The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-03-20
HENRY /. BIOSSAT, Business Manage


little better than jabbering idiots for
the next hour, and it was only after
our return, to camp that learned all
the particulars. 1t all happened in
fifty or sixty seconds, and the attack
had come so suddenly that no one
thought OF defense. The adventure so
ratified the camp that had great diff
Guilty next day in persuading any one
70 accompany me to the trap. 1 got
I'VE men at last by arguments and
threats, but when we came to examine
the path we found that the beasts had
not travelled it. They had either de-
clded to skip day, not being thirsty,
or else had suspected something and
avoided the path. On the next day,
however, the natives having meantime
recovered their pluck to great extent.
party of ten of us set out, and when
within mile of the spring we had rea-
sons to believe that one of them had
put foot in the trap. Yells, roars
and screams reached our ears, and at
the distance of half mile several
small animals passed us in alright.
1--WE have got the big fellow!' whis-
pered my head hunter to me as we
pressed forward, I'VE must be very
careful now, for the sight of us will
make him strong to break away, and
he will want all our lives to pay for the
insult"
The pow-wow grew louder as we
neared the spot, and the cries and
walls of the mother and offspring
mingled with the snarls. growls, barks,
and roars of the father. When we
finally crept forward to spot whence
we could obtain view, we found the
"old man" fast in the trap by the right
hind leg. The trap was a toothless
one, with the faces of the jaws COW
cred with felt. but it was strong enough
almost to hold an elephant. We had
to bend down the springs with levers,
and it was a good weight for two men
to carry. The chain attached could
not have been broken by horse, and
we had securely fastened it to tree.
1t was we'll we had, and it was we'll
that the beast had been caught by
hind leg.
| do not think he had been in the
trap long when we first heard him,
perhaps not over five minutes. He
was, doubtless surprised and fright
ened for a time, but by the time we
had reached a point where we could
see him his terrible anger was fully
aroused. His mate and offspring stood
by, wailing and growing, and just as we
got settled in our places the female
lifted up the trap and wrenched at it
with all her strength. Then both
seized the chain and tugged and pulled
and growled and roared, but it was no
use. / should have been willing for
the mate and her little one to go, but
as they refused to leave the spot, and
as the natives said that the mother
would not hesitate to attack us in her
excitement. | pushed forward my rifle
and gave her a bullet, which dropped
her dead in her tracks. The young
one Immediately sprang to the farther's
shoulder, and was sitting there when
we advanced. The natives cried out
as we went forward to be cautious, but
in their enthusiasm they brought about
a tragedy.
The resemblance of the big gorilla
to native was so striking that l
paused to wonder if mistake had not
been made. Whc2 he saw us he stood
upright, arms harging down by his
sides, and he looked far more like a
human being than some of the negroes
in my camp. He was so mad that he
did not know what move to make first,
and as he stood there clots of foam
fell upon his breast and down
to the earth. By and by he
seized the young one and flung
it away. Half dozen of the men
rushed to seize it, and as it scrambled
back one of the natives pursued it too
far. The gorilla uttered a terrible
roar, made savage spring, and the
native was caught by the hair. was
not over twenty feet away, and saw
all that happened. He was flung down,
and the gorilla stopped and gave him
blow on the chest which crushed it
in. He then hit him right and left on
the sides of the head. and the man was
dead. This did not satisfy the monster.
He lifted the body up and literally tore
it to pieces, pulling off the arms as you
would pull stick of kindling out of a
bundle. 1t then seized the young one
by a hind leg, and slammed it on the
earth and flung the body away, and
then beat its breast and roared defiance
at us.
By the advice of the natives decid-
ed to let the old fellow alone for awhile
and allow hunger and thirst to work
on his temper. We made temporary
camp half q mile away. and did not 90
near him again for two days. Dur
ing the first day he roared at
intervals, but on the after
noon of the second he was very
quiet. One of the men went to take a
look at him, and reported the captive
as sitting down on the trap and crying
with pain. Next forenoon We went
out with nets, ropes, nooses and
chains and nf4e. la Ill