Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-06-12

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"Well, man, woman or anything else,
Mocha, must soc something before / 60
back frightened"
$"Master him SEQ, no 60 back,--him goril
kill master" -
Ihad by this timo mado up my mind to
went, alone; aud ordering Mocha in tono
that admitted Of no question, to keer at
my heels; as he valued his life, rcsolutely
advanced n few PAGES, though, if tho truth
must be told, not half SO courageous in feel.
ing as seemed in action.
But at tho end of these fow PAGES | came
to another sudden stand, for ] saw deDser
thickct somo fifteen or twonty yards ahead,
agitated by tho moving of some heavy body
within it, whilo almost Immediately there
appeared in plain view, monster of such
hideouB appearance that felt the blood
freeze through my veins and gather about
my heart, as if appalled, by somo horrible
visitant from tho other world.
My powers of description ure limited;
but had tho language of Milton or q
Dante, could only hopo to convey to your
minds faint idea of tho hidoousness of tho
living creature that now stood before me;
and us to its yoicc--its tones Of warning,
anger and defianco-I know not what thoy
can bo likoned to, unless you can imagine
the bark Of dog, the growl of tiger, tho
snarling Of wolf, tho trumpeting of an
elephant, all unitod aud combined with
sulphurous vomitings from the regions of
pandemonium.
In shape he was like man-but like n
man dcformed-with monstror.s big chest
and body-small head, pla,tcd down
between his shoulders -la:go, long arms
and huge hands-and short, thick, bow.legs,
terminating in ha:nds instead of feet. iIo
stood erect like man, was nearly six feet
in height, and was covered all oycr-faco
and all, with short, black hair His head
was small in proportion to his body, and
nad human conformation. Fierce,
glittcring gray eyes, set deeply in the ho..
low, cavcrnous sockets, rolled and glarcd
Economically. The forehead was low, and
retrcated sharply. There was but little
nose, with high, prominent check bones
.Hho mouth was immense, with hugo mas
sivc jaws, and short, thin lips, that parted
angrily, only to display formidable and
fcrocious set of teeth, the canine being
long aud sharp pointed.
Ho stood before us-crcct, defiant and
awful uttering the horrible roar have
attempted TO describe, aud boating his
breast with his huge fists, producing a
hollow, drum like sound, that combined
with all the rest, was truly terrific, and
made me wish was safe beyond his reach
Then he advanced few steps, with sort
of rolling, waddling motion, stopped again,
with his cleaning eyes fixed ntently upon
us, beat his breast as before, and uttered
that prolonged and dreadful roar.
l stood on tho defensive, wisely deter
mined to reserve my fire for tho approach
ing crisis of my fate, hoping and praying /
might be successful in putting an end to
the monster. had been in many pcrilous
situations before, but none that ever affected
me with so much terror. One moment an
icy chill would mako me shivcr and tho
next, perhaps, l would feel burning flush,
sending ont the pcrspiration in streams. |
glanced at tho African, and saw him firmly
planted with his spear poised for the onset,
his eyes dilatcd his nostris expanded, and
his breast hesving.
''No run now, mastcr!'' he said, in low,
thick, almost narticulatc tones; "no scupe
him run. Him swift Us tigcr-strong as
:'Shal [ fire now, Mocha?"
'No fire him com ngh-dcn fire through
heart"
lie was coming nearer aud nearer, by
slow degrees, few PAGES at time, with a
short, awful roaring and breast beating
interval between, and l thus had time to
think over many Of my sins and say prayers
that had too long been neglected.
"Mocha, be rcady!" l said, when the
monster had once moro stopped to roar and
beat his breast within ten PAGES. ri am
about to end this suspcnsc-I am about to
fire."
1 took deliberate aim, but, in spite Of all
could do, my arms shook so that l was
afraid to pull tho trigger, aud twice | low
cred the weapon to get moro sttadness of
nerve. 1t was as if some fearful spell were
on me, and at the third trial it seemed
as if the fingers of my right hand were
paralyzcd and would not obey my will "a
fact for which have never bccn able to
account
The monster again advanced, and now
not moto than five or six paccs divided us,
and he appeared as il about to make his
iiual desperate rush, Delay now would be
dcath-an awful death; and, summoning
all my will, pulled both triggers in suc-
ccssion.
Only ono barrel was discharged by the
act, tho other missing fire. The ball went
straight to its mark, and lodged in tho
breast of the gorilla. 1t did not bring him
to tho earth, however, but madc him wildly