Tarzan laughed. "From your tone, Paul, I infer that you rather
harbor the fact against me. I could not help it, really."

"No, Jean; it is not that," replied D'Arnot, himself smiling. "But
you take the entire matter with such infernal indifference--it is
exasperating. One would think that you were going out to shoot at
a target, rather than to face one of the best shots in France."

Tarzan shrugged his shoulders. "I am going out to expiate
a great wrong, Paul. A very necessary feature of the expiation
is the marksmanship of my opponent. Wherefore, then, should I be
dissatisfied? Have you not yourself told me that Count de Coude
is a splendid marksman?"

"You mean that you hope to be killed?" exclaimed D'Arnot, in horror.

"I cannot say that I hope to be; but you must admit that there is
little reason to believe that I shall not be killed."

Had D'Arnot known the thing that was in the ape-man's mind--that
had been in his mind almost from the first intimation that De Coude
would call him to account on the field of honor--he would have been
even more horrified than he was.

In silence they entered D'Arnot's great car, and in similar silence
they sped over the dim road that leads to Etamps. Each man was
occupied with his own thoughts. D'Arnot's were very mournful, for
he was genuinely fond of Tarzan. The great friendship which had
sprung up between these two men whose lives and training had been
so widely different had but been strengthened by association, for