gives, and in whose malignant
brain there are always hatching new atrocities to perpetrate upon those
who have thwarted or offended him. To say that Nikolas Rokoff is a
devil would be to place a wanton affront upon his satanic majesty."

That night as Tarzan entered his cabin he found a folded note upon the
floor that had evidently been pushed beneath the door. He opened it
and read:

M. TARZAN:

Doubtless you did not realize the gravity of your offense, or you would
not have done the thing you did today. I am willing to believe that
you acted in ignorance and without any intention to offend a stranger.
For this reason I shall gladly permit you to offer an apology, and on
receiving your assurances that you will not again interfere in affairs
that do not concern you, I shall drop the matter.

Otherwise--but I am sure that you will see the wisdom of adopting the
course I suggest.

Very respectfully,
NIKOLAS ROKOFF.

Tarzan permitted a grim smile to play about his lips for a moment, then
he promptly dropped the matter from his mind, and went to bed.

In a nearby cabin the Countess de Coude was speaking to her husband.

"Why so grave, my dear Raoul?" she asked. "You have been as glum as
could be all evening. What worries you?"

"Olga, Nikolas is on board. Did you know it?"

"Nikolas!" she exclaimed. "But it is impossible, Raoul. It cannot be.
Nikolas is under arrest in Germany."

"So I thought myself until I saw him today--him and that other arch
scoundrel, Paulvitch. Olga, I cannot endure his persecution much
longer. No, not even for you. Sooner or later I shall turn him over
to the authorities. In fact, I am half minded to explain all to the
captain before we land. On a French liner it were an easy matter,
Olga, permanently to settle this Nemesis of ours."

"Oh, no, Raoul!" cried the countess, sinking to her knees before him as
he sat with bowed head upon a divan. "Do not do that. Remember your
promise to me. Tell me, Raoul, that you will not do that. Do not even
threaten him, Raoul."

De Coude took his wife's hands in his, and gazed upon her pale and
troubled countenance for some time before he spoke, as though he would
wrest from those beautiful eyes the real reason which prompted her to
shield this man.

"Let it be as you wish, Olga," he said at length. "I cannot
understand. He has forfeited all cl