He could see a guard sitting before the door of his frail prison,
but when he attempted to force the stout bonds that held him he
realized that any extra precaution on the part of his captors was
quite unnecessary; not even his giant muscles could part those
numerous strands.

Just before dusk several men approached the tent where he lay,
and entered it. All were in Arab dress, but presently one of the
number advanced to Tarzan's side, and as he let the folds of cloth
that had hidden the lower half of his face fall away the ape-man
saw the malevolent features of Nikolas Rokoff. There was a nasty
smile on the bearded lips. "Ah, Monsieur 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