Tarzan the Terrible · Chapter
II: “To the Death!” explained
Tarzan battles a shaggy, tailed creature and then allies with it against a saber-tooth hybrid.
What happens
Tarzan battles a shaggy, tailed creature and then allies with it against a saber-tooth hybrid. He later joins Om-at and Ta-den on a perilous journey through the mountains, where they swear a pact of brotherhood. They arrive at the Valley of Jad-ben-Otho and see the city of A-lur. Tarzan learns the language of his companions and hears of Ta-den's love for O-lo-a and his exile by King Ko-tan.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this excerpt, the dramatic climax occurs because Tarzan’s relentless search brings him within literal sight…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Survival and Adaptation
Tarzan adapts to the strange creatures and environment of Pal-ul-don, learning their language and forming alliances to survive.
- Love and Loyalty
Ta-den's love for O-lo-a drives his exile; the three warriors swear a pact of loyalty 'To the death!'
- Civilization vs. Primitivism
Contrast between the city-dwelling Ho-don and the free, cave-dwelling Waz-don; Tarzan observes written language and racial distinctions among the pithecanthropi.
Characters to notice
- Tarzan
Fights and then allies with a shaggy pithecanthropus; swears a pact with Om-at and Ta-den; learns the local language; seeks news of Jane.
- Om-at
Waz-don warrior; leads Tarzan and Ta-den across the dangerous Pastar-ul-ved; swears the pact 'To the death!' and seeks to kill Es-sat.
- Ta-den
Ho-don exile; tutors Tarzan in the local language; in love with O-lo-a; exiled by King Ko-tan.
- Es-sat
Mentioned as the current chief of Kor-ul-ja whom Om-at seeks to kill.
- Ko-tan
King of Pal-ul-don; exiled Ta-den for loving his daughter O-lo-a.
- O-lo-a
Daughter of Ko-tan; beloved by Ta-den.
Key passages
“The three as one! cried Tarzan of the Apes. To the death! and his blade flashed in the sunlight.”
Tarzan, Om-at, and Ta-den swear an oath of brotherhood, vowing to fight together until death.
The pact solidifies their alliance for the journey ahead.
“I brought you this way, replied the black, to learn if either lacked the courage to follow where Om-at led.”
Om-at tested Tarzan and Ta-den by leading them across a dangerous mountain path to prove their bravery.
The path, Pastar-ul-ved, is a traditional trial of courage for Waz-don warriors.
“Never had there been in their country a woman such as he described, nor any tailless man other than himself that they ever had seen.”
Neither Ta-den nor Om-at had ever seen a woman like Jane or a tailless man like Tarzan in Pal-ul-don.
Tarzan's search for Jane seems hopeless in this strange land.
