The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-04
THE GORlLLA'S C0URTSAIP.
HATTIE BETWEEN GIANT ApES IN
 ANAFRICAN FOREST.

Capt. Jack Benton Witnessed it-Th,
 Fierce Foes Were Fighting For n Mat,
 and the Muscles of the Younger Prov.
 ed Too Much for tho Experience of tn.
 older.
 After the adjustment of our little un-
 pleasantness with the South" said Capt
 Jack Benton, 1T drifted back into civil
 life. It seemed monotonouG however
 after the excitement of campaigning,
 and receiving an offer to go to Africa
 and collect animals for menageries, l
 jumped at it. My work took me into
 the interior of upper Guinea, which was
 then about as wild a country as there
 was In the world.
 "One morning I left camp to make
 circuit of some traps we had set in
 the night, and, as l wasn't on the look
 out for big game, I took only q light
 rifle with me Trudging through the
 woods, I came on little clearing, and
 there, not fifty feet away, I saw big
 male gorilla. He was on all fours, half
 squatting on the ground.
 Equipped with only light rifle, l
 had no ambition to meddle with the
 beast. slipped back into the under
 brush and was about to make off as quietly as possible when the peculiarity
 Of the gorilla's actions attracted me
 He seemed to be trying to look as ami- able as was possible for such mon- ster ana a second glance showed me a reason for this. At the right of the clearing was a second gorilla, smaller, but equally ferocious-looking a fitting mate for the first big brute. I had evil dently discovered a gorilla courtship.
 ''1'he male gorilla trying to attract the attention of the female by uncouth mo- tions, was beginning to advance clumsi- ly toward her. when suddenly a dull booml boom! sounded from far away in the forest. Up to that instant the male gorilla, while avage-1ooking, had given no sign of being angry, but now all was changed. His huge jaws shut to- gether with a snap. Then through the silence which had fallen on the jungle when the first sullen challenge was heard came a sharp bark, followed by a deep humming sound. It was the ter rible battle call of full-grown gorilla, the cry sent out when he is about to fight to the death for mate. At the end of each echoing challenge the hairy giant beat with his big hands on his chest, while at the other end of the waiting to bestow her hand on the victor, sat the female gorilla whose charms had inspired such jealous rage.
 Suddenly there was a little furry at the left end of the clearing, and the challenger broke through the bushes in plain sight. He was worthy to do battle with the first giant. I could see he was a veteran, with the scars of many bat ties on him. His big lips were rolled up in grim snarl, showing broken teeth and great gaps, the result of former battles. Both gorillas were taller than the average man as they stood on their hind feet for battle, but their enormous breadth of chest and shoulders make hem look like squatting, hairy giants. In fighting ability both seemed equal, Or while the second, older gorilla had been in more battles. yet the me I had first seen in the jungle had an advantage in strength and youth.
 "Neither of the big animals wasted ime in preliminaries: they had worked themselves up into such an insanity of age that only killing would satisfy. lch advanced on his hind legs until within six feet of the other. Then the gorilla began to fight. Stepp- ng forward with marvellous quickness or such an ungainly animal, he struck flail-like blow with his huge paws. lad the blow gone home, no mere flesh nd blood, not even the big-boned frame f his antagonist could have withstood t. But the old gorilla had been in too many death grapples to be caught so arly in the fight. Even as the big arm wung around he sprang forward, com ng in close so as to miss the full force f the swing. The next instant he had wung his own arm around the young r gorilIa'e neck, encircling it with four set of steel muscles and holding his nemy's head stiff unright, so that he ould not bring the terrible teeth into lay Then the old gorilla opened his eavy jaws and getting a firm grip on : 1e right shoulder of the younger gorilla cid on like bulldog, tearing his way trough the knotted muscles and sinews nd shoulder blade of his opponent. At le same time the left arm of the old ghter wrapped itself about the young T gorilla in a b-breaking grip. "It was only for an instant, however, , lat things looked so desperate for the ounger fighter. The first gorilla's olendid fighting ability and tremen- )us strength showed themselves. I vhirling up his left arm he fastened c s long fingers about his antagonists o lroat and tried to break his grip and | love his head back. At first the only T feet of this was to make the older fel- 4 W tighten his grip on the others c oulder Then the younger gorilla put e muscles of his arm, shoulders and g lck gather themselves into big knots I id bunch up as If they would break V rough the skin. The murderous deep- t eyes started forward, until they were s vel with the cheekbones last des- II rate effort and the big head went a ok, the tightly closed jaws of the old 6 rllla tearing out flesh and sinews as g ey were showed away, but not ungrip- '' d. Then the old fighters right arm b ,wly and reluctantly uncoiled from \ Q others neck. The younger gorilla It q broken the death grip. Both big 4 hters were momentarily free and II ,pped back to regain breath.
 Although wounded, 1t was the young o