Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-11-25

Fight with Gorilla.
Among African travellers none have
led q more adventurous life, perhaps,
than the Marquis de Compiegne, q
young French nobleman who had
been deprived Of his fortune, and
whom early misconduct had practi.
cally banished. He went to the If0r-
ests of Florida, where he lived al
supporting himself by hunting aud
fishing. In the year 1870 he read,
on scrap of newspaper which he
found in a deserted hut, the news
that war had broken out between
France and Germany. He resolved
to lind his way home, and flgty for
his native country. He had Act
cent of money, but walked to the
nearest seaport, and took service as a
sort of cabin-boy on vessel bound
Tor France.
Arrived there, he enlisted at once,
was wounded in his first battle, and
had just recovered sufficiently to be
on duty again when he was captured.
He escaped, re-entcred the service,
and fought brilliantly through the
war.
After the war was over he resolved
to become an African explorer. He
had no means and no credit, but he
entered the service of Il dealer in
skins and valuable feathers, and was
sent out from Senegal across the
Western Soudan.
After an expedition accompanied
by the most dreadful hardships, he
returned to Paris with Il valuable
collection of objects connected with
natural history. Among these were
the stuffed skin of a gorilla, which is
said to have borne the most striking
resemblance to a human being ever
known in an ape.
Compicgne's story of the capture of
this gorilla is an interesting one.,
He was one day travelling through
the forest, foot-sorc and weary. His
limbs had been bitten by, y,venomous
insects until they almost refused to
carry him. AS he dragged himself
along, rifle in hand, he heard terrible
outcries near by, apparently those Of
u woman.
Rushing toward the place from
which the sounds came, he soon per-
ceived that it was indeed woman
who was screaming. She was in the
grasp of black monster who was APP
parently strangling her.
Compiegne supposed that the in
tending murderer was man, and res
solved to prevent the crime by Shoot
ing the assailant: but how was he
to shoot the assailant without being
in danger OF shooting the woman?
He approached very near. in order,
il possible, to get Il sure shot at the
ruttian. Then he discovered, to his
horror, that the creature was not
man, but huge, black gorilla.
Upon seeing him, the animal re-
leased the woman and rushed upQak,
Compiegne. Much enfeebled arg
stiffened, the Frenchman was not at
all sure of his aim, and he knew that
if he missed, the gorilla would be in
stantly upon him, would fling away
his gun, and would put him to hor-
rible death.
Taking the best aim he could, he
fired at the gorilla's breast. The
shot proved effective, and the animal
fell. Another shot finished him.
Compiegne was able, with the help
o! natives who soon at'terwald ar
rived, to skin the gorilla and take
the hide away with him.
Compiegne returned to Africa, and
mt Cairo became involved in Il quarrel
with IL Prussian. whom he challenged
to duel. The Prussian: it was said,
had never before held IL revolver in
his hand. while Compicgne was
crack shot. These conditions vera
surely not as crcditable to thu
Frenchman's bravery as some of his
previous experiences had been, and it
seems almost like an act of retribu.
tion that Compiegne was killed u:
the first shot.