The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1914-04-09
CHAPTER VII.
The Dancing Girl Of sidi Aissa.

The Dancing Girl Of sidi Aissa.
"ARZAN'S first mission did not
bid fair to be either exciting or
vastly important. There was
certain lieutenant of spahis
whom the government had reason to
suspect of improper relations with a
great European power. This Lieuten
ant Gernois, who was at present sta.
toned at Sidi bel Abbes, had recently
been attached to the general military
staff, where certain information Of
great military value had come into his
possession in the ordinary routine OF
his duties. 1t was this information
which the government suspected the
great power was bartering for with the
officer And so it was that Tarzan had
come to Algeria in the guise of an
American hunter and traveller to keep
q close eye upon Lieutenant Gernois
At Sidi bel Abbes he presented his let
tiers Of introduction to both civil and
military authorities-letters which gave
no clew to the real significance of his
mission.
Tarzan possessed sufficient COM
mand of English to enable him to pass
among Arabs and Frenchmen as an
American. and that was all that was
required Of it. He met Gernois. whom
he found to be a taciturn. dyspeptic
looking man of about forty, having lit
tie or no social intercourse with his fell
lows.
For a month nothing Of moment oc-
Cured. Tarzan was beginning to hope
that. after all, the rumOr about Ger
nois might have been false when sud-
denly the latter was ordered to Bou
Saada. in the Petit Sahara, far to the
south.
A company of spahis and three Off
GERS were to relieve another company
already stationed there. Fortunately
one of the officers. Captain Gerard, had
become an excellent friend of TarZan's.
and so when the ape-man suggested
that he should embrace the opportu-
nifty Of accompanying him to BOu Saa-
da, where he expected to find hunting.
it caused not the slightest suspicion.
At BOuira the detachment detrained.
and the balance of the journey was
made in the saddle. AS Tarzan was
dickering at Bouira for a mount he
caught brief glimpse of man in
European clothes cycling him from the
doorway of a. native coffee house.
There had been something familiar
about the face or figure of the fellow.
Tarzan gave the matter no further
thought.
The march to Aumale was fatiguing
to Tarzan. whose equestrian expert
ences hitherto had been confined to a
course of riding lessons in Partisan
academy. and so 1t was that he quick
" sought the comforts of bed in the
Hotel Grossat. while the officers and
troops took up their quarters at the
military post.
Although Tarzan was called early the
following morning. the company OF
spahis was on the march before he had
finished his breakfast. He was hurry
ing through his meal that the soldiers
might not get too far in advance of
him when he glanced through the door
connecting the dining room with the
bar.
To his surprise he saw Gernois stand
rig there in conversation with the very
stranger he had seen in the coffee
house at Bouira the day previous. The
mans back was toward him.
AS his eyes fingered on the two Ger
nois looked up and caught the intent
expression on Tarzan's face. The
stranger was talking in a low whisper
at the time, but the French officer i'm
mediately interrupted him, and the
two at once turned away and passed
out of the range of Tarzan's vision.
This was the first suspicious occur
renee that TarZan had ever witnessed
in connection with Gernois' actions.
but he was positive that the men had
left the barroom solely because Ger
nois had caught Tarzan's eyes upon
them; then there was the persistent
impression of familiarity about the
stranger to further augment the ape
mans belief that here at length was
something which would bear watching.
Tarzan did not overtake the column
until he reached Sidi Aissa shortly
after noon. where the soldiers had
halted for an hours rest. Here he
found Gernois with the column. but
there was no sign Of the stranger.
1t was market day at Sidi Aissa, and
the numberless caravans of camels