Nyoka the Jungle Girl #17

Nyoka confronts Trader Tom about a leaky fountain pen he sold her, only to discover his real scheme: he's already prepared to sell her a pair of rubber gloves to protect her hands from the mess. A quick bit of jungle-market hustling that shows Tom always has his next angle ready.

Nyoka searches the jungle for a missing boy named Peter, only to discover he's being hunted by ruthless kidnappers—the same criminals she suspected when they boarded the ship from England. When she rescues Peter from a perilous fall, the kidnappers capture them both, leaving Nyoka bound and alone with a prowling leopard as the torch meant to keep it at bay burns dangerously low. With Peter in the criminals' hands and her own life hanging by a thread, Nyoka must escape the jungle's deadly threat.

Lion-hearted Leo, a circus animal trainer who's secretly terrified of animals, heroically disarms an armed crook at the big tent—but when Nyoka sees his fighting spirit, she gets a dangerous idea for his next act. That night, Leo's worst fears come true in a vivid nightmare where he's forced into the ring with a boxing kangaroo, getting pummeled mercilessly while Nyoka cheers the match on.