The Beasts of Tarzan · Chapter
Down the Ugambi explained
Tarzan tracks Jane and Rokoff along the Ugambi River, deducing from the spoor that Jane is ahead and Rokoff is closing in.
What happens
Tarzan tracks Jane and Rokoff along the Ugambi River, deducing from the spoor that Jane is ahead and Rokoff is closing in. He arrives at the riverbank to find they have taken a dugout. Tarzan swims after Rokoff's canoe, but is attacked by a crocodile and struck by Rokoff with a paddle, disappearing beneath the water. Rokoff flees downstream, pursued relentlessly by Sheeta, Akut's apes, and Mugambi. He eventually reaches the Kincaid, only to find a rifle aimed at him from above. Meanwhile, Jane had reached the bay earlier and now faces the same ship with grave misgivings.
Themes in this chapter
Survival and Resilience
Jane's solitary voyage down the Ugambi, paddling and resting under a palm leaf, and Rokoff's desperate flight from the pursuing horde highlight the theme of survival against overwhelming odds.
Revenge and Retribution
Tarzan's relentless pursuit of Rokoff, the pack's grim chase, and Rokoff's terror as he is hunted down embody the theme of revenge and retribution.
Savagery and Civilization
The contrast between Rokoff's civilized cowardice and the raw, instinctual pursuit by Tarzan, Sheeta, and the apes underscores the tension between savagery and civilization.
Characters to notice
- Tarzan
Tracks Jane and Rokoff, swims after Rokoff's canoe, is attacked by a crocodile and struck by Rokoff, then disappears beneath the water.
- Jane Clayton
Flees ahead of Rokoff in a dugout, reaches the bay two hours before him, and now faces the Kincaid with misgivings.
- Nikolas Rokoff
Pursued by Tarzan, then by the pack; strikes Tarzan with a paddle, flees downstream, and reaches the Kincaid only to be challenged by a rifle.
- Mugambi
Follows Tarzan with the pack, shakes his fist at Rokoff from the shore.
- Sheeta
Part of the pursuing horde; described as a devil-faced panther that terrorizes Rokoff.
- Akut
Leads the apes that pursue Rokoff along the river.
Key passages
“Halfway between the Ugambi and the village of the Waganwazam, Tarzan came upon the pack moving slowly along his old spoor.”
Tarzan encountered the pack of apes and Sheeta while they were following his earlier trail, midway between the Ugambi River and the Waganwazam village.
Sets the scene for Tarzan's reunion with his animal allies.
“It had been apparent to Tarzan from the first that Jane and Rokoff were not travelling together.”
Tarzan quickly realized that Jane and Rokoff were moving separately, not as companions.
Highlights Tarzan's tracking skills and the separation of the two fugitives.
“With steady, powerful strokes the ape-man forged out into the stream toward the drifting dugout.”
Tarzan swam strongly into the river, heading for the canoe that carried Rokoff.
Shows Tarzan's determination and physical prowess.
“Then a sudden commotion in the water behind the swimmer caught his attention. He saw the ripple, and he knew what caused it.”
Rokoff noticed a disturbance in the water behind Tarzan and recognized it as a crocodile approaching.
Foreshadows the crocodile attack that interrupts Tarzan's pursuit.
“The nightmare of that flight down the Ugambi with the hideous horde racing after him by day and by night... reduced the Russian from a strong and robust man to an emaciated, white-haired, fear-gibbering thing.”
The relentless pursuit by the apes and panther transformed Rokoff from a healthy man into a terrified, haggard wreck.
Emphasizes the psychological toll of the chase on Rokoff.
