Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-08-15
the most marvellous and beautiful orchid

| Gue lllUst udtNeiOus anu pGdutilut OrCulu
known to science.
| In a moment had tossed off my
| brandy, laid down my rifle and, mount
ing on the back of one of my negro
porters, was swinging myself up to the
! lowest branch of the tree, where my
new treasure shone Respondent in its
own dim phosphorescence. l couldn't
have trusted any hand but my own to
pick or egg out of that glorious tuber.
1 meant to cut it bodily from the bark
| as it stood and bear it back in triumph
in my own arms to Tulamba.
had climbed the tree cautiously,
and was standing almost within grasp
| of the prize when a sudden shout
among my followers below startled and
discomposed me- looked down and
hesitated My brain reeled and sick
| ened. A strange sight met my eyes.
| My negroes, one and all, had taken to
their feet down the bed of the stream
at the very top of their speed and were
making most unanimous and mex
| pficable stampede toward the direction
of Tulamba.
For moment I couldn't imagine
what had happened to disconcert them.
Then, casting my glance casually to-
ward the spot where had flung down
my rifle, became aware at once of the
cause of this commotion. Their retreat
was we'll timed. BY the moss clad
powders which filled the bed of the
torrent somebody with big, black
face and huge grinning teeth was
standing erect looking up at me and
laughing. had never seen the some
body 3 awful features before, but had
no need, for all that, to ask myself his
name. / paused face to face with live
male gorilla.
For a moment or two the creature
gazed up at me and s.inned. Then he
raised my rife in his arms, held il
clumsily before him and, to my intense
surprise. taking very bad aim, OF
rather pointing 1t aimlessly in the air,
pulled both triggers with one hand and
discharged the two barrels at me with
one phil simultaneously. The bullets
whizzed past me some ten yards off.
They knocked off the twigs beyond my
precious moon flower.
don't deny that was astonished.
won't deny that was frightened. To
tell the truth was never in such a
!! hideous fright before in all my life. l
trembled like a jelly-my protoplasm
curdled. don't suppose the creature
intended to fire or had the slightest
idea in his dim mind what firing meant.
No doubt he was only playing with the
unknown object out of pure monkey
curiosity. He must have been almos,
as much terrified at the result az / was
But no matter for that. 1t was awk
ward to find oneself face to face witt
J q gorilla alone and without one's rifle
so awkward that for minute o.
two just gave myself up for lost en-
tirsly.
The gorilla, however, after his frs
flush of surprise was over did not, as
half hoped, fling down the noisy gul
and make headlong for the remotes
depths of the forest. On the contrary
he stood and looked at it for a few
seconds in blank dismay; he frowne'
with his scowling eyebrows; he gnash
ed his great teeth in rage. Flo roare'
like waterfall Then he seized the riff
deliberately in his great hairy hands
bent the barrels almost double as readi
ly as a man would bend bit of com
mon lead gas pipe and flung it ava
angrily among the mossclad powders
After that he looked up and CRIME
once more diabolically, showing hi
great canine teeth in the most grew
some fashion.
Well, l don't deny, as / say, that
was in a state of blue funk at the crea
lures gigantic and almost supernatura