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The Return of Tarzan

Chapter 9 9

Word Count: 3798    |    Released on: 28/11/2017

"El A

een forwarded from Sidi-bel-Abbes. It opened the old wound that Tarzan would have been glad to have forgotten; yet he was not

EAR

amuel 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 there I found the others-Professor Archimedes Q. Porter, Miss Porter, and that enormous black woman, Miss Porter's maid-Esm

y postponed the wedding on three different occasions. He confided that it appeared to him that she was not

ted your wishes in the matter of your true origi

real anguish to contemplate the awful dangers to which you wished to return. "And yet," she said, "I do not know. There are more unhappy fates than the grim and terrible jungle presents to Monsieur Tarzan. At least his conscience will be free from remorse. And there are moments of q

t she knew that I knew her secret, and that this was her way of transmitting to you a last tender m

ation. He wore a worried and harassed expression. Yet he was very kindly in hi

rging the entire party to accompany him. Tried to inveigle me into it, too. Is thinking of circumnavigating Africa this time. I told him that his precious toy

u. Doesn't appear to harbor the least ill will. Olga is as beautiful as ever, but a trifle subdued. I imagine that she learned a lesson through her acquaintance with you t

heart I am afraid that there would

ill you at the first opportunity. She said that she should hate to think that her brother's blood was on your hands, for she is very fond of you, and made no bones in saying so before the count. It never for a moment seemed to occur to her th

sealed orders. If you will address me in her care, the letters will find

incere

D'A

loud, "that Olga has thrown aw

d quoted from his conversation with Jane Porter. Tarzan derived a rathe

and once again he had been exchanging words with Lieutenant Gernois; but no amount of espionage or s

e episode in the dining-room of the hotel at Aumale. His attitude on the f

ls, ostensibly searching for gazelle, but on the few occasions that he came close enough to any of the beautiful little animals to harm them he invariably allowed them to escape wi

hunt for food in which he pitted his skill and craftiness against the skill and craftiness of another; but to come out of a town filled with food to shoot down a soft-eyed, pretty gazelle-ah

ine when a shot sounded close behind him, and a bullet passed through the cork helmet he wore. Although he turned at once and galloped

the occurrence, "Olga has indeed th

ptain Gerard's guest

been very fortunate?"

articularly about hunting game birds or antelope. I think I shall m

least. Lieutenant Gernois and I, with a hundred men, are ordered south to patrol a district in which the maraude

ave been astonished had he known the real reason of Tarzan's pleasure. Gernois was s

ting than gazelle shooting," remarked

when one goes alone. I found it so today. I also found that while t

rveillance, no matter what he might think. The effect of his remark upon him, however, might tend to prove his connection with, or knowledge

Saada the next morning there were ha

Gerard in response to Tarzan's query. "They me

ship of strangers, 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

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 sus

t, from whence word had come that the marauders were operating agains

they had left, or in what direction they had gone. 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

t of their goatskin tents, and surrounded the soldiers, asking many questions in the native tongue, for the soldiers were themselves natives. Tarzan, who, by this time, with the a

journeying to one of these. Then there were the marauders in the mountains above-they often rode north to Bou Saada in small parties, and ev

ng Lieutenant Gernois command of one party, while he headed the othe

an ride?" asked the captain. "Or maybe it is

at excuse he could make to accompany Gernois. His embarrassment was short-lived,

have monsieur ride with me today," he said, nor was his tone lacking in cordiality. In fact, Tarzan imagined that he had

ight of Captain Gerard and his men than he lapsed once more into his accustomed taciturnity. As they advanced the ground became rougher. Steadily it ascended toward the mountains, into which

to a little valley, from which several rocky gorges diverged. Here they halted, whil

detail his various squads and issue instructions to the non-commissioned officers who were to command

fighting for one of these sections," he said, "and troops ca

ng to place myself under command of yourself or any of your sergeants or c

under my orders, and they are that you remain here until we return. Let that end the matter," and he turned and spurre

y it occurred to him that the man would not be such a fool as to antagonize him through a trivial annoyance of so petty a description. There must be something deeper than this behind it. With the thought he arose and removed his rifle from its boot.

ey, which he thought was to have been their rendezvous. With the closing in of night he felt safer from attack, for he was at home in the dark. He knew that none might approach him so cautiously as to elude those alert and

nd thus lulled to a sense of security he f

ned snorting and plunging of his horse the moon was shining full upon the little valle

Numa EL ADREA, the black lion. A little thrill of joy tingled through Tarzan's nerves. It was like meeting an old frien

rge animal with a gun in all his life-heretofore he had depended upon his spear, his poisoned arrows, his rope, his kn

the lion could do if he lived two minutes, or even a minute after he was hit. The horse stood trembling in terror at Tarzan's back. The ape-man took a cautious step

e same instant the terrified horse made a last frantic effort to escape-t

ed by the fierce exigencies of his existence to act with the rapidity of thought. As quick as was EL ADREA, Tarzan of the Apes was quicker, and so the great beast crashed against a t

raising his face to the full moon, lifted his mighty voice in the weird and terrible challenge of his kind-a bull ape had made his kill. And the wild things in the wild mountains stopped in their hunting, and trembled at

, wicked-looking guns, halted at the sound, and looked at one another with questioning eyes. Bu

object that had prompted the officer to desert him, yet leave him free to return to camp. His horse gon

bowlders, but when they had satisfied themselves that it was empty they advanced across it. Beneath the tree at one side they came upon the body of EL ADREA. With muttered exclamations they crowded about it. T

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