uutil th moment was pro
pitiou for a master stroke.
Tarzan was nearer to contentment
than he Lad lee:i since the peace and
tranquillity of Ins jung'e had been
broken in upon by the advent of the
marooned Porter party.
Sometimes D'Arnot accompanied him
on his visits to the De Coude home, tor
he had lor.;; known both Olira and the
count. Occasionally De Coude ('rep
IK'd in. but the multitudinous affairs
of Lis official position and the never
ending demands f politics kept Lim
from home usually until late at nir!.t.
llokoff spiel upon Tarzan almo-t
constantly, waiting for the time that
he slnuld call at the De Omde palace
at night, but in this he was doomed to
disappointment.
Finding that it seemed impossible to
trap Tarzan through any voluntary act
of his own. llokoff and Paulvitch put
their heads together to hutch a dan
th -t would trap the ape-man iu all the
circumstantial evidence of a compro
mising position.
For clays they watched the papers as
well as the movements of Le Coude
and Tarzan. At length they were re
warded. A morning paper made brief
mention of a smoker that was t be
given on the following evening by the
tcruiau ambassador. le Coude's name
was anions; those of the invited guests.
If he attended this meant that he
would be absent from his home until
after midnight.
On the night of the banquet Paul
vitch waited at the curb before the res
idence of the ambassador, where he
could scan the face of each guest that
arrived. lit had not long to wait be
fore De Coude descended from his car
and passed Lim. That was enough,
raulvitch hastened back to his quar
ters, where Iiokoff awaited Lim. There
they waited until after 11. then Fan!-;
ritch took down the receiver of their
telephone. lie called the number of
the apartments of Lieutenant D'Arnot.
M. Tarzan?
"Ah. yes, monsieur, this is Francois
In the service of the Countess do
Com!". Possibly monsieur does poor
Francois the honor to recall him yes T j
"Yes, monsieur. I Lave a message.
an urgent message from the countess. (
i - 1 A. '
She asks that you nasien io ner ai
once she Is in trouble, monsieur."
Fauivitcn nung up iue receiver ..r:-i queut of fQ(, t)jll ;,p,H,ai of defense
turned to grin at Kokoff. j jSH w-olJian to ber natural protector
"it will take Lim thlrtjrmfnatgs toet Tiirzan too!i oue of tjie warm
x&. U S,i
V. G. Ctia.prr.mn
there. If you reach the Herman am-t;asfd.-r's
in fifteen De Coude should
arrive at his home in about forty-five
minutes. It all depends upon whether
the fool will remain fifteen minutes
after he finds that a triek lias been
played upon him. but unless I am mis
taken Ola will be loath to let him go
in so short a time as that. Here is
the note for De Coude. Hasten:"
Panlvitch lost no time in reaching the
Herman ambassador's. At the door he
Landed the note to a footman. "This
i for the Count de Coude. It is very
urgent. You must see that it is placed
in l is hands at once," and he dropped
a piece of silver into the willing hand
of the servant. Then he returned to
his quarters.
A mouiei.t later De Coude was apol
ogizing to Lis host as he tore open the
envelope. What he read left his face
white and his hand trembling:
M. le Count df Couoe One win wishes
to Five the honor rf your name takes
rr.onn to warn you tiiat trie s-anotity of
yf iir hoT-e is this m:m:te in ioopar.ly.
A certain ran who for inortiis lias been
n constant visitor there daring your ab
sence is now with yo.;r 'wife. If you ro
or: cc to yoc.r rountess boudoir yn will
f.r.d them together. A FRiKNI.
Twenty minutes after Paulvitch hid
crl'ed Tarzan. Iiokoff obtained a con
nec'ion with (ilea's private lino. Her
tv.vl aiiswerel the telephone; which
wa in t he countess" boudoir.
'Tint madame has retired." said the
maid in answer to IIokofT's request to
speak with her.
"This is a very urgent messacre for
the countess" ears alone." replied IIo
koil. "Tell her that she must arise
and slip something about her and come
to the telephone. I shall call up again
in live minutes." Then he hung up his
receiver. A moment later Paulvitch
entered.
""The count lias the message?" asked
Iiokoff.
"lie should be on his way to his
home by now.' replied Paulvitch.
"Good! My lady will be sitting in
her boudoir, very much in negligee,
about now. In a minute the faithful
Jacques will escort M. Tarzan into her
presence without announcing him. The
count will break in upon a very pretty
love scene in about rifteeu minutes
from now. 1 think we Lave planned
marve!"U!y. my dear Alexis. Let us
K out and drink to the very good
health cf M. Tarzan in some of old
Plancon's unparalleled absinth, not for
getting that the Count de Coude is one
of the best swordsmen in Pans and
by far the best shot in all Fra;jee."
Yheu Tarzan reached Olga's Jacques
was awaiting him at the entrance.
"This way. monsieur." he said and
led the way up the broad marble stair
case. In another moment he had open
ed a door and. drawing aside a heavy
curtain, obsequiously bowed Tarzan
into a dimly lighted apartment Then
Jacques vanished.
Across the room from him Tarzan
saw Olga seated before a little-desk
on which stood her telephone. She wa
tapping impatiently upon the polished
surface of the desk. She bad not
heard him enter.
"Olga." he said, "what is wrong?"
She turned toward him with a little
cry of alarm.
"Jean:" she cried. "What are you
doing here? Who admitted you:
What des it mean?"
Tarzan was thunderstruck, but in an
instant he realized a part of the truth.
"Then you did not send for me.
Olga?"
"Send for you at this time of night;
Jean, do you think that I am quite
mad?"
"Fraucoi.? telephoned me to come at
once; that you were in trouble and
wanted me."
"Francois? Who in the world is
Francois?"
"He said that he was in your serv
ice. ITe spoke as though I should re
call the fact."
"There is no one by that name in my
employ. Some one has played a joke
upon you. Jean." and Olga laughed.
"I fear that it may be a most sinister
joke.' Olga." he replied. "There is
more tack of it than humor."
"What do you mean? You do not
think that"
"Where is the count?" he inter
rupted. "At the Herman ambassador's."
"This is another move by your esti
mable brother. Tomorrow the count
will hear of it. He will question the
servants. Everything will point to
to what Iiokoff wishes the count V
think."
"The scoundrel V cried Olga. She
had arisen and come close to Tarzan.
where she stood !Hkiug up into his
face. She was very frightened. In
her eyes was an expression that the
hunter sees in those of a por. terri-
j tied doe puzzled, questioning. Her
look, her attitude, her words were elo-
little hands in his own strong one.
The act was quite involuntary and al
most equally so was the instinct of
protection that threw a sheltering arm
around the girl's shoulders.
The result was electrical. Xever be
fore had he been so close to her. In
startled guilt they looked suddenly into
each other's eyes and where Olga de
Coude should have been strong she
was weak, for she crept closer into the
man's arms and clasped her own about
his neck. And Tarzan of the Apes?
He took her into his mighty arms and
covered her lips with kisses.
Kaoul de Coude made hurried ex
cuses to his host after he had read the
note handed him by the ambassador's
butler. Never afterward could he re
call the nature of the excuses he made.
Every t lung was quite a blur to him
up to the time that he stood on the
threshold of his own home. Then he
became very oof I. moving quietly and
with caution. For some inexplicable
reason Jacques had the door open be
fore he was halfway to the steps. It
did not strike him at the time as being
unusual, though afterward he remark
ed it.
Very softly he t:p!oed up the stairs
and along the gallery to the door of
his wife's boudoir. In bis hand was a
heavy walking stick iu his heart mur
der. Olga was the first to see him. With
a horilied shriek she tore herself from
Taran's arms and the ape-man turned
just iu time to ward with his arm a
terrp :e blow that De Coude had aimed
at Lis head. Once, twice, three times
the heavy stick fell with liirhtuiug
rapidity and each blow aided in the
transition of the ape-man luck to the
primordial.
With the low. guttural snarl of the
bull ape he sprang for the Frenchman.
The great stick was torn from his
grasp and broken in two as though it
had been matchwood, to be flung aside
as the now infuriated beast charged
for his adversary's throat.
Oi;:a de Coude stood a horrified spec
tator to the terrible scene which en
sued during the next brief moment,
then she sprang to where Tarzan was
murdering her husband choking the
life from him shaking him as a ter
rier tniirht shake a nit.
Frantically she tare at Ids great
Lauds. "Mother of Hod'" she cried.
"You are killing him. you are killing
him! Oh. Juan, you are killing iny
husband!"
Tarzan was deaf with rage. Sudden
ly he hurled the body to the Coor. and.
placing his foot upon the upturned
breast, raised his head. Then through
the palace of the Count do Coude rang
the awesome challenge of the bull ape
that has in: de a kill. From oeliar to
at tie the horrid sound searched out the
servants and left them blanched and
trembling. The woman in the room
sank to her knees beside the lnxly of
her husband and prayed.
Slowly the red mist faded from be
fore Tarzan's eyes. Things began to
take form he was regaining the per
spective of civilized man. His eves fell
u;hii) the figure of the kneeling woman.
"Olga, he whispered. She looked up.
'
ftilf
She Tore Herself From Tarzan's Arms.
expecting to see the maniacal light of
murder in the eyes above her. Instead
she saw horror and contrition.
"Oh. Jean! she cried. "See what you
have done. He was my husband. I
loved him, and you have kilied him."
Very gently Tarzan raised the limp
form of the Count de Coude and bore
it to a couch. Then he put his ear to
the man's breast.
"Some brandy. Olga." he said.
She brought it. aud together they
forced it between his lips. Presently
a faint gasp came from the white lips.
The head turned, and De Coude
groaned.
"lie will not die." said Tarzan.
"Thank Hod!"
"Why did you do it. Jean?', she
asked.
I do not know. He struck me. and 1
went mad. I have seen the apes of my
tribe do the same tLing. I have never
told you my story, Olga. It wou'd have
been better bad you known it this
might not have happened. 1 never saw
my father. The only mother 1 ever
knew was a ferocious she ape. Uutil I
was fifteen 1 had never seen a human
being. I was twenty before I suw a
white man. A little more than a year
airo I was a naked Wast of prey in an
African jungle. Do not judge me too
harshly. Two years is too short a time
in which to attempt to work the change
in an individual thatit tias taken count-
lessngei to-accomplish in the white
race."
"I do not judge yon at all. Jean. The
fault is mine. Yon must go now. He
must not find you here when he re
gains consciousness. Goodby."
It was a sorrowful Tarzan who walk
ed with bowed head from the palace of
the Count de Coude.
Once outside his thoughts took defi
nite shape, to the end that twenty min
utes later he entered a police station
not far from the Rne Maule. nere he
found one of the officers with whom
he had had an encounter several weeks
previous. The policeman was genuine
ly glad to see again the man who had
so roughly handled him. After a mo
ment of conversationTarzan asked if
he had ever beard of Nikolas Rokoff or
Alexis Paulvitch.
"Very often indeed, monsieur. Each
has a police record, and while there Is
nothing charged against them now we
make it a point to know pretty well
where they may be found should the
occasion demand. It is only the same
precaution that we taken with every
known criminal. Why does monsieur
ask?'
"They are known to me." replied
Tarzan. "I wish to see M. Jtokoff on
a little matter of business. If you can
direct me to his lodgings I shall appre
ciate it."
A few minutes later he bade the po
liceman adieu and. with a slip of paper
in his iocket bearing a certain address
in a semirespectable quarter, he walk
ed briskly toward the nearest taxi
stand.
I'okoff and Panlvitch had returned to
their rooms and were sitting talking
over the probable outcome of the even
ing's events. They had telephoned to
the offices of two of the morning pa
pers, from which they momentarily ex
pected representatives to hear the first
report of the scandal that was to stir
social Paris on the morrow.
CHAPTER VI.
A Duel.
A HEAVY step sounded on the stair
way. "Ah. but these newspaper
men are prompt!" exclaimed
Iiokoff. and as a knock fell
upon the door of their room. "Enter,
monsieur."
The smile of welcome fro:- upon thr
Russian's face as he looked into the
hard, gray eyes of his visitor.
"Name of a name!" he shouted,
springing to his feet. "What brings
you here?"
"Sit down!" said Tarzan so low that
the men could barely catch the words,
but in a tone that brought Iiokoff to
his chair and kept Paulvitch in his.
"You know what has brought me
here." he continued in the same low
tone. "It should be to kill you. but
because you are Olga de Coude's broth
er I shall not do that now.
"I shall give you a chance for your
lives. Taulvitch does not count ranch
he is merely a stupid, foolish little
tool and so I shall not kill him so long
as I permit you to live. Before I leave
you two alive in this room you will
have done two things. The first will be
to write a full confession of your con
nection with tonight's plDt and sign it.
"The second will be to promise me
upon pain of death that you will per
mit no word of this affair to get into
the newspapers. If.you do not do both
neither of you will be alive when I
pass next through that door. Do you
understand?" And. without waiting
for a reply: "Make haste. There is ink
before yon and paper and a pen."
nokoff assumed a truculent air, at
tempting by bravado to show how lit
tle he feared Tarzan's threats. An in
stant later he felt the ape-man's steel
fingers at his throat, and Paulvitch.
who attempted to dodge by them and
reach the door, was lifted completely
off the floor and hurled senseless into
a corner. When Iiokoff commenced to
blacken about the face Tarzan released
his hold and shoved the fellow back
into his chair. After a moment of
coughing ItokofT sat sullenly glaring
at the man standing opposite him.
Presently Paulvitch came to himself
and limped painfully back to his chair
at Tarzan's command.
"Now write." said the ape-man. "If
it U necessary to handle you again I
shall not be so lenient."
IJokoff picked up a pen and com
menced to write.
"See that you omit no detail and that
you mention every name," cautioned
Tarzan.
Presently there was a knock at the
door. "Enter," said Tarzan.
A dapper young man came in. "I am
from the Matin." he announced. "I un
derstand that M. Iiokoff has a story for
me."
"Then you are mistaken, monsieur,"
replied Tarzan. "You have no story for
publication, have you. my dear Niko
las?" Iiokoff looked up from his writing
with an ugly scowl upon his face.
"No." he growled. "I have no story
for publication now."
"Nor ever, my dear Nikolas." and the
reporter did not see the nasty light in
the ape-man's eye; but Nikolas Iiokoff
did.
"Nor ever," be repeated hastily.
"It is too bad that monsieur has
been troubled." said Tarzan. turning to
the newspaper man. "I bid monsieur
good evening," and he bowed the dap
per young man out of the room and
closed the door in bis face.
An hour later Tarzan. w ith a rather
bulky manuscript in his coat pocket,
turned at the door leading from Ito
koff's room.
"Were I you I should leave France,"
he said, "for sooner or later I shall find
an excuse to kill you that will not in
any way compromise your sister."
D'Arnot was asleep when Tarzan en
tered their apartments after leaving
RokofTs. Tarzan did not disturb him,
but the following morning he narrated
the happenings of the previous even
insojnitthas not, a, single, detail,
''What a for"havebeen,' he con
cluded. "De Coude and his wife were
both my friends. How have I returned
their friendship? Barely did 1 escape
murdering the" count. I have cast' a
stigma on the name ot a good woman.
It is very probable that I have broken
up a happy home."
"Do you love Olga de Coude?" asked
D'Arnot
"Were I not positive that she does
not love me I could not answer your
question, Paul, but without disloyalty
to her I tell you that I do not love her,
nor does she love me. For an instant
we were the victims of a sudden
madness it was not love end it would
have left us unharmed as suddenly as
it had come upon us even though De
Coude had not returned. As you know.
I have had little experience of women.
Olga de Coude is very beautiful, that
and the dim light and the seductive
surrounding and the appeal of the de
fenseless for protection might have
been resisted by a more civilized man,
but my civilization is not even skin
deep it does not go deeper than my
clothes.
"Paris is no place for me. I willbut
continue to stumble into more and
more serious pitfalls. The man-made
restrictions are irksome. 1 feel always
that I am a prisoner. I cannot endure
it. my friend, and so 1 think that I
shall go back to nij own jungle and
lead the life that God intended that I
should lead when he put me there."
"Do not take it so to heart. Jean."
responded D'Arnot. "You have acquit
ted yourself much letter than most
"civilized" men would have under simi
lar circumstances. As to leaving Paris
at this time. 1 rather think that Itaoul
de Coude may 1k expected to have
something to say on that subject before
long."
Nor was D'Arnof mistaken. A week
later on M. Flaubert was announced
about 11 in the morning as D'Arnot
and Tarzan were breakfasting. M.
Flaubert was nn impressively polite
gentleman. With many low bows he
delivered M. le Count de Coude's chal
lenge to M. Tarzan. Would monsieur
be so very kind as to arrange to have
a friend meet M. Flaubert at as early
an hour as convenient that the details
might be arranged to the mutual satis
faction of all concerned?
Certainly. M. Tarzan would be tie
lighted to place his interests unreserv
edly in the hands of his friend, Lieu
tenant D'Arnot. And so it was ar
ranged ihct D'Arnot was to call on M.
Flaubert at 2 thot afternoon, and the
polite M. Flaubert, with many bows,
left them.
When they were again alone D'Arnot
icoked quizzically at Tarzan.
"Well?" Le said.
"Now to my sins I must add murder,
or else myself be killed." said Tarzan.
"I am r rogressing rapidly iu the ways
of my civilized brothers."
"What weapons shall you select?"
asked D'Arnot. "De Coude is accred
ited with being a master with the sword
and a splendid shot."
"I might then choose poisoned ar
rows at twenty paces or spears at the
same distance," laughed Tarzan. "Make
it ristols, Faul."
"He will kill you. Jean."
T have no doubt of it." replied Tar
zan. "I must die some day."
"We had better make it swords," said
D'Arnot. "He will be satisfied with
wounding you, and there is less danger
of a mortal wound."
"Pistols," said Tarzan, with finality.
D'Arnot tried to argue him out of it,
but without avail, so pistols it was.
D'Arnot returned from his confer
ence with M. Flaubert shortly after 4.
"It is all arranged," he said. "Every
thing is satisfactory. Tomorrow morn
ing at daylight there is a secluded
spot on the road not far from Etampes.
For some personal reason M. Flaubert
preferred it- I did not demur." "
"Good!" was Tarzan's only comment
He did not refer to the matter again
even indirectly. That night he wrote
several letters before he retired. After
sealing and addressing them he placed
them all in an envelope addressed to
D'Arnot. As he undressed D'Arnot
heard him humming a music hall ditty.
"This is a most uncivilized hour for
people to kill each other." remarked
the ape-man when he had been routed
out of a comfortable bed in the black
ness of the early morning hours. He
had slept well, and so it seemed that
his head had scarcely touched the pil
low ere his man deferentially aroused
him. His remark was addressed to
D'Arnot.
In silence they entered D'Arnot's
great car. and in similar silence they
sped over the dim road that leads to
Etampes. Each man was occupied
with his own thoughts. D'Arnot's
were very mournful, for he was genu
inely fond of Tarzan.
Tarzan of the Apes was -wrapped in
thoughts of the past, pleasant memo
ries of the happier occasions of his lost
jungle life. He recalled the countless
boyhood hours that he had spent cross
legged upon the table in his dead fa
ther's cabin, his little brown body bent
over one of the fascinating picture
books from which unaided he had
gleaned the secret of the printed lan
guage long before the sounds of hu
man speech fell upon his ears. A smile
of contentment softened his strong
face as he thought of that day of days
that he bad had alone with Jane Por
ter in the heart of his primeval forest.
Presently his reminiscences were bro
ken in upon by the stopping of the car.
They were at their destination. Tar
zan's mind returned to the affairs of
the ' moment. lie knew that he was
about to die, but there, was no fear of
death in him. To a denizen of the
cruel jungle death'ls a commonplace.
The first law of nature compels them
to cling tenaciously to life to fight for
it77but. it does not teach , them to "fear
death.!.' ' . . . - '
D'Arnot and .Tarzan were first, upon
the field of honor. A moment later De
Co"ude.M. "Flaubert and a third gentle
man arrived. The last was introduced
to D'Arnot and Tarzan. He was a phy
sician. D'Arnot and M. Flaubert spoke to
gether in whispers for a brief time.
The Count de Coude and Tarzan stood
apart at opposite sides of the field.
D'Arnot and M. Flaubert had exam
ined both pistols. The two men who
were to face each other a moment later
stood silently while M. Flaubert re-'-cited
the conditions that they were to
observe.
They were to stand back to back. At
a signal from M. Flaubert they were
to walk in opposite directions, their
pistols hanging by their sides. When
each had proceeded ten paces D'Arnot
was to give the final signal then they
were to t'Jrn and fire at will until one
fell or each had expended the three
shots allowed.
While M. Flaubert spoke Tarzan se
lected a cigarette from his case and
lighted it. De Coude was the personi
fication of coolness was not he the
best shot in France?
Presently M. Flaubert nodded to
D'Arnot and each man placed his prin
cipal in position.
"Are you quite ready, gentlemen?"
asked M. Flaubert.
"Quite," replied De Coude.
Tarzan nodded. M. Flaubert gave
the signal. He and D'Arnot stepped
back a few paces to be out of the line
of fire as the men paced slowly apart.
Six! Seven! Eight! There were tears
in D'Arnot's eyes. He loved Tarzan
very much. Nine! Another pace and
the poor lieutenant gave the signal he
so hated to give. To him it sounded
the doom of his best friend.
Quickly De Coude wheeled and fired.
Tarzan gave a little start. Ilis pistol
still dangled at his side. De Coude
hesitated, as though waiting to see his
antagonist crumple to the ground. The
Frenchman was too experienced a
marksman not to know that he had
scored a hit. Still Tarzan made no
move to raise his pistol. De Coude
fired once more, but the attitude of the
ape-man the utter indifference that
was so apparent In every line of the
nonchalant ease of Lis giant figure and
the even, unruffled puffing of his ciga
rettehad disconcerted the best marks
man in France. This time Tarzan did
not start, but again ue Ccuae Knew
that he had hit.
Suddenly the explanation leaned to
his mind his antagonist was coolly
taking these terrible chances in the
Lope tLat he would receive no stagger
ing wound from any of De Coude's
three shots. Then Le would take Lis
own time about shooting Do Coude
down deliberately, coo'.ly and in cold
blood. A little shiver ran up the
Frenchman's spiue- It was fiendish
diabolical. What maimer of creature
was this that could stand complacently
with two bullets in him, waiting for the
third?
And so De Coude took careful aim
this time, but his nerve was gone, and
he made a dean miss. Not once had
Tarzan raked his pistol hand from
where it hung beside his leg.
For .1 moment the two stood looking
straight into each other's eyes. On
Tarzan's face was a pathetic express-on
of disappointment. On De Coude's
a rapidly growing expression of horror
yes, of terror.
He could endure it co longer.
"Shoot, monsieur!" he screamed.
But Tarzan did not raise his pistol.
Instead, he advanced toward De Coude,
and when D'Arnot and M. Flaubert,
misinterpreting his intention, would
have rushed between them he raised
his left bnud in a sign cf remonstrance.
"Do not fear," he said to them. "I
shall not harm him."
It was most unusual, but they halted.
Tarzan advanced until be was quite
close to De Coude.
"There must have been something
wrong with monsieur's pistol." he said.
"Or monsieur is unstrung. Take mine,
monsieur, and try again." and Tarzan
offered his pistol, butt foremost, to the
astonished De Coude.
"Mon Dieu, monsieur!" cried the lat
ter. "Are you mad?"
"No, my friend." replied the ape-man,
"but I deserve to die. It is the only
way in which I may atone for the
wrong: I have done a very good woman.
Take my pistol and do as I bid."
"It would be murder." replied De
Coude. "But what wrong did you do
my wife? She swore to me that"
"I do not mean that." said Tarzan
quickly. "You saw all the wrong that
passed between us. But that was
enough to cast a shadow upon her
name and to ruin the happiness of a
man against whom I had no enmity.
The fault was all mine, and so I hoped
to die for it this morning. I am disap
pointed that monsieur is not so won
derful a marksman as I had been led
to believe."
"You say that the fault was all
yours?" asked De Coude eagerly.
"All mine, monsieur. Y'our wife is a
very pure woman. She loves only you.
The fault that yon saw was all mine.
The thing that brought 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 from bis
pocset tLe statement Rokoff had writ
ten and signed.
De Coude took it and read. D'Arnot
and M. Flaubert had drawn near. They
were interested spectators of th
strange ending of n r-trauge duel. None
spoke until De Coude Lad quite finish
ed; then he looked up at Tarzan.
"You are a very brave and chival
rous gentleman." he said: "I thank
God that I did not kill you."
De Coude was a Frenchman. French
men are impulsive. He threw Lis arms
about Tarzan and embraced him. M.
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 permitted to dress Tarzan'; wounds.
"This geutleman was hit once at
least." he said, "possib'y 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 l:i:u
upon the sward and tinkering 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'Ar
not's car. the best of friends. De
Coude was so relieved to have had th's
double assurance of his wife's loyalty
that he felt no rancor at all toward
Tarzan. It is true that the Lit let- l.nd
assumed much more of the fault than
was rightly bis. but if he lied a litrle
he may be excused, fur ho lied in the
service of a wt-mau, xind Le lied !:e a
:an.
The k;e-man was confined to hli r ed
I
:
" f. I
"Shoot, monsieur!" he screamed.
for several days. He felt that it was
foolish and unnecessary, but thed ctor
and D'Arnot took the matter so to
heart that he gave iu to please them,
though it made him laugh to think
of it.
"It is droll." he said to D'Arnot. "to
lie abed because of a pinprick! Why.
when Eolgaui. the king gorilla, tore me
almost to pieces while 1 was ctill but
a little boy. did I have a nce soft bed
to lie on? No, only the dan: p. rotting
vegetation of the jungle. Hidden be
neath some friendly bush 1 lay for
days and weeks with only Kala 10
nurse me poor, faithful Kala. who
kept the insects from my wounds aud
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 anti
septic bandage there was nothing that
would not have driven our dear doctor
mad to have seen. Yet 1 recovered
recovered to lie in IhmI 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 ind be
fore be realized it Tarzan found him
self abroad again. Several times De
Coude had called and when he found
that Tarzan was anxious for employ
ment of some nature he promised to
see what could be done to liud a berth
for him.
It was the first day that Tarzan was
permitted to go out and he received a
message from De Coude requesting Lim
to call at the count's office that after
noon. He found De Coude awaiting hlni
with u very pleasant welcome and a
sincere congratulation that he was
once more upon his feet. Neither had
ever mentioned the duel or the cause
of it siuce that morning upon the field
of honor. '
"I think that I have found just the
thing for you. M. Tarzan." said the
count. "It is n position of much trust
and responsibility, which also requires
considerable physical courage and
prowess. 1 cannot Imagine a man bet
ter fitted than you. my dear M. Tarzan.
for this very position It will neces
sitate travel and later It may lead to a
very much tn-tter post possibly In the
diplomatic service.
"At first, for n short t':r.e only, you
will be a special agent in the service of
the ministry of war. Come. I will take
you to the geutleman who will be vour
chief."
A half hour later Tarzan walked out
of the ofiice the possessor of the first
position he had ever held. On the mor
row he was to return for further in
structions, though his chief had made
It quite plain that Tarzan might pre
pare lo leave Paris for an almost in
definite period. fossib!y on t tie morro w
And so it came that 011 the following
day Tarzan left Paris en route for Mar
seilles and Oran.
(To De Continued.)
Paper Bound Directories.
The Journal has about fifty of
the recently published city
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we offer, as long; as they lasl, at
50 cents each. This is a very
reasonable price, and they will no
doubt sell quite rapidly.
Guaranteed garden hose 10c and
11c per foot. Call 'phone 400.
Warga & Schuldice.
r1 ' u; ?r.A? )
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