The Return of Tarzan
Description of book
The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs - is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the second in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine New Story Magazine in the issues for June through December 1913; the first book edition was published in 1915 by A. C. McClurg.
Plot summary
Tarzan, feeling rootless in the wake of sacrificing his prospects of wedding Jane Porter,[N 1] leaves the United States for Europe to visit his friend Paul d'Arnot. On the ship he becomes embroiled in the affairs of Countess Olga de Coude, her husband, Count Raoul de Coude, and two men attempting to prey on them, Nikolas Rokoff and his henchman Alexis Paulvitch. Rokoff, it turns out, is also the countess's brother. Tarzan thwarts the villains' scheme, making them his deadly enemies.
In France, Rokoff repeatedly tries to eliminate the ape man, finally engineering a duel between him and the count by making it appear that he is the countess's lover. Tarzan deliberately refuses to defend himself in the duel, even offering the count his own weapon after the latter fails to kill him with his own. This gesture convinces the count of Tarzan's innocence. In return, Raoul finds him a job as a special agent in the French ministry of war. Tarzan is assigned to service in Algeria.
A sequence of adventures among the local Arabs ensues, including another brush with Rokoff. Afterward, Tarzan sails for Cape Town and strikes up a shipboard acquaintance with Hazel Strong, Jane's best friend. Also aboard are Rokoff and Paulovitch, who manage to ambush Tarzan and throw him overboard.
Miraculously, Tarzan manages to swim to shore and finds himself in the coastal jungle where he grew up. He soon rescues and befriends a native warrior, Busuli of the Waziri tribe, which adopts the ape man. After defeating a raid on their village by ivory raiders, Tarzan becomes their chief.
Plot summary
Tarzan, feeling rootless in the wake of sacrificing his prospects of wedding Jane Porter,[N 1] leaves the United States for Europe to visit his friend Paul d'Arnot. On the ship he becomes embroiled in the affairs of Countess Olga de Coude, her husband, Count Raoul de Coude, and two men attempting to prey on them, Nikolas Rokoff and his henchman Alexis Paulvitch. Rokoff, it turns out, is also the countess's brother. Tarzan thwarts the villains' scheme, making them his deadly enemies.
In France, Rokoff repeatedly tries to eliminate the ape man, finally engineering a duel between him and the count by making it appear that he is the countess's lover. Tarzan deliberately refuses to defend himself in the duel, even offering the count his own weapon after the latter fails to kill him with his own. This gesture convinces the count of Tarzan's innocence. In return, Raoul finds him a job as a special agent in the French ministry of war. Tarzan is assigned to service in Algeria.
A sequence of adventures among the local Arabs ensues, including another brush with Rokoff. Afterward, Tarzan sails for Cape Town and strikes up a shipboard acquaintance with Hazel Strong, Jane's best friend. Also aboard are Rokoff and Paulovitch, who manage to ambush Tarzan and throw him overboard.
Miraculously, Tarzan manages to swim to shore and finds himself in the coastal jungle where he grew up. He soon rescues and befriends a native warrior, Busuli of the Waziri tribe, which adopts the ape man. After defeating a raid on their village by ivory raiders, Tarzan becomes their chief.
Edgar Rice Burroughs
298 Pages