Part 1: The Journey to Africa

Chapter 7

"Meeting Tarzan, the Ape Man"

As the tension filled chase through the jungle came to an end, Jane could not help but wonder that a savage wild man had just saved her life. If Bobby was with her, he would have died saving her from these creatures. However, the baby baboon and what appeared to be the mother came down on Jane's parasol and was chattering angrily at the wild man. However, the wild man began chattering right back to them and upon understanding what they wanted, Tarzan grabbed the sketch of the baby baboon from Jane's dress and handed it to them as the baby baboon continued to scold them.

Now, Jane had enough and wanted to get down and find her father and Clayton. Being in a tree with a savage jungle man was not what she had in mind.

"Oh, I am in a tree with a man who talks to monkeys," she said to herself as her foot slipped on the tree. She placed her booted foot on one side of the tree while keeping her other bare foot on the other.

"Oh, I can't do this! I can't do this!" she whimpered to herself, but she managed to get her bare foot over without any trouble.

"All right," she said to herself. "One, Two…" She raised herself trying to get her balance in and it didn't last for very long and she was back to where she started.

"Ugh," she groaned to herself. "Things couldn't possibly get any worse can't it?"

Just then, the thunder clapped and the rain began to fall answering her own question.

"Obviously it can," she said to herself and things got even more worse as the ape man got right under her. Fearing for her life, Jane screamed as loud as she could and nearly lost her balance again as she was pushed back by the ape man into a dry part of the tree.

"Now, stay away," she ordered, knowing his intentions. "You stay away from me like a good wild man!"

But, this man was different and he began to touch Jane's bare foot, playing around with her toes.

"Please, Please don't," she giggled as he continued to touch her toes.

"No, get off, get off, get-GET OFF!" she shouted as the man was trying to look up her dress and she kicked him away.

"It serves you right," she said as she crouched her legs in protection, trying to hide her private areas. "Now, you stay away from me like a good wild man."

"You stay," she said sternly as the man advanced. "I'm warning you. My father won't take kindly to you-." He then began touching her face. "What are you-that's close enough."

Now, Jane felt violated.

"How dare-!" she said as she raised her arm to slap him, but the man grabbed her hand and noticing that a tip of Jane's glove was off, he pulled it off and feeling like he finally met someone who was just like him, placed his hand against hers and Jane realized that the man was looking at her like someone he had never met before. He then looked in her eyes, taking a look at the blue eyes that she held so dear. He then got even closer and Jane, still bracing for the violation of her virginity, winced in fear as the man placed his right ear at her chest and listened to her heartbeat through the corset that she was wearing underneath.

"What?" Jane thought to herself. "Why isn't he ripping my dress and undergarments off? Could he be someone that is not like everyone says in London?"

The man then pulled Jane's head towards his so that she could listen to his heartbeat.

Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh dear!" she gasped and quickly pulled herself away from the man's chest. However, he was still fascinated by her heartbeat and continued to look at her.

"Yes, thank you," said Jane as she straightened out her tangled hair. "It's a lovely heartbeat. It's very nice."

"It's very nice," he said, mimicking her speech.

"Oh, thank you," said Jane, trying to put her hair into an elegant bun once again. "I can't do a thing with it in this humidity though, it's-."

She then gasped upon hearing the wild man speak.

"Wait," she asked, as her hair fell down once more. "Did you speak? And all this time I thought you were just a big, wild quiet silent person, thing. Why didn't you tell me, I mean I must seem rather curious to you, I mean I'd love to-."

But the man silenced her by placing his finger at her mouth and then began to make strange and often times bizarre movements.

"Tarzan," said the man. Jane continued to look at him quizzically. The man approached her again and got even closer to her.

"Tar-Zan," he said and Jane then began to realize what the man was trying to say.

"Tarzan," she said understanding him.

"Oh, I see!" she said crouching towards him.

"Oh, I see!" mimicked the wild man. "Tarzan, Oh, I see."

Jane then got down on her knees again and tried to at least introduce herself properly.

"No, no, no," she said clearing her throat. "I'm Jane."

But, the man continued to mimic her.

"No, no, no," he said in a mock English voice. "I'm Jane."

"No, no," Jane said again and these time she used her hand to direct the wild man.

"Jane," she said pointing to herself and then to the wild man. "Tarzan."

She would then repeat the phrase and the man got the message and placed his finger on her chin and smiled.

"Jane," he said softly.

"Exactly," replied Jane, smiling now that the man understood her. Just then, the sounds of gunshots were fired and Jane knew exactly what it was.

"Clayton!" she cried and the wild man, eager to find out what the source of it was, mimicked her once again.

"Clayton!" he said.

"Extroadinary!" Jane gasped to herself and now that he understood English, she thought that maybe he could take her back to her camp.

"Please," she said grabbing onto a vine. "Can you take me to my camp?"

The sounds of gunfire rang again out again and the wild man began to get even more excited.

"Yes, Clayton, wonderful!" she cried and the wild man grabbed her for another swing through the trees.

"No, no," begged Jane nervously. "Can't we walk?"

"Can't we walk?" mimicked Tarzan again and they began yet another journey through the trees.

Meanwhile, Archimedes and Clayton were frantically searching the jungle for Jane when they realized that she was missing.

"Don't worry, Professor," said Clayton. "We will find her unless she had been attacked by someone or something."

"Who would want to attack my dearest Jane?" whimpered Archimedes . "If her mother were here, she would be killing me right now."

"She has to be around here somewhere," thought Clayton. "It's only a matter of time before I get the gorillas and Miss Porter's virginity and no one other than me is going to get it."

Just then, they both heard the sounds of clattering and crashing back at their campsite and decided to investigate.

"What is that noise?" said Clayton.

"It's probably Jane," said Archimedes excitedly. "She must be back at the campsite, come on."

So, the two men ran back to the camp not realizing of the story that Jane was about to tell them…