Tarzan the Untamed · Chapter
Mysterious Footprints explained
After the plane crash-lands in a gorge, Tarzan finds the survivors and forms an unlikely friendship with Numa, the lion he freed.
What happens
After the plane crash-lands in a gorge, Tarzan finds the survivors and forms an unlikely friendship with Numa, the lion he freed. While tracking Numa's path to water, Tarzan discovers mysterious human footprints—shod with sandals, not made by natives—hinting at unknown inhabitants in the region. The group sets up camp in a cave for the night.
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 Climax.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Bertha Kircher…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Survival and Adaptation
Tarzan uses jungle skills to track Numa and find water; the group adapts to the crash and harsh terrain.
- Loyalty and Betrayal
Smith-Oldwick is torn between his love for Bertha and his duty as an officer if she is a German spy.
- Madness and Rationality
Tarzan's beast-like tracking (sniffing footprints) contrasts with human rationality, blending instinct and reason.
Characters to notice
- Tarzan
Tracks Numa, discovers mysterious footprints, and leads the group to a cave camp.
- Fräulein Bertha Kircher
Survives the plane crash; feels regret at leaving Tarzan's world behind.
- Lieutenant Harold Percy Smith-Oldwick
Pilots the plane, crashes after hitting a vulture, and struggles with his feelings for Bertha.
- Numa
The lion Tarzan freed; shows gratitude and befriends Tarzan, leading them toward water.
- Ska
The vulture whose collision with the plane causes the crash.
Key passages
“Love of the sporting chance is inherent in the Anglo-Saxon race and it was not now Tarzan of the Apes but rather John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, who smilingly welcomed the sporting chance which he must take to discover how far-reaching was Numa's gratitude.”
Tarzan's English heritage makes him embrace the risk of testing whether Numa remembers his kindness.
Highlights Tarzan's dual identity and his willingness to take risks.
“Strange friendships are often formed between the lower animals of different species, but less often between man and the savage felidae, because of the former's inherent fear of the great cats.”
Unusual bonds occur among animals, but humans rarely befriend big cats due to natural fear.
Explains the rarity of Tarzan's friendship with Numa.
“He found himself torn between sentiments of love and honor. On the one hand he could not surrender the woman he loved to the certain fate that must be meted out to her if she were in truth an enemy spy, while on the other it would be equally impossible for him as an Englishman and an officer to give her aid or protection.”
Smith-Oldwick struggles with his love for Bertha and his duty as a British officer if she is a German spy.
Illustrates the internal conflict between personal feelings and professional honor.
