Tarzan and the Madman

Tarzan and the Madman, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Canaveral Press, 1974

These are harder times than usual for the Lord of the Jungle.

Someone who calls himself "Tarzan" has been kidnapping girls and women from the local tribes, never to be seen again. It is causing Tarzan's usual allies, both human and animal, to turn their backs on him. The latest kidnap victim is Sandra Pickerall, a white woman from Scotland. A couple of bounty hunters are very interested in the reward offered by Sandra's father for her safe return. They certainly won't ignore the reward for delivering Tarzan, dead or alive, also to Sandra's father. As an added complication, there is a tribe of cannibals in the area who are best avoided at all costs.

Sandra is rescued from the cannibals by Tarzan, and he is shot, and severely injured, by one of the bounty hunters. In their travels, the bounty hunters discover that the cannibals wear lots of gold jewelry. A person can almost see the dollar signs in their eyes; there has to be an incredible gold mine somewhere nearby. Meantime, "Tarzan" rescues Sandra from the bounty hunters, and takes her to the top of a high mesa, where God rules in real medieval castle. He isn't really God, just the leader of a group of Portuguese soldiers. Sandra is very uninterested in becoming a goddess.

Later, "Tarzan" rescues Sandra from the Portuguese, after learning the truth about them. As time goes on, she begins to have feelings for him. She realizes that he is not insane or a psychopath, but an average guy with a case of total amnesia. When the Tarzans meet, can Sandra keep Tarzan from killing "Tarzan?" The bounty hunters find the mine, with chunks of gold just lying on the ground. Do they make it back to civilization with their new riches?

This is a lesser-known, but pretty good part of the Tarzan series. It's easy to read, with plenty of action, and will keep the reader entertained. Yes, it's worth reading.