The Most Dangerous Game

The Most Dangerous Game Summary | Detailed Summary

Aboard a yacht, somewhere in the Caribbean, Whitney points out "Ship-Trap Island," to his friend and fellow hunting companion, Rainsford. "Ship-Trap Island" is a mysterious island dreaded by sailors, as suggested by the name. Rainsford peers into the darkness but can't see a thing in the dark, moonless night. The two are headed towards Rio, where they are going to hunt jaguars. Jaguars are formidable prey- or, are supposed to be, even for serious hunters.

As they discuss their destination, Rainsford express his delight in hunting. Whitney counters his enthusiasm by remarking that hunting may be fine for the hunter, but not for the hunted. Rainsford laughs at the idea that there should be any problem for the poor dumb, jaguar. Rainsford has no pity for wild beasts nor does he feel for their pain. Whitney's concerns seem trivial to him. He is a seasoned hunter who has not time for this kind of sentimentality.

The sailors seem jumpy, even their Swedish commander, a Captain Nielsen, tough-minded sailor as he is. Whitney seems genuinely alarmed at approaching the island. At one point, he mentions a sudden chill, not of the air, but of the mind. Rainsford takes it all with a grain of salt. Whitney remarks that he believes that sailors have a kind of sixth sense about trouble lurking in the sea. Whitney goes to sleep, but Rainsford goes out on the deck to have a smoke.

Reclining in a steamer chair, smoking his pipe, Rainsford suddenly hears several gunshots. Racing up to the railing to take look out on the ocean, he accidentally knocks his pipe against a rope. Attempting to retrieve it, he is knocked overboard. Now, he is afloat in the warm, tropical waters, watching the yacht, immune to his cries and beyond his reach, disappear in the distance. He decides to swim towards the gunshots, when he hears the loud, anguished cry of an animal. Then hears a pistol shot.

Swimming determinedly, he hears water breaking on land. He manages to make it through the jagged rocks to the shore, where he falls dead asleep. When he awakes, he finds traces of a large animal killed by a 22, a relatively small weapon for such a large animal. Then, he finds prints of hunting boots and he is off to find the hunters- and food!

Initially, he sees bright light, perhaps of a village. But instead of a village he finds an elegant chateau perched on a high bluff, overlooking the sea. Entering the large iron gate, he proceeds up the stares to a large metal knocker, molded in the form of a menacing gargoyle. The door opens and he is greeted by a giant of a man with a large revolver. Indifferent to Rainsford attempts at an introduction, he pulls back the hammer of his gun only to be stopped by another slimmer, less forbidding stranger who greets Rainsford by name. He claimed to have recognized him by his book- on hunting snow leopards.

The man is General Zaroff, a Cossack like his large servant, Ivan. Zaroff is an older man with white hair, but jet-black eyebrows and mustache, a handsome, distinguished-looking man. He invites him to share his supper after lending him his clothes. They meet for dinner in a magnificent hall, with oaken panels, surrounded by perfect specimens animal heads of lion, moose, deer and others.

After drinking his excellent champagne, Rainsford remarks on the excellence of his trophies, particularly on the Cape Buffalo, reputed to be the most dangerous game animal to hunt. Zaroff replies that hunting is his pleasure and his passion, but the Cape Buffalo is not the most dangerous. It is another species, which he specially imported to the island.

Declining to answer Rainsford's queries about this special game, Zaroff recounts how he learned how to hunt at an early age, starting with birds and then graduating to a bear at ten years old. He commanded other Cossacks in the Tsar's army, but still continued to hunt. He had to leave after the Russian Revolution, investing in American securities and hence becoming independently wealthy to pursue his obsessive hunting lifestyle. After hunting jaguars and Cape Buffalos and lions, at some point, Zaroff realized that he, perhaps at peaked at his profession. He must find a more challenging quarry or stop hunting altogether. But animals, in general, are limited to their speed and instinctive cunning. In order to find his true prey, Zaroff decided to hunt men.

Rainsford is staggered by his confession. But Zaroff replies, "The weak of the world were put here to give the strong pleasure." And so he hunts men, but only those from tramp steamers, "the scum of the earth."

How does he find them— sometimes by Providence, by a natural shipwreck? Isn't he located, after all, on Ship-Trap Island? But, if things are not so providential, he has rigged some electric lights at sea to direct a ship into dangerous, rock-infested waters and he harvests the shipwrecked sailors for his game. In fact, he has some from the Spanish ship, the San Lucar, which he had deposed for training in his cellar.

The sailors have a choice. Either be hunted by Zaroff with a small caliber pistol after being fitted with food and a good hunting knife or disposed of by Ivan, a former knouter for the Czar, a man who beat criminals for his living in turgid, Russian prisons. Choosing to hunt, the sailors all have, to date, been killed. Sometimes, if the quarry is good, Zaroff will have to resort to his dogs, which he happily exhibits to his new visitor. Rainsford passes over the opportunity to hunt that evening but retreats to his bedroom, where he finally sleeps. In the morning, he hears a pistol shot.

Later, he shares a pleasant lunch of crêpes Suzette and French wine with the General, but makes it clear that he wishes to leave the island immediately. The General does not take comfortably to his desire- and his refusal to hunt- and now insists that Rainsford himself become his pray. If he does not, he will be given over to Ivan to with as he pleases. He is to be given food, a knife, some hunting clothes and moccasins. He is advised to avoid the "Death Swamp" in another corner of the Island.

Rainsford is let out of the compound. He now realizes that it is futile to run. He will only run into the sea. So he sets out another plan. He will take a circuitous route, like a fox attempting to outwit its opponent.

Once having finished his route, Rainsford retreats to a tree, where he watches for Zaroff, who does not disappoint him. But, apparently, Zaroff does not inspect his tree closely enough to spot the limb he had hidden upon. He smiles and goes back into the forest. Rainsford eventually realizes that, indeed, Zaroff had realized his location, but was saving him for another day.

Rainsford responds by constructing a "Malay man catcher," made by resting a dead tree on a live one. The General is struck the dead tree. He does not fall, but is injured and, after calling out to Rainsford, goes back to dress his wound. The General again retreats, perhaps enjoying his image of the frenzied psychology of the mind of the hunted.

Attempting to find another approach, Rainsford winds up, mistakenly, in the Death Swamp. But the mushy, watery ground gives him an idea and he creates another type of trap, a Burmese pit, one with a seeming carpet of vegetation covering a pit with sharp stakes in its bottom. But it is not Zaroff who falls into the pit, but rather, one of his hounds. Again, Zaroff, only slightly defeated, gives his prey one more evening.

But now, when morning comes, Rainsford hears a terrifying sound. He is now pursued by Zaroff, Ivan and his whole pack of dogs. He swiftly constructs another trap, this time with a young sapling, tied down with a bit of grapevine. At the end of the sapling is a knife. Now, Rainsford's hopes are pinned on a very narrow set of circumstances.

Still, the trap is sprung. But again, it is only partially successful- for the knife pierces Ivan, not Zaroff. Now, he is has destroyed a vital part of Zaroff's existence. He must, again, run from the pack. Finding a gap between the trees, he plunges into the sea. Reaching that section of the Island, the General stops, takes a sip of brandy, smokes a bit and sings a snatch of a Gilbert and Sullivan tune. The General assumes his fate, as a loser, with a bit of bravado, without missing any creature comfort and with his customary style, as a Russian aristocrat and sportsman.

When the General returns home, he treats himself to a very fine repast and two bottles of very fine vintage. Still, he is troubled by Ivan's demise. Ivan was an important asset to him on his isolated little island. He is also troubled by Rainsford's victory. He goes to his library and reads the stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius, for comfort. Then he retires to his bedroom, only to be faced with a huge surprise.

The General calls out "better luck" to his dogs then turns to go Rainsford, who has been hiding behind the curtains, now stands before the General. Zaroff comments how he has won and the game is over. But Rainsford demurs. The game is not quite over.

Rainsford is still, in his mind, "a beast at bay." Only one of them will survive. The other will be a feast for his dogs. The other will sleep that evening in Zaroff's most comfortable bed. Rainsford, that night, indeed, sleeps in an almost perfect bed.