g
the fair throat, while his victim's hands beat futilely at his face,
tearing desperately at the cruel fingers that were forcing the life
from her.

The noise of his entrance brought Paulvitch to his feet, where he stood
glowering menacingly at Tarzan. The girl rose falteringly to a sitting
posture upon the couch. One hand was at her throat, and her breath
came in little gasps. Although disheveled and very pale, Tarzan
recognized her as the young woman whom he had caught staring at him on
deck earlier in the day.

"What is the meaning of this?" said Tarzan, turning to Rokoff, whom he
intuitively singled out as the instigator of the outrage. The man
remained silent, scowling. "Touch the button, please," continued the
ape-man; "we will have one of the ship's officers here--this affair has
gone quite far enough."

"No, no," cried the girl, coming suddenly to her feet. "Please do not
do that. I am sure that there was no real intention to harm me. I
angered this person, and he lost control of himself, that is all. I
would not care to have the matter go further, please, monsieur," and
there was such a note of pleading in her voice that Tarzan could not
press the matter, though his better judgment warned him that there was
something afoot here of which the proper authorities should be made
cognizant.

"You wish me to do nothing, then, in the matter?" he asked.

"Nothing, please," she replied.

"You are content that these two scoundrels should continue persecuting
you?"

She did not seem to know what answer to make, and looked very troubled
and unhappy. Tarzan saw a malicious grin of triumph curl Rokoff's lip.
The girl evidently was in fear of these two--she dared not express her
real desires before them.

"Then," said Tarzan, "I shall act on my own responsibility. To you,"
he continued, turning to Rokoff, "and this includes your accomplice, I
may say that from now on to the end of the voyage I shall take it upon
myself to keep an eye on you, and should there chance to come to my
notice any act of either one of you that might even remotely annoy this
young woman you shall be called to account for it directly to me, nor
shall the calling or the accounting be pleasant experiences for either
of you.

"Now get out of here," and he grabbed Rokoff and Paulvitch each by the
scruff of the neck and thrust them forcibly through the doorway, giving
each an added impetus down the corridor with the toe of his boot.