Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-05-30

dred. l unsIung my elephant gun from
my shoulders, and waited, calling to the
men below to come up with all possible
speed.
The brutes streamed on down the
gloomy gulf towards me. barking, grunt
ing and showing their huge teeth. wait
ed till they were within fifteen yards.
Then fired the elephant gun, which was
loaded with slugs. right into the thick OF
them. In that narrow place the report
echoed like cannon shot, but its sound
was quickly swallowed in the volley OF
piercing human-soundiug groans and
screams that followed. The charge OF
heavy slugs had rloughed thro ugh the
number of the balloons, of which at least
a dozen lay dead or dying in the passage.
For moment they hesitated, then they
came on again with hideous clamor.
Fortunately by this time Indabs-zimbi
VINO also mad gun, was standing by my
side, otherwise l should have been torn
to pieces before could reload. He fired
both barrels into them, and again checked
the rush. But they came on again, and
notwithstanding the appearance of two
other natives with guns, which they lei
off with more or less success, we should
have been overwhelmed by the great
and ferOcious apes had | not by this time
succeeded in reloading the elephant gun.
When they were right on to US, I fired.
with even more deadly effect than before,
for at that distance every slug told Oh
their long line. The bowls and screams
OF rage and fury were now something in.
conceivable. One might have thought we
were doing battle with a host of demons:
indeed i'll that light-for the overhanging
arch of rock made it very dHrk-the
gnashing SHOUTS and sombre glowing eyes
of the apes looked like those of devils as
they are represented by monkish fancy.
But the last shot was too much for
them: they withdrew, dragging some Of
their wounded with them, aud thus gave
US time to get our men up the cliff. In 3
few minutes all were there, and we al.
vanced down the passage, which presently
opened into a rocky gully with shelving
sides. This gully had water way at the
bottom of it; it was about hundred yards
long, and the slopes on either side were
topped with PERCEPTIONS cliffs.
looked at these slopes: they literally
swarmed with baboons grunting, barking,
screaming. and beating their breasts with
their long arms in fury. l looked up the
waterway: along it, accompanied by
mob, or. as it were, a guard of balloons,
came Hendrika, her long hair flying, mad
ness written on her face. and in her arms
was the senseless form of little Tota.
She saw US, and a foam of rage burst
from her lips. She screamed aloud. To
me the sound was mere inarticulate cry,
but the balloons clearly understood it, for
they began to roll rocks down on to US.
One boulder leaped past me and struck
down a katfir behind; another fell from
the roof of the arch on to mans head
and killed him. Indaba-zimbi lifted his
gun to shoot Hendrika; l knocked it up
so that the shot went over her, crying
that he would kill the child. Then l
shouted to the men to open out and form
line from side to side of the shelving
gully. Furious at the loss of their two
comrades, they obeyed me, and keeping
in the waterway myself, together with
Indaba zimbi and the other guns, l gave
the word to charge.
Then the real battle began. 1t is diff
cult to say who fought the most tielcely,
| the natives or the balloons. The ka1irs
| charged along the slopes, and rs they
| came, encouraged by the screams of Hen
| drika, who rushed to and fro holding the
wretched TOta before her as shield, the
| apes bounded at them in fury. Scores
| were killed by the assegais, and many
| more fell beneath our gun-shOts; but still
| they came on.
10 \