noon
The stranger was talking in a low whisper at the time , but the French officer immediately interrupted him , and the two at once turned away and passed out of the range of Tarzan 's vision . This was the first suspicious occurrence that Tarzan had ever witnessed in connection with Gernois ' actions , but he was positive that the men had left the barroom solely because Gernois had caught Tarzan 's eyes upon them ; then there was the persistent impression of familiarity about the stranger to further augment the ape-man 's belief that here at length was something which would bear watching . A moment later Tarzan entered the barroom , but the men had left , nor did he see aught of them in the street beyond , though he found a pretext to ride to various shops before he set out after the column which had now considerable start of him . He did not overtake them until he reached Sidi Aissa shortly after noon , where the soldiers had halted for an hour 's rest . Here he found Gernois with the column , but there was no sign of the stranger . It was market day at Sidi Aissa , and the numberless caravans of camels coming in from the desert , and the crowds of bickering Arabs in the market place , filled Tarzan with a consuming desire to remain for a day that he might see more of these sons of the desert . Thus it was that the company of SPAHIS marched on that afternoon toward Bou Saada without him .