Bomba pursues a dual purpose as he makes his way up the dread River of Death: to rescue Cody, Pipina, Horuhun (Chief of the Anaru), Pirah (Horuhun's beloved daughter), Ashruti and Neram from the headhunters of Nascanora and to seek out the Witch Sobrinini who holds sway over the Pante tribe on Snake Island. There, Bomba hopes to learn more of his ancestry.
The Jungle Boy succeeds in his rescue mission but only partially so in his quest for knowledge. Still, battles with jaguars, a venomous jaracara snake, wild peccaries and a tribe of mad false apes, can't stop Bomba from battling ever on and by book's end, Jaguar Island beckons as his next stop on his journey to learn the truth, of his mysterious origins.