CHAPTER 17 -The beasts of Tarzan

Upon rediscovering the “Kincaid”, Mugambi, along with a native woman he unexpectedly encountered, and a horde of fierce beasts, ventured downriver in a commandeered dugout. Their journey was hastened under the cloak of darkness, aiming to reunite the ferocious pack with Tarzan by reaching the vessel where the drama between human and beast would unfurl. However, tensions spiked when Mugambi’s party unexpectedly collided with another canoe, occupied by Rokoff’s men, instigating chaos. Shots were fired, panicking both parties and attracting Tarzan’s attention, who was elsewhere in the water, ignorant of the “Kincaid”’s proximity.

Meanwhile, the “Kincaid” had subtly maneuvered downstream, ensnared by an eddy’s whims, bringing Jane Clayton inadvertently back into peril’s embrace. Tarzan, driven by the gunfire din, navigated the dark waters towards the unfolding conflict. His arrival was timely but wrought with the realization of Jane being in distress, ensnared in another of Rokoff’s traps. Tarzan’s intervention was swift and brutal, redirecting his wrath from Rokoff to address the immediate danger Jane faced. The deck became a battleground, with Mugambi’s and Tarzan’s combined forces overwhelming Rokoff’s men, despite the latter’s desperate attempt to retaliate.

In the commotion, Rokoff’s cowardice was laid bare before his crew, leading them to cast him out, delivering him into the jaws of his doom—Sheeta, the panther, whose presence spelled a cruel but fitting end for Rokoff. Tarzan, previously consumed by a thirst for vengeance, found himself swayed by Jane’s presence, restraining himself to protect her amidst the chaos.

The chapter reaches its climax with Rokoff’s demise by Sheeta, marking an end that seemed to bring a sinister satisfaction to Tarzan, one that delineated justice in its most primal form. Yet, when the dust settled, the grim reality of their situation resumed focus, with Tarzan and Jane surviving yet another ordeal, standing amidst friends and foes, bonded by their perseverance and the relentless trials that seem to pursue them across the dark, treacherous waters of the Ugambi.