Jungle Tales #6

The White Peril!

Jann is out with his friend Pat Mahoney who is getting film footage of a lion. The lion spots them and attacks, wrecking Pat's camera while Jann fights it off. Pat is horrified because without sensational footage of the jungle to send back to the United States he will be sent home. He convinces Jann to take him out to film the dangerous "White Peril", a herd of white rhinos, or be separated forever.

Pat ventures into the jungle on foot while Jann watches from the trees. Along the way Jann saves Pat from a herd of regular rhinos. They swing to what appears to be white rocks, but turns out to be the very White Peril they are searching for and startling the beasts into a charge. Holding on for his dear life, Pat cannot get his camera out to film the white rhinos. The charge takes them to a nearby white rhino who is stuck in a puddle of mud. Jann and Pat dive off the charging herd and use vines to tie up the trapped beast and Jann manages to convince the now docile herd to help pull their fellow rhino out of the mud.

Suddenly, the lion that attacked them earlier appears and Pat attacks it with his camera. Fearing for Pat's life, Jann then gets the rhinos to charge after the lion trampling it to death. Jann and Pat flee the area, when Jann realizes that Pat didn't take any pictures. Pat brushes it off, saying that he put his camera to better use fighting off the lion and is thankful to get to safety with Jann.

Recurring Characters

• Jann of the Jungle

• Pat Mahoney

The Test of the Thousand Perils!

Waku, chief of the Bantu tribe, ventures into the jungles for the annual "test of the thousands perils" to continue to have the right to lead his people. After he leaves, his lover Lalei overhears Zabo and the tribal medicine man plotting to secretly kill Waku in the jungle so that Zabo can take over control of the tribe. Spotting Lalei, the medicine man captures her and forces her to go out into the jungle with them.

Hiding in the thick foliage, the two conspirators track down Waku who is then walking among some lions. Using a blow dart, Zabo angers one of the lions into attacking Waku. Waku struggles with the lion and easily subdues it, tying up its legs with vines and removes the blow dart, alerting him to someone in the jungles, but he does not see who it is.

Following Waku deeper into the jungle, Zabo and the medicine man spot a nest of snakes in a tree above their leader. When Zabo throws a rock at the snakes, Waku hears its passage and catches it out of the air before it can strike its mark. When Waku heads toward them, Lalei cries out a warning to Waku that he is in danger.

Spotting the two traitors, Waku demands that they let Lalei go, but the medicine man threatens to kill Lalei if Waku does not walk through a river where crocodiles are now sleeping. This angers Zabo who wishes to make Lalei his queen after Waku is killed, but when he rebels, the medicine man uses his magical powers to force him to do his bidding. While they are distracted, Waku swings on a vine and snatches Lalei, taking her to safety, but their vine breaks sending them falling into the river. Zabo then fires his arrows at the crocodiles sending them into a frenzy. Waku and Lalei swim to shore where the tribal leader engages in a struggle with Zabo.

Zabo gains the upper hand kicking Waku into the path of the advancing crocodiles, but to their surprise the crocs don't attack Waku but instead chase after Zabo and the medicine man. Recognizing them as their attackers, crocodiles chase them into the jungle. Waku and Lalei then return to their village where the Bantu people accept Waku back into the tribe as their leader once more.

Recurring Characters

• Waku

• Lalei

Cliff Mason, White Hunter

At the headquarters of the white hunters association, an elderly hunter Pop agrees to take Mr. Grogg to the Quimba region to hunt for tigers despite warnings from the other hunters, including Cliff Mason, that it is too dangerous for him to go in alone. Pop ignores their warnings, telling them that due to his age he can't afford to turn down any job. After they leave, Cliff rallies the other hunters and tries to convince them to follow after Pop to make sure he and his employer do not get harm. Much to his dismay, the other hunters refuse to go into Quimba for their own safety, forcing Mason to go after them alone.

Not far away, Pop and Mr. Grogg's jeep is attacked by a tiger forcing them to speed off. However in his panic, Pop ends up crashing into a tree knocking himself out. The frightened Mr. Grogg then flees into the jungle to get away from the big cat. Pop is found by Cliff and the two venture into the jungle to search for Mr. Grogg and to save his life. Along the way they knock out an attacking tiger and press forward, finding Grogg surrounded by a large pack of the big cats.

Pop and Cliff come to Grogg's rescue, shooting the tigers until they are out of bullets then using their guns as clubs to keep the beasts away. However things begin to look dire, but before the tigers can lunge for the kill, the other hunters arrive and gun down the tigers. In the aftermath the other hunters explain that they had a change of heart and followed after Cliff to ensure that everyone makes it out alive. Hearing all this Mr. Grogg, a wealthy man, is thankful for the help and offers to use his fortune to build a club for retired hunters and offers Pop the opportunity to be the manager.

Recurring Characters

• Cliff Mason