Edgar Rice Burroughs

This was one of my favorite books when I was growing up. The story begins with a white man being led into the jungle by some tribal safari guides. But at one point the guides tell the man, "We stop here."

"Why?" asks the man.

"We go no further. The curse of the forest is upon us."

Laughing at their fears, the white explorer travels alone into the jungle. And that's when the adventure begins. He comes across a beautiful girl, too, and naturally he saves her from tigers, and then they are both captured by a secret tribe. The plot thickens and the romantic and exciting conclusion is all you could ask for in an adventure story.