eur Tarzan," he said, "this is indeed a
pleasure. But why do you not rise and greet your guest?" Then, with
an ugly oath, "Get up, you dog!" and, drawing back his booted foot, he
kicked Tarzan heavily in the side. "And here is another, and another,
and another," he continued, as he kicked Tarzan about the face and
side. "One for each of the injuries you have done me."

The ape-man made no reply--he did not even deign to look upon the
Russian again after the first glance of recognition. Finally the
sheik, who had been standing a mute and frowning witness of the
cowardly attack, intervened.

"Stop!" he commanded. "Kill him if you will, but I will see no brave
man subjected to such indignities in my presence. I have half a mind
to turn him loose, that I may see how long you would kick him then."

This threat put a sudden end to Rokoff's brutality, for he had no
craving to see Tarzan loosed from his bonds while he was within reach
of those powerful hands.

"Very well," he replied to the Arab; "I shall kill him presently."

"Not within the precincts of my DOUAR," returned the sheik. "When he
leaves here he leaves alive. What you do with him in the desert is
none of my concern, but I shall not have the blood of a Frenchman on
the hands of my tribe on account of another man's quarrel--they would
send soldiers here and kill many of my people, and burn our tents and
drive away our flocks."

"As you say," growled Rokoff. "I'll take him out into the desert below
the DOUAR, and dispatch him."

"You will take him a day's ride from my country," said the sheik,
firmly, "and some of my children shall follow you to see that you do
not disobey me--otherwise there may be two dead Frenchmen in the
desert."

Rokoff shrugged. "Then I shall have to wait until the morrow--it is
already dark."

"As you will," said the sheik. "But by an hour after dawn you must be
gone from my DOUAR. I have little liking for unbelievers, and none at
all for a coward."

Rokoff would have made some kind of retort, but he checked himself, for
he realized that it would require but little excuse for the old man to
turn upon him. Together they left the tent. At the door Rokoff could
not resist the temptation to turn and fling a parting taunt at Tarzan.
"Sleep well, monsieur," he said, "and do not forget to pray well, for
when you die tomorrow it will be in such agony that you will be unable
to pray for blaspheming."

No one had bothered t