The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-06-18


spear head of the Fans, who had made
the circuit, and were ready for the at
tack
1t was deputed to young chief to
open the encounter, and after panse
he emerged from cover as near as he
could get to the gorilla. bat the thick
underground compelled him to enter
the glade at a point farther away from
the brute than he wished. He poised
his spear in his hand in readiness to
to throw it and, step by step, approach
ed until he was within thirty feet Of
the gorilla, when suddenly the an
NAL rolled his head from one side to
the other.
Quick as a flash the young chief
dropped to the earth, and lay motion
less among the rank grass. The beast
breathed heavily. opened for one sec
ond, in a dreamy, leering way. seeing
nothing, but dimly conscious that mis-
chief was around Slowly the chiefs
head rose above the grasses, and his
leg was drawn up under him to move.
when crack went rotten twig beneath
his hand or foot.
The ape was thoroughly aroused, and
leaning forward raised itself into an
awkward, partly erect attitude, with
knees bent, body gstooping, and feet
turned in, and balanced himself in
this position by swinging his heavy
arms as a rope-walker does with his
pole. The gorilla invariably charges
on all fOurs and not in an erect att
tude, as SO many authors have said
and this ape had raised himself to look
around, and not with the idea Of
charging just then. If the young
chief had lain still, all would have
been we'll; but he was desirous of
showing off before me, and according
ly rose to his feet. dashed his spear at
the brute, and made for the cover of
the thicket. The spear went through
the arm of the gorilla which instant
ly tore the weapon out bodily, savage
ly bit the wound, and dashed off on
all fours after his assailant, with hor
rible scream Of rage.
All the Fans on the opposite of the
clearing now boldly dashed in, throw
ing their spears, or. as they got close
enough to him, thrusting them into
the brute's body. Wounds inflicted
with such weapons could not prove
Immediately fatal, and could only kill
the creature by causing loss of blood.
as the vital power of the gorilla is so
great that even rifle ball seldom ar
rests at once his headlong course.
If it had not been for the danger.
this spectacle OF the contest between
the Fans and the ape would have been
amusing, as the men threw spears, and
crouched or lodged, and the ape back
ed slowly away from them, making
horrible grimaces and gradually work
ing himself up into a blind fury This
state of affairs did not last moro than
& minute, and then the ape was at the
edge of the clearing, about forty feet
from where | stood. Here another
vOlley OF spears met him and after
standing amazed for a second, he rush
ed leadlong at his first assailant,
seized him by the leg, and before a
hand could be raised, he swung him
around his head, bringing the poor
fellows skull in contact with Il tree
trunk and cracking it like nut.
1t was a terrible sight. but it was
done before | had the power to pre-
vent it. | raised my rifle and was
abont to shoot. but Oshupu said. Not
yet" and sprang into the arena, right
in front of the blood stained beast.
who came at him with a terrible roar.
Oshupu leaped TO one side, and
shortening his spear, thrust it clear
through the body of the ape, which
turning, grabbed at his daring assail-
ant. He missed his grasp at the leg,
but grirped a coil of vine on which
OshUpu's foot had got caught.
The beast almost smiled. and drew
the vine in hand over hand. as if he
knew his advantage. Oshupu strHck
him again with the spear, which broke
in two, and placed the hunter at the
apes mercy.
| saw that none of the Fans moved
to help Oshupu, and quick as thought
sent two bullets ploughing their way
through the apes head, tearing the
top Of the skull clean off He reeled
and fell, rose again, clenched at the
mass Of vines, and rolled over, still
cOnyulsively twitching and tearing at
the underground. while Oshupu got
his foot clear, and coming to me plac-
ed my hand on his head. in token that
his life henceforth belonged to me.
There the brute lay. strange sight
and one of which the stuffed gorilla
skins of natural history collections
can give but faint idea. The face
was hideous, the breadth Of chest was
grand, the arms and hands were mas
sive; but the huge trunk dwindled in
TO a pair of legs. thin. bent. and dc
crepit as those of all old woman, The
natives may be well excused for enter
| tanning a superstious awe of the ami
NAL in its freedom.
Their idea Is that man Is some
times transformed into a Sylvan demon
who is like a gorilla. and can not be
killed by black man unless the spears
have been specially treated by the
medicine man.
| wished to preserve the skin. but
before / could prevent their actor
the natives had thronged around the
body, making a perfect sieve of it by
spear thrusts. The head was destroy
ed, so / simply took measurements O
the beast the was five feet four inche:
in height and cut off the hand ant
feet for trophies. We buried tn,
Young chief after carrying him bacl
to the village, but no funeral rite.
were observed, as he had been killed
by a gorilla. and so believed to be be
witched
It's too bad" remarked the agen
for the circus. that they put tha
wooden cxpanse away UP there on tn
roof Of the new pOst0ffice''
| .'It SenmS like y false er1nomvn