# VII: The Dancing Girl of Sidi Aissa explained — The Return of Tarzan > Chapter companion for The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. ## What happens Tarzan's first mission as a secret agent takes him to Algeria, where he is tasked with surveilling Lieutenant Gernois, a French officer suspected of treason. After a month of uneventful observation, Gernois is transferred south to Bou Saada. Tarzan accompanies the detachment, and during a stop at Sidi Aissa, he encounters a mysterious stranger who seems familiar. At a local café, an Ouled-Nail dancer warns Tarzan that two men plan to harm him. Later, an Arab insults him, leading to a brawl when several men attack Tarzan and his servant Abdul. ## Themes in this chapter ### Deception and Betrayal Tarzan's mission involves spying on a suspected traitor, and he himself operates under a false identity as an American hunter. ### Survival and Physical Prowess Tarzan's physical strength is demonstrated when he knocks out an Arab aggressor with a single punch, and he prepares to defend himself against multiple attackers. ### Colonialism and Otherness The chapter highlights the tension between European colonizers and native Algerians, with Tarzan as an outsider navigating Arab culture and facing hostility as a 'Christian dog.' ## Character check-ins ### Tarzan On his first mission as a secret agent, Tarzan poses as an American hunter in Algeria to surveil Lieutenant Gernois. ### Lieutenant Gernois The French officer under suspicion of treason; Tarzan observes him meeting a mysterious stranger at Bouira and Sidi Aissa. ### Abdul A young Arab servant and interpreter hired by Tarzan; he warns Tarzan about a suspicious follower and assists during the altercation. ### Kadour ben Saden A sheik from whom Tarzan buys a horse; he dines with Tarzan and invites him to hunt in his desert domain. ### Captain Gerard A French officer and friend of Tarzan who facilitates Tarzan's travel to Bou Saada. ## Key lines > Tarzan’s first mission did not bid fair to be either exciting or vastly important. Tarzan's initial assignment seemed unlikely to be thrilling or significant. _Sets the tone for the chapter's undercover espionage plot._ > There is a certain lieutenant of spahis whom the government had reason to suspect of improper relations with a great European power. The government suspected a spahi lieutenant of having unauthorized dealings with a major European nation. _Introduces the central conflict of the mission._ > At first I promised to lure you to them, but you have been kind, and I cannot do it. Go quickly, before they find that I have failed them. I initially agreed to lead you into a trap, but your kindness has changed my mind. Leave now before they realize I didn't follow through. _The dancer's warning reveals a plot against Tarzan._ > He says that besides being a dog yourself that you are the son of one, and that your grandmother was a hyena. Incidentally you are a liar. He calls you a dog, the son of a dog, and says your grandmother was a hyena, and also calls you a liar. _The Arab's insults escalate the confrontation._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_return_of_tarzan_se/chapters/vii-the-dancing-girl-of-sidi-aissa - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_return_of_tarzan_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_return_of_tarzan_se/chapters