ision, and resumed his downward course. Tarzan could hear Rokoff's
sigh of relief. A moment later the Russian went back into the room and
closed the door.

Tarzan waited until Gernois had had time to get well out of hearing,
then he pushed open the door and stepped into the room. He was on top
of Rokoff before the man could rise from the chair where he sat
scanning the paper Gernois had given him. As his eyes turned and fell
upon the ape-man's face his own went livid.

"You!" he gasped.

"I," replied Tarzan.

"What do you want?" whispered Rokoff, for the look in the ape-man's
eyes frightened him. "Have you come to kill me? You do not dare.
They would guillotine you. You do not dare kill me."

"I dare kill you, Rokoff," replied Tarzan, "for no one knows that you
are here or that I am here, and Paulvitch would tell them that it was
Gernois. I heard you tell Gernois so. But that would not influence
me, Rokoff. I would not care who knew that I had killed you; the
pleasure of killing you would more than compensate for any punishment
they might inflict upon me. You are the most despicable cur of a
coward, Rokoff, I have ever heard of. You should be killed. I should
love to kill you," and Tarzan approached closer to the man.

Rokoff's nerves were keyed to the breaking point. With a shriek he
sprang toward an adjoining room, but the ape-man was upon his back
while his leap was yet but half completed. Iron fingers sought his
throat--the great coward squealed like a stuck pig, until Tarzan had
shut off his wind. Then the ape-man dragged him to his feet, still
choking him. The Russian struggled futilely--he was like a babe in the
mighty grasp of Tarzan of the Apes.

Tarzan sat him in a chair, and long before there was danger of the
man's dying he released his hold upon his throat. When the Russian's
coughing spell had abated Tarzan spoke to him again.

"I have given you a taste of the suffering of death," he said. "But I
shall not kill--this time. I am sparing you solely for the sake of a
very good woman whose great misfortune it was to have been born of the
same woman who gave birth to you. But I shall spare you only this once
on her account. Should I ever learn that you have again annoyed her or
her husband--should you ever annoy me again--should I hear that you
have returned to France or to any French possession, I shall make it my
sole business to hunt you down and complete the choking I commence