CHAPTER 13 -The beasts of Tarzan

In Chapter 13 of “The Beasts of Tarzan,” titled “Escape,” Jane Clayton faces a tense standoff with her captor, Rokoff. Rokoff, having found Jane and the child she was protecting in a remote village, mocks her for the effort she made to bring the child, under the erroneous belief the child is hers and Tarzan’s. He reveals his cruel plan to turn the child over to the care of M’ganwazam, with the intention of making him a cannibal. Jane, understanding the gravity of her situation, hands over the seemingly sleeping child to Rokoff, allowing him to discover that the child is already dead, thus thwarting Rokoff’s plans for vengeance.

Rokoff’s anger at his foiled plans erupts in violent threats towards Jane, including a chilling intention to make her the wife of a cannibal chief after he has his way with her. Jane, however, retains her courage, silently grateful that her real son, Jack, is safe from Rokoff’s clutches—believing, mistakenly, that he might be safe with friends in London.

Rokoff forces Jane to follow him to his camp, intending to carry out his threats. However, within his tent, Jane seizes an opportunity to fight back. As Rokoff is momentarily distracted, she incapacitates him with a heavy blow from his own revolver. Amid the surrounding chaos of jungle noises and the camp’s stir, Jane extinguishes the lamp, plunging the tent into darkness.

In these moments, Jane’s resolve hardens. Despite the impossible odds, fueled by a mother’s desperation to reunite with her son and survive the treacherous jungle, she plans her escape. The chapter closes on this cliffhanger, with Jane contemplating her perilous journey through the heart of darkness that stands between her and the remote possibility of rescue.

Jane’s plight illustrates her resilience and quick thinking in the face of dire threats, setting the stage for her arduous journey through the jungle’s heart in search of freedom and the slim hope of finding her son.