Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-06
APE AND LION FIGHT.

In the gloomy recesses of the primeval
forests still to be found in central Africa,
there is vast UNEMPLOYED field still
stretching forth its 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
a greater or lesser degree united. Occa-
sionally, then, even the most ardent hun
ter will lose the blood instinct that ami
mates him, and, lowering his rife, per-
haps in a 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 l 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 impenetralia that cannot
be described, but must be seen to be I'M
derstood Behind US stretched vast ave
nues of trees, the height of which was
lOSL III tU6 ltdl1 ClOuO6 W W Oub Iilt
fierce, burning glare of the sun, and rem
dered even the terrible noontide cool and
pleasant. In front Of us came the closer
stems and thick, INTERVIEWING growth of
vines and creepers, with stunted bushes and
long pendant masses, impenetrable save
where some gigantic brute had crushed a
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
chirp of a grasshopper, the sharp
hiss of a serpent, or the shrill sound of a
locust rose from the matted grass, with
occasionally the boot of an owl or the
chatter of stray monkey, which sounded
strangely in the peculiar silence of the
forests. AS advanced along the track,
slowly and with great difficulty, we
seemed to leave them far behind, and en-
tered into a region OF semi-darkness, a
faint greenish black light, as though the
glorious sunlight overhead, baked in find
ing a 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 faint, subdued semblance of it
self, like that found in some vast cathe
dral aisle. My eyes struggled with the
gloom, and seemed to have an instructive
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 a trail, or heard some token of
the proximity of game that had escaped
my less acute powers l cautiously adj
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 a small clearing Overshadowed by an
enormous tree, whose foliage, without
really admitting a greatar volume of
light, seemed to equahze the CLEAN, and
so render objects at a distance of thirty or
forty yards perfectly perceptible.
Right opposite to US, with his back
against q tree. was the sleeping form of a
huge gorilla, his hands hanging down by
his sides, his legs crooked in front of him,
and his head hstlessly lying sidewise on
his shoulder. Some distance from him
was the female, apparently busily 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
utes hssitated as TO what course Ito pur-
sue, whether to attempt TO get any
closer, as the distance was rather a
long one, in such a 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 rife, heard a scream of
agony from the female, which caused the
sleeper to rise to his feet, and as it did so
the female literally fell from tree on the
edge of the clearing down to the ground,
uttering the most piercing cries that hu-
man imagination can conceive.
Then terrific roar that shook the very
ground broke upon the silence and told
the history of the female gorilla's fright.
1t 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 lion s
challenge. Immediately crashing sound
was heard, and full grown lion bounded
into the open, and stood, his head erect,
his name bristling like the hair on cat,
the very personiicauon Of brute strength
and courage.
AS his eyes lighted on the gorilla his
tail began to wave to and fro Wider
and wider grew its sweep, until at last il
struck its ribs, first one side end then the
other, with resounding blows, while roar
upon roar gave token of his increasing
rage and anger. The gorilla placed his
upper hands upon the ground and bounded
into the air fully six feet, alighting on
his four hands and bounding up again and
again. seemingly for the purpose of en-
raging the lion TO the greatest possible
degree. He then rose TO his full height
on his hinder hands, uttering tremendous
roars and beating his breast with his great
fsf, producing sounds like those made by
heavy blows upon bass drum. Then he
dropped upon all fours again, remaining
perfectly motionless with the exception
of his eyebrows, which worked up and
down with lightning speed, giving an ex.
preston of feroeity to his face that is in
describable.
Fascinated at the sight, my rife dropped
from my shoulder aAd my guide and l lay
fiat upon the ground. mute witnesses OF
the tragedy about 90 be enacted. Sud
denly the hon uttered another ear split
ling roar and bounded forward. A few
Dhort steps, tremendous leap, two or
three short, sharp growls, and both com
batants were in the air together. the
gorilla having leaped high and straight as
the lion charged. In midair the lion
turned and struck apparently vainly at
he gorilla, who, as the lion fell on his side
upon the ground. ahghtsd ON him, struck
him two terrific blows and bounded away
With siding run TO distance OF several