But with the advent of Terror Trail and for at least two books after, Bomba has no more people to run down but must now concentrate on learning more from the memory-challenged Cody Carson and Sobrinini. To that end, journeys to gain medicine and knowledge to help the pair of old friends regain their memory of Bomba's heritage. White explorers and cannibals combine to help and dog the Jungle Boys' efforts.
In The Swamp of Death, here comes Mui and his Atu followers. Bomba describes them thusly: "I fought with the headhunters. They are evil men. I fought the followers of Goninbobo. They too are evil men. I do not met the Atu, but I heard they are the worst of all."
Curiously, neither the headhunters of the Giant Cataract or the cannibals of Terror Trail have a tribal name, until they're discovered by the Bartons, as do the Anaru and Atu. And all four tribes seem to have avoided warring on one another though the headhunters have attacked the Anaru on several occasions.
Before running into Dr. Penfield, Bomba was on his way back to Terror Trail to find the ripped out pages to the book he had grabbed from Japazy, just outside the Abandoned City. But now it is to the Swamp of Death that Bomba must go, to collect flowers from the plant of death. Dr. Penfield Yarrow, Mark Richardson and David Leeds join the expedition comprised of a contingent of Araos as well as Ashruti, Neram and Giro Gibo.
Despite being captured by the cannibals and attacked by the swamp's sacred alligators, Bomba comes through with the needed flowers and the expedition returns in triumph to the maloca of Horuhun. It is for the future to say whether or not the medicinal properties of the flowers of death will unlock the doors that hold the memories of Bomba's existence.