Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle · Chapter
XXI: “For Every Jewel a Drop of Blood!” explained
Ibn Jad and his party flee northward with Princess Guinalda and the treasure, but are pursued by Tarzan, who uses psychological warfare to terrorize the Arabs.
What happens
Ibn Jad and his party flee northward with Princess Guinalda and the treasure, but are pursued by Tarzan, who uses psychological warfare to terrorize the Arabs. Fahd attempts to poison Ibn Jad but is thwarted by Ateja, then later steals Guinalda. Tarzan, believing the Arabs think him dead, begins a campaign of terror, killing a treasure-bearer with an arrow and later throwing the man's severed head into camp, all while intoning 'For every jewel a drop of blood!' He interrogates Ateja, learning that Fahd has taken Guinalda.
Themes in this chapter
Greed and Treasure
Ibn Jad's avarice drives the party to exhaustion, and the treasure bags are guarded obsessively; Fahd's schemes are motivated by wealth and desire for Guinalda.
Survival and Resilience
Tarzan's relentless pursuit and the Arabs' desperate flight highlight survival under extreme physical and psychological strain.
Justice and Vengeance
Tarzan exacts a grim, personal justice through terror and lethal attacks, declaring 'For every jewel a drop of blood!' as a vendetta against the raiders.
Characters to notice
- Fahd Ibn Jad
Attempts to poison Ibn Jad, is discovered by Ateja, and later steals Guinalda from the camp.
- Ateja Ibn Jad
Thwarts Fahd's poisoning attempt and later reveals to Tarzan that Fahd took Guinalda.
- Tarzan
Pursues the Arabs, kills a treasure-bearer with an arrow, terrorizes the camp with a severed head and a ghostly voice, and interrogates Ateja.
- Princess Guinalda
Captive of Ibn Jad, later stolen by Fahd; her rescue is Tarzan's priority.
- Nasrany Stimbol
Weak and feverish, he follows Fahd closely, hoping to use his promised wealth to secure Fahd's help.
- Sheykh Ibn Jad
Leads the treasure-laden party, is terrified by Tarzan's supernatural attacks, and narrowly avoids Fahd's poison.
Key passages
“For every jewel a drop of blood!”
Each piece of stolen treasure will be paid for with a life.
Tarzan's chilling proclamation, used to terrorize the superstitious Arabs.
“Avarice gave them strength and endurance far beyond that which they normally displayed”
Their greed pushed them to march harder than they otherwise could.
Describes the driving force behind the Beduin party's forced march.
“He was confident that the Arab thought him dead and it did not suit his whim to reveal their error to them at this time”
Tarzan knew the Arabs believed he was dead, and he chose to let them keep that belief for now.
Explains Tarzan's strategic use of psychological warfare.