The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-04-04
MY ONE GORILLA.
BY GRANT ALLEN.
tCopyright. 1890. by Grant Allen ]

0ri crossed the dusty main street OF
tAs village just in front Of my hut.
carrying In her hand what seemed to
me In the cleaning the largest bios
som had ever observed stree my ar
Sival In Africa. That was q blossom.
II looked like an orchid. pale cream
color In hue and very fantastic and
bizarre In shape. But what specially
attracted my attention at first sight
WAS its peculiar shining and glistening
eject. like luminous paint. which made
u glow In the gray dusk with a sort Of
phosphorescent light such as one OBJ
serves In tropical seas on calm summer
evenings.
To naturalist, Of course. such a
vjsion as that was simply irresistible.
'sHello. there, little girlr' cried out
In Fantee. which had learned by that
time TO speak pretty fiuently. "Let me
box at your flower. will your Where
- earth did you get itf'
But instead Of answering me civilly.
kks Christian child. the scared little
avage. alarmed at my white face. set
up . wild howl of terror and amaze
Dsnt and bolted of down the street as
HAst a. her small handy legs would
snny her.
Well. science is science I wasn't to
u baked Of a unique specimen or my
great collection by a trick like that.
90 Ainging away my cigarette and
6arting out Of my hut gave chase in
ssntinsntly and rushed full pelt down
90 main street Of Tulamba. helter
Gkslter and devil take the hindmost. in
unrsuit Of my 10-year-old.
But i reckoned without my host.
0hildren on the Gaboon beat the record
tse the quarter mile. ! was quite
Vsmped out and painting for breath be-
1sre I ran that girl TO earth at last by
hpr mothers door at the far end Of the
Village. A dozen or more Of the negroes,
ALTERING about on their backs in the
d)ust Of the street. had Joined the hue
and cry with great gusto by that time.
1Aey didn't know. to be sure. what the
1aaswss about but given white man
hsstower Of rum and money-rushing
= mad pursuit and poor little fright
'saed black girl scampering away for
asar life ut the top Of her speed. in
dodsct bodily terror. and you may con.
1deutly reckon. on the chivalry Of the
0abo0p to range itself automatically
- the side Of the stronger. and to drive
~ unhappy small child hopeleesly into
. very bad corner.
when at lastI got up with tho OBJ
jsct Of my quest. abe was 90 alarmed
md blown with her headlong career
thnt felt thoroughly ashamed Of my.
ssQk Even the pursuit of science.
Win frankly admit. hardly justified me
Ia % ehasing that frightened little
usCrtal through the street Of Tulamba.
However. a bright English sixpence. a
rsd silk handkerchief and the promise
g box OF European sweets from the
cd halt caste Portuguese traders shop
u the village. soon restored her con-
Adence. Unhappily it did not restore
tl,at broken and draggled hut priceless
srchid. In her headlong fight the child
bud crumpled it hopelessly up in her
hsud and distorted IL almost beyond
tie possibility Of scientific recognition
AL i could make out with certainty
now was that the orchid belonged to a
new and hitherto undescribed species:
that 10 was large and luminous and ex-
tremely beautiful. and that If only
could succeed In securing plant of it
ny rame was made as scientific ex-
piorer
The natives crowded round with dis
interested advice and eyed the torn and
dxaggled blossom curiously 'It's q
noon flower. they said in their own
dialect Every rare Hard to get
Comes from the deep shades in the
great forest.
''How did you come by it. my
childf' I asked coaxingly Of my sob.
Ting little 10-year-old.
my father brought IL in." the child
answered "He gave II me a week ago
He was ont In the country of the
dwarfs doing trade. He went for ivory
and he brought this back to me-
Boys. cried to the negro who
crowded round looking on. "do you
know where II livesf J want to get
one. A good English rifle to any man
In Tulamba who guides me to the spot
where ! can pick live moon Aowerl''
4. The men shook their heads and
shrugged their shoulders obviously.
''Oh. moi they all answered. like
supers at the theater. with one accord
TOO far! Too dangerousl''
why dangerousf'' cried. laughing
"The moon flower won't bite you.
Who says danger in picking fiower2'
My head guide and hunter stood out
from the crowd and looked across at
me- awe struck "Oh. excellencyi" he
said In hushed and frightened voice.
''The moon flower is rare 1t is very
scarce Ii grows only in the dark forest
q tbs Inner land. where the ngina
dwells. No man dare pick ii for fear Of
the pgina.
"Ohor said l. as that so, my
fYiandY Than In, naf as&o.iakea