rveillance, no matter what he might think. The effect of his remark
upon him, however, might tend to prove his connection with, or
knowledge of, certain recent happenings. Tarzan saw a dull red creep
up from beneath Gernois' collar. He was satisfied, and quickly changed
the subject.

When the column rode south from Bou Saada the next morning there were
half a dozen Arabs bringing up the rear.

"They are not attached to the command," replied Gerard in response to
Tarzan's query. "They merely accompany us on the road for
companionship."

Tarzan had learned enough about Arab character since he had been in
Algeria to know that this was no real motive, for the Arab is never
overfond of the companionship 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 the column at a
distance of about a quarter of a mile. But they did not come close
enough even during the halts to enable him to obtain a close scrutiny
of them.

He had long been convinced that there were hired assassins on his
trail, nor was he in great doubt but that Rokoff was at the bottom of
the plot. Whether it was to be revenge for the several occasions in
the past that Tarzan had 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 suspected him, then he had
two rather powerful enemies to contend with, for there would be many
opportunities in the wilds of Algeria, for which they were bound, to
dispatch a suspected enemy quietly and without attracting suspicion.

After camping at Djelfa for two days the column moved to the southwest,
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 had
disappeared suddenly the very night that orders had been given to
prepare for the morrow's march from Djelfa. Tarzan made casual
inquiries among the men, but none could tell him why 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 the new move. Only