Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-10-03
still remained motionless bv III M

still remained motionless by hi moss
clad boulder, left off his roaI,no md
appeared to grow interested in ihe pro-
cess of the operation. A chapfe came
DER the spirit of his dream. III looked
up and wondered, with vague brute
curiosity. not unmixed with q certain
strange mir of low cunning and ;ntelIi-
gence 1t was as clear to me as mud
that he was saying to himself in
wardly:
Why doesn't the fellow cut and run
for his life? Does he think / don't
know how to Climb tree? Does he
imagine I couldn't be up there in a
| jitiy If liked-to choke him or scrag
him? What the dickens does he 90 on
hacking away at the bark so quietly
like that for, when he ought to be all
agog to save his own bacon? q,
despaired of explaining to SO rude a
creature the imperative nature of scien-
titic need. So with one eye on the
orchid and one on the brute, at the risk
OF contracting permanent squirt for
life, continued to egg out that magni-
ticent moon flower, root and branch and
tuber.
The longer l went on the closer and
the more attentive'y did the gorilla
take stock of all my acts and moye-
ments.
Well. declare" could see him
say to himself in the gorilla tongue.
opening wide his huge eyes and elevat-
ing IN surprise his shaggy brown eye
5rows, such an animal as this L never
yet did come across. He isn't one bit
afraid apparently of ME. the redoutable
and redoubted king Of the great Gaboon
forest
But j was, most consumedly, for all
that, though | pretended not to be.
Nothing but the presence before my
eyes OF that magnificent plant would
have induced me for one moment to face
or confront the unspeakable brute
there
At last ] had finished and held my
specimen in my hands entire. The next
question now was what to do with it.
l walked slowly and cautiously along
the branch OF the tree. The gorilla,
with his eyes now fixed curiously on
the moon flower, put forth one hairy leg
in front OF another, and grinning with
a sort OF diabolical. british good humur.
walked step for step on the ground just
as cautiously beneath me.
j came to the end of the bough, and
reached the point where interlacing
branches enabled me to get on to an.
other tree. I do SO somewhat clumsily,
for l was handicapped by the moon
flower. The gorilla, still grinning,
looked up, and remarked, in his own
tongue, Il could do that lot, can tell
You, a Jolly sight better than you do"
AS he smiled those words / had lost
my balance, and clinging still to my
moon flower i'll my last chance for life,
lowered myself slowly hand over head
to the ground in front of him.
With a frightful roar the creature
sprang upon me, and made wild grab
at my precious moon flower. That was
more than scientific human nature could
stand. l turned and fed, carrying my
specimen with me. But my pursuer
was too quick. He caught me in a
moment. His scrowling black face was
CHASTITY to behold; his huge white teeth
CLEANED fierce and hideous,s his brawny,
thick hands could have crushed me to a
jelly. 1 painted and paused. My heart
fiuttered fast, then stood still within
me. There was seconds suspense.
At its end, to my infinite horror, he
seized-not me-oh, no; not mel
might have put up with .that--but the
priceless moon flower.
was helpless to defend myself
helpless to secure or safeguard my
treasure. He took it from me with O grin.
l could see through those sunken ewes
what was passing in the creatures dim
and brutal brain. He was saving to
himself, like men at his own low grade
OF cunning: IF that tuber was worth
SO much pains to him to get it must he
worth just as much to me to keep. So
by your leave, my friend. if you'll ex-
cuse me, I'll take it"
l stood appalled, and ..gazed at him.
The brute snatched that unique speci-
men of dying or almost extinct genus
in his swarthy, hairy hands-those
clumsy great hands Of his, raised it
bodily to his mouth, crushing and
tearing the beautiful petals in his
coarse grasp as he went-ate it slowly
through, tuber, stem, spray, blossom
and swallowed it conscientiously, with
q hideous grimace, to the very last NOR
sci. had but one grain of consolation
OF revenge. 1t was clear the taste was
exceedingly nasty.
Then he looked in my face and hurst
into loud, discordant laugh. That
laugh was hideous.
"Aha!" it said, in effect. $50 that's
all you've got, my fine fellow, after sill,
for I'LL your pains. and care, and
trouble!"
1 shut my eyes and waited. My turn
would come next. He would rend me
in his rage for the nastiness Of the
taste. l stood still aud shuddered.
But, alas, he meant only to eat the
moon flower.
When opened my eyes again the
brute had turned his back without one
word of apology, and was walking of at
lelsurely pace in contemptuous tri.
umph, Struggling his shoulders as he
went, and chuckling low to himself in
his vulgar dog in the manager Joy and
malignancy.
It was four DAYS before struggled
alone half dead into Tnlamho r