Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-06-25
A TERRIBLE FOE.
How NJ. Paul b. DuChaii1u Met His First
Gorilla.

How NJ. Paul b. DuChaiilu Met His First
Gorilla.
DuChaillu was walking, as was his Gus
tenn. some distance in advance OF his
companions, ranged in single file, when
his ears were salated by a strange,
hitherto unheard sound, says Lippin-
colts Magazine. Ii riveted his atten-
ton at 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. ORes more the oppressive
silence was broken, this time by sound
of swapping tim Der, loud as a gunshot,
and then there came crashing to
the ground great branch of tree
so big that he said to himself: Good
ness! These must be giantS!' Another
bough was pitched down and it was
plain, though he could not see the en-
envy. the enemy could see hisn. Then
from somewhere aloft there iSsusd a
n,olengsd, gzA -greSSl, fAa q Hsa
chief, a blo6d-curdling sound never to
be forgotten.
He stopped and made the native sig
nal of danger-a peculiar clicking noise
| of the tongue against the roof OF the
mouth. He 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 betray him to his IN
seen and unknown foe. wait lit
tie, Paul, wait little he said to him
self. you are not ready to fight quite
yet
-,
above him, he was suddenly aware of
an object in his immediate neighbor-
hood. A short, hairy, manlike Great
ure, with black, hideouS visage, fierce,
staring eyes under low brows, and
enormous mouth with huge canine
teeth; his head set on an enormous
chest and paunch mounted on short,
crooked legs, and furnished with pair
of arms long and muscular enough to
squeeze lion to death. This was the
being he had come SO fer to behold; this
was the creature that no white man.
unless it was Hanno, two thousand
| years ago. had ever seen. This was the
gorilla.
The brute was near him before he
saw it, ard now it tiumped on its chest
and emitted another long-drawn, ter
rife yell resembling the sound of tllun-
der in the sky. 1t advanced: its blacl,
lips curled away from its long teeth
in savage snar1. 1t was not going &c
wait to be attacked. 1t was eager for Z
fray, and advancing, beat its breast
with sounds as from a big drum.
DuChaillu was alone. He drew his
rifle to his shoulder. He said to himself
that the nearer the creature came tho
better would be his chance of giving il
a fatal wound. Savage though it looked
it must have a vital part. He 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 a good dead depend
ed for the young explorer-not to men
ton the gorilla. The smoke hung IL
the still air, but he saw that he had sue
ceeded. The animal lifted it's long
arms and bent forward, uttering groan:
that were human but full Of british
ness. It stumbled forward and fell or
its ugly face, and was dead in a few
minutes. For observed DuCha1lu
lett is lucky, though they are SO strong
they die very easy" Such was the enc
of his first gorilla.