The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-08-27

Bou Saada the next morning Their"
were half a dozen Arabs bringing NJ
the rear.
They accompany us OF the road for
companionship.' said Gerard.
Tarzan had learned enough ahou
Arab character since he had been in
Algeria to know that this was no real
motive, for the Arab is never overload
Of the companionship Of strangers.
and especially OF French soldiers.
He was convinced that there were
hired assassins on his trail. nor was he
in great do-bt but that Rokoff was at
the bottom OF the plot. Whether 1t
was to be revenge or vas in some way
connected with his mission in the Ger
nois affair he could not determine. II
the latter. and it seemed probable
Gernois suspected him. then he had
two rather powerful enemies to con
tend with.
After camping at Djelfa for two
days the column moved to the south
west. from whence word had come
that the marauders were operating
against the tribes whose douars were
situated at the foot of the mountains.
The little band of Arabs who had
accompanied them from BOu Saada
disappeared suddenly the very night
that orders had been given to prepare
for the mOrrow's march from Djelfa.
TarZan had seer Gernois in cOnverSa-
ton 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 d.
rectiOn of the proposed march.
Late that afternoon they went into
camp at Il little oasis in which was the
dOuar of a sheik whose fiocks were be-
ing stolen and whose herdsmen were
being killed. Tarzan. who by this
time. with the assistance Of Abdul. had
picked up quite Il smattering Of Arabic,
questioned one of the younger Arabs.
No, he had seen no party Of six
horsemen riding from the direction of
Djelfa. There were other GASES scat
tered about. Possibly they had been
journeying to n of these.
Early the next morning Captain
Gerard split his command in two. Civ
ing Lieutenant GernoiS command Of
one party. while he headed the other.
They We're to scour the mountains
upon opposite sides of the plain.
"And with which detachment will
NJ. Tarzan ride" asked the captain.
"Or maybe it is that monsieur does not
care to hunt m~arauders?"
"Oh. | shall be delighted to 60" Tar
Fan FASTENED to explain. He was o
dering what excuse he could make to
accompany Gernois. His embarrass-
ment was short lived and was relieved
from a most unexpected source. 1t
was Gernois himself who spoke.
IF my captain will forego the pleas
ure of NJ. Tarzan's company for this
to have monsieur ride with me today"
he said, nor was his tone lacking In
cordiality-in fact, Tarzan imagined
that he had overdone it a trifle.
And so it was that Lieutenant Ger
nois and Tarzan rode off side by side
at the head of the little detachment or
spahis. Gernois' cordiality was short
lived. No Dol had they ridden out
Of sight Of Captain Gerard and his men
than he lapsed once more into his &C
eustomed ta~citurnity. AS they advanc-
ed the ground became rougher. Stead
lily it assembled toward the mountains,
into which they filed through a narrow
canyon close to noon. By the side of
a little rivulet Gernois called the mid
day halt. Here the men prepared and
%canteens.
After an hours rest they advanced
again along the canyon until they pres
emily came to a little valley. from
which several rocky gorges diverged.
I'VE shall separate here" Gernois
said. several riding into each Of these
gorges." And then he commenced to
detail his various squads and issue in
structions to the noncommissioned Of
ficerS who were to command them.
ueu uc udu uOlt uc ulucu W a
IAN. Monsieur will be so good as to
remain here until we return"
Tarzan demurred. but the officer cut
him short. There may be fighting for
one Of these sections" he said. land
troops cannot be embarrassed by civil
ian noncombatants during action" A
moment later TarZan found himself
alone in the midst Of a desolate noun
tain f~astness.
The sun was hot, so he sought the
shelter Of a nearby tree, where he
tethered his horse and sat down upon
the ground to smoke. Inwardly he
swore at Gernois for the trick he had
played upon him. A mean little re-
venge, thought Tarzan, and then sud
denly it occurred to him that the man
would not be such O fool as to antag-
onize him through q trivial annoyance
of so petty a description. There must
be something deeper than this behind
it. With the thought he arose and re-
moved his rifle from it's boot. He look