Gernois sneered, and spat out an oath.

"Just one more little payment," continued Rokoff, "and the papers I
wish, and you have my word of honor that I shall never ask another cent
from you, or further information."

"And a good reason why," growled Gernois. "What you ask will take my
last cent, and the only valuable military secret I hold. You ought to
be paying me for the information, instead of taking both it and money,
too."

"I am paying you by keeping a still tongue in my head," retorted
Rokoff. "But let's have done. Will you, or will you not? I give you
three minutes to decide. If you are not agreeable I shall send a note
to your commandant tonight that will end in the degradation that
Dreyfus suffered--the only difference being that he did not deserve it."

For a moment Gernois sat with bowed head. At length he arose. He drew
two pieces of paper from his blouse.

"Here," he said hopelessly. "I had them ready, for I knew that there
could be but one outcome." He held them toward the Russian.

Rokoff's cruel face lighted in malignant gloating. He seized the bits
of paper.

"You have done well, Gernois," he said. "I shall not trouble you
again--unless you happen to accumulate some more money or information,"
and he grinned.

"You never shall again, you dog!" hissed Gernois. "The next time I
shall kill you. I came near doing it tonight. For an hour I sat with
these two pieces of paper on my table before me ere I came here--beside
them lay my loaded revolver. I was trying to decide which I should
bring. Next time the choice shall be easier, for I already have
decided. You had a close call tonight, Rokoff; do not tempt fate a
second time."

Then Gernois rose to leave. Tarzan barely had time to drop to the
landing and shrink back into the shadows on the far side of the door.
Even then he scarcely hoped to elude detection. The landing was very
small, and though he flattened himself against the wall at its far edge
he was scarcely more than a foot from the doorway. Almost immediately
it opened, and Gernois stepped out. Rokoff was behind him. Neither
spoke. Gernois had taken perhaps three steps down the stairway when he
halted and half turned, as though to retrace his steps.

Tarzan knew that discovery would be inevitable. Rokoff still stood on
the threshold a foot from him, but he was looking in the opposite
direction, toward Gernois. Then the officer evidently reconsidered his
dec