Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-03-17
APE AND LION FIGHT.

APE AND LION FIGHT.
 In the gloomy recesses of the primeval forests still to be found in central Africa, there is a vast unexplored field still stretching forth it's unmeasured space to the hunter and the naturalist. To those who know the face of nature as it is be- fore the corrosive hand of civilization sweeps across it, there is little ground for wonder that the two are almost always in 8 greater or lesser degree united Occa- sionally, then, even the most ardent hun- ter will lose the blood instinct that ani- mates him, and, lowering his rife, per- haps in moment of great personal dan ger, will forget his long and laboriously sought quarry to watch some new trait or fresh instinct in the animal that, uncon- scious of his presence, gambols before him. It is of such an episode that I now write.
 My guide and had been for two days after big game with but little success, until shortly after noon on the second day we struck what appeared to be one of the dense patches of inpenetralia that cannot be described, but must be seen to be un- derstood. Behind us stretched vast ave nues of trees, the height of which was lost in the leafy clouds which shut out the fierce, burning glare of the sun, and ren- dered even the terrible noontide cool and pleasant. In front of us come the closer stems and thick, intertwining growth of vines and creepers, with stunted bushes and long pendant masses, impenetrable save where some gigantic brute had crushed q passage through. leaving his tracks in broken branches, crushed bushes and thickly scattered twigs. Birds of gor- geous plumage, with harsh, dis sonant voices, peopled the trees, the ch:rp of grasshopper, the sharp hiss of serpent, or the shrill sound of a occasionally the hoot of an owl or the chatter of Q stray monkey, which sounded strangely in the peculiar silence of the forests. As we advanced along the track, slowly and with great difficulty, we seemed to leave them far behind, and en- tered into 8 region of semi-darkness, a faint greenish black light, as though the glorious sunlight overhead, baked in find- ing direct inlet to the ground, had been filtered through yards of close growing green foliage, and, unconquered by all the forces of vegetation, had succeeded in sending a faint, subdued semblance of it. self, like that found in some vast cathe- dral aisle. My eyes struggled with the
 
 power to dilate their pupils sufficiently to magnify or condense the attenuated rays until they were able to illumine the sur rounding Plutonian depths.
 My guide suddenly paused and made a sign to me with his open palm, which, in the language of the hunter. said that he had struck Q trail, or heard some token of the proximity of game that had escaped my less acute powers. cautiously ad- vanced to his side, and following the di- rection of his finger peered through the brush, and saw that we lay upon the edge of small clearing overshado'ved by an enormous tree, whose foliage. without really admitting a greatar volume of light, seemed to equalize the gleam, and so render objects at distance of thirty or forty yards perfectly perceptible.
 Right opposite to us, with his back against tree was the sleeping form of a huge gorilla, his hands hanging down by his sides, his legs crooked in front of hlm, and his head listlessly lying sidewise on his shoulder. Some distance from him was the female, apparently brsily en- gagged in gathering nuts, swinging from tree to tree, now disappearing into the surrounding forest, but ever and anon re- turning to keep watch and ward over the sleeping lord and master, For some min-
 
 sue, whether to attempt to get any closer, as the distance was rather a long one, in such light, to attack an animal like the gorilla, who, if only wounded, would, in all probability, with the female, charge right down into us; or if should take all risks and rely upon the second rifle of my guide. At last de- cided to take my chance where was, but, upon raising my rifle, heard scream of l agony from the female, which caused the l sleeper to rise to his feet, and as it did so 1 the female literally fell from Q tree on the i edge of the clearing down to the ground, uttering the most piercing cries that hu- | man imagination can conceive.
 l Then terrific roar that shook the very ground broke upon the silence and told the history of the female gorilla's fright. It was a lion, and at the sound of his voice she again fled into the trees, while the male uttered deep, savage, hoarse | roar that was the answer to the lions challenge. Immediately crashing sound was heard, and full grown lion bounded into the open, and stood, his head erect his mane bristling like the hair on a cat the very personification of brute strength I and courage.
 As his eyes lighted on the gorilla hi. tail began to wave to and fro. Wider ana WlQer grew lUS SWcCp, uuCll tat 1dSI Il struck it's ribs, first one side and then the 1 other, with resounding blows, while roal upon roar gave token of his increasing rage and anger. The gorilla placed hil upper hands upon the ground and bounded into tue air fully six feet, alighting or his four hands and bounding up again ant again, seemingly for the purpose of en l raging the lion to the greatest possibl, | degree. He then rose to his full neigh, on his hinder hands, uttering tremendou. roars and beating his breast with his great fist, producing sounds like those made by heavy blows upon bass drum. Then h. dropped upon all fours again. remaining perfectly motionless with the exception of his eyebrows, which worked up ana down with lightning speed, giving an ex r pression of ferocity to his face that is in describable.
 Fascinated at the sight, my rifle dropped from my shoulder and my guide and la. t flat unon the ground, mute witnesses O l1ha .trageyly- fBert to be enacted. Sud denly the iida uttsrea anothsr sar slais ls lsa1