The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-25
a TERRIBLE FOE.
How NJ. Paul II. DuChniIlu Met His Firse
Gorilla.

.
Gorilla.
DuChaillu was walking, rs was his Gus
tom, some distance in advance of his
companions, ranged in single file, when
his cars were saluted by n strange,
hitherto unhcard sound, says Lippin-
colts Magazine. 1t riveted his ntten-
ton mt once. Could it be the noise of
some cannibal tribe preparing for COM
bat, or OF an elephant disturbed by his
approach? He cast himself down and
with ear pressed to the earth listened
breathlcssly. Once more the oppressive
silence was broken, this time by sound
OF swapping timber, loud as gunshot,
and then there came crashing to
the ground u great branch of q tree
so big that he said to himself: Good
ness! These must be giants!" Another
bough was pitched down and it wus
plain, though he could not see the en-
envy, the enemy could see him. Then
from somewhere aloft there issued q
prolonged gutteral growl, full of mis-
chief, blood-curdling sound never to
be forgotten.
lie stopped and made the native sig
nal of dangcr-a peculiar clicking noise
OF the tongue against the roof of the
mouth. lie got his rifle in readiness.
The bombardment of boughs had now
ceased; there was absolute silence, save
for the humping of his heart against
his ribs. 1t thumped so loud that he
feared it would bctray him to his IN
seen and unknown foe. "Wait a lit
tic, Paul, wait little" he said to him
self. You arc not ready to fight quite
yet
Pccring into the twilight around and
above him, he was suddenly aware of
an object in his immediate neighbour.
hood. y short, hairy, manliltc Great
urc, with black, hidcous visage, fierce,
staring eyes under low brows, and
enormous mouth with huge canine
teeth; his head set on an enormous
chest and paunch mounted OIL short,
crooked legs, and furnished with n pair
OF arms long and muscular enough to
squeeze lion to death. This was the
being he had come so far to behold: this
was the creature that 10 white man,
unless it was IIanno, two thousand
years ago, had ever seen. This was the
gorilla.
The brute was near him before he
saw it, and now it t1umped on it's chest
and emitted another long-drawn, ter
rifle yell resembling the sound of thun-
der in the Sky. 1t advanced; its black
lips curled away from it's long teeth
il savage snarl. 1t was not going to
wait to be attacked. 1t was eager for q
fray, and advancing, beat it's breast
with sounds rs from big drum.
DuChaillu was alone. lie drew his
rifle to his shoulder. He said to himself
that the nearer the creature came the
better would be his chance of giving it
a fatal wound Savage though it looked,
it must have u vital part. lie waited
until its hairy body was less than twice
the length of his rifle from the rifles
muzzle. Then he pulled the trigger,
aiming for spot of the heart. 1t was
shot upon which Il good dead depend
cd for the young explorcr-not to men
ton the gorilla The smoke hung in
the still cir, but he saw that lie had sue
cceded. The animal lifted it's long
arms and bent forward uttcring groans
that were human but full of BRITISH
ness 1t stumbled forward ard fell on
its ugly face, and was dead in few
minutes. For" observed DuChaillu,
''ett is lucky, though they are SO strong
they die very easy" Such was the end
OF his first gorilla