May 2, 2025, and 61 years ago on this day in 1964, “Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine” reprinted “The Battle for Teeka” from “Jungle Tales of Tarzan” as “Tarzan, Jungle Detective.” Proving the timelessness of Burroughs’s work, “The Battle for Teeka” was first published in Blue Book magazine as the tenth installment of the series of short stories that became “Jungle Tales of Tarzan."
Publishing details, illustrations, and a complete Ebook are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0492.html
Tarzan discovered live bullets in his deceased father's cabin, and took them with him. Teeka, a female ape (Mangani) who was Tarzan’s first love and still his friend, ends up with the bullets. Teeka was kidnapped by an ape from another tribe and Tarzan and Taug, Tarzan’s rival for Teeka, join forces to rescue her. When they find her, they are surrounded by the entire enemy tribe and nearly overwhelmed. Teeka flung the cartridges at her kidnappers in an apparently futile effort to help. When some of them hit the rocks, they explode, frighten her captors, and save her "rescuers." As they say, it’s better to be lucky than good.
The drabble for today, “You Call This A Rescue,” was inspired by Tarzan, Jungle Detective, aka “The Battle for Teeka.” A tip of the hat to “Star Wars: A New Hope.”
Teeka was kidnapped by another tribe. Tarzan and Taug tracked them and tried to save her, but were surrounded by the angry tribe.
Teeka said, “You came for me. I hope you brought some help?”
“No, just the two of us,” said Tarzan.
“Aren’t you a little short for a great ape. What’s your plan?”
“Kill everybody that isn’t you and leave.”
“Stupid. You came here without a plan for getting out.”
Taug shrugged, “Tarzan’s the brains.”
Teeka threw live bullets at her captors. They exploded and frightened them away.
She said, “Someone has to save our skins. Follow me.”
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