South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1889-10-11

FRIDAY. OCTOBER IL, 1889.
M FIRST GORILLA HUN T

m FIRST GORILLA HUN /.
Ia the gloomy rccesses OF the prime.
val forests still 10 be found in Cen>
trail Africa there il q vast uncxplored
| fel1 s..!l stretching forth it's unmeas-
Ut, d srace 20 the hunter and the nat
uraiist. To those who know the face
OF nature as IL Is before the carlo.
sive hand Of civilization sweeps across
it, there is little ground for wonder
that the two are almost always in a
greater or less degree united. Occa.
sional:y, then, even the most ardent
hunter will lose The blood instinct
that anima,es him, and. lowering bis
rifle, perhaps in a moment OF great
personal danger, will forget Lis long
and laboriously sought quarry TO
watch soue new trait or fresh instinct
in the animal that. unconscious Of his
prefence, gambols before him. L. is
of such an episode the, COW write.
My guide AMI had been for two
days after big game with but little
success, until shortly after noon on
the socoud day we struck what sp-
peBrcd 10 be one of tue dense patches
o. impeueti ALA that cannot be de-
scri6ed, but must be seen to be nn-
derstood. Behind us stretched vas,
avenues ~ trees, the height of which
was lost In the l,afy clouds which shut
out the fierce, burning glare of The
sun. and rendered even the terrible
noonii6e cool and pleasant. In front
| Of us caJue the closer stems and ihjck
intertwiuing growth OF vines and
crcepers, with situated bushes and
long pendent masses, iDpenetrable
save wis re some gigantic brute har
crushed a passage through, leaving
| his tracks in broken branches, crush
ed bushes and thickiy scattered twigs.
Birds of gorgeous plumage with harsh,
discordant voices pcopled the trees,
tie chirp OF a grasshopper, the sharp
ISIS OF serpent, or the shrill sound
Of locust rose FROM the matted
grass. with occasionally the hoot of
an owl, or the chatter Of stray mon
key. wh;cd sounded strangely in th c
peculiar silence OF the forests. AS
we advanced aioig the track, slowls
and with great difficulty, We eecm ed
to leave them far behind, and entered
into region Of semi darkness, faint
gtecni,h black light, as though the
glorious sunlight overhead, baked in
f. ding direct inlet to the ground
had been filtered through yards OF
close growing foliage, aud, uncon-
quered by all the forces Of vegetation.
had succeeded In sending a faint,
subdued semblance of itself, like that
found in some vast cathedral aisle.
My eyes struggled with the gloom
aud seemed 10 have an instructive
power to dila'e their pupils sufficient
ly t. magnify or condense the attcn.
uated rays until they were able 10 il.
lumiue the surrounding Plutouian
depths.
My guide suddenly paused and
made sign TO me with his open palm
which, in the language of the hunter,
said that be had struck trail, OF
some token Of the proximity or game
that had escaped my less acute pow.
ers. | cautiously advanced to his side
and following the direction OF his fin-
ger, peered through the brust, and
saw that we lay upon the edge of O
small clearing, overshadowed by en-
enormous tree, whose foliage, with
oul really admitting greater volume
OF light, seemed TO equalize the CLEAN
ard go render objects at a distance
of thirty or forty yards perfectly per-
ceptible.
Right opposite to US, with bis back
against tree was the sleeping form
OF a huge gorilla, bis Lands hanging
down by his sizes, his legs crook cd in
front of him, and his head lisLlessly
lying sidewise on bis shoulder. Some
distance from him was the female, sp
pnrently busily engaged in gathering
nuts, swinging from tree TO tree, now
disappearing into the surrounding
forest, but ever and anon returning to
keep watch and ward over the sleep
ing lord aud master. For some min.
utes / hesitsted as to what course TO
pursue, whether to at empt 10 get any
close "a the dis ance was rather a
long one, in such light, TO attack an
animal ike the gorilla, who, If only
W unde6, would, in all probability
wi b the female, charge right down
into US; or if should take all risks
and rely upon the second rife Of nv
guido. At last decided TO take my
chance where was, but upon raising
my rifle / heard a scream OF agony
from the female, which caused the
sleeper 10 start to his feot. and as he
did so tue female literally fell from o
tree on the edge Of the clearing down
to the ground, uttering tbe most pier'
cling cries that human Imagination
can conceive.
Then a terrific roar that shook the
very ground broke upon the silence
and told the history Of the female go-
rills's fright. 1t was a lion, and At
the sound Of his voice she sgain fled
into the trees, while the male uttered
a deep, savage, hoarse roar that was
the answer TO tie lions challenge.
Immediately a crashing sound was
heard, and a full-grown lion bounded
into the open, and stood, his head
oros.f IL. ,-oro brfasI;,o Lie Nda b,f-