The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-03-09
A 0DRfLt'S CIlDRTSHIP.
Battle Betwee / Apes In an
African Forest
THE STORY CT A WITNESS
The Fierce Foes were Fighting for
Mate, and the Muscles Of tbs
Younger Proved Too Much Tor the
Experience OF tn. Older.


Experience OF tn. Older.
After the adjustment of our little
unpleasantness with the South" said
Capt. Jack Benton, in tie New York
sun. Il drifted back into ci.i lie. II
Sc med monotonous, however. after tie
excitement of campaigning, and. re-
ceiving an offer to go 10 Africa ANA col
lect animals for menageries, l jumped
II it. lily 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 left camp to make
circuit Of some traps we had set in the
night and, as I wasn't on the lookout
for big game, I took only light rifle
with me. Trudging through the woods,
l came on a little clearing and there,
not hfty feet away, l saw a big male
gorilla. He was on all tours. half-squat-
ting on the ground.
Equipped with only light rifle, 1
had no ambition to NEEDLE with the
beast. l slipped back into the under
brush and was about to make off as
quietly as possible when the peculiari-
" of the gorilla's actions attracted me.
lie seemed to be trying to look as ami
able as was possible for such a monster
ana second glance showed me the
reason for this. At the right of the
clearing was second gorilla smaller
but equally ferocious looking, a lifting
mate for the first big brute. | had evil
IDENTIFY discovered a gorilla courtship.
The male gorilla, trying to attract
the attention of the female by uncouth
motions, was beginning to advance
ciumsily toward her, when suddenly a
dull boom booml sounded from far
away in the forest. Up to that instant
the male gorilla. while savage looking,
had given no sign of being angry but
now all was changed. His huge jaws
shut together with a snap Then
through the silence which had fallen on
the jungle when the first sullen chal-
Ienge was heard came q sharp bark,
followed by a deep humming sound. 1t
was the terrible battle call Of a 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
biz hands on his chest. while at the
other end of the clearing, waiting to
bestow her hand on the victor, sat the
female gorilla whose charms had in
Bpired such jealous rage.
Neither Of the big animals wasted
time in preliminariss; they had worked
themselves up into such an insanity of
/ rage that only killing would satisfy.
Each advanced on his hind legs until
tysiti ,fr at at -
Younger gorilla began to fight. Step
ping forward with marvellous quickness
for such an ungainly animal. he struck
flail-like blow with his huge paws
Had the blow gone home, no mere flesh
and blood not even the big boned
frame Of his antagonist. could have
withstood it. But the old gorilla had
been in too many death grapples to be
! caught so early in the fight. When they
had approached almost within striking
distance the younger Of the fighters
made rush He received a blow on the
head that would have crushed a ma1s
skull 1t scarcely staggered him. Then
his long arms wrapped themselves
about his opponents neck and holding
his antagonist tightly clasped, he be
gan biting with fierce energy, not a
steady gripping bite but furious, tear
: Ing gnashings which ripped skin and
flesh from face and shoulders and
chest.
THE older gorilla was taken by sur
prise at this sudden rush and change
| Df tactics by his opponent. But though
& a disadvantage, he was too old 4
fighter to be easily dismayed. First he
Fecured a grip on his opponents throat,
and straining every muscle, tried to
tear himself free from the Infatuated
grasp of the younger beast. He might
as easily have broken steel cable as
the strangling hold Of his enraged OPP
ponent. Then the older fighter relaxed
his grip on the others throat, and plac-
ing both his big human-like paws on
the younger's face tried to force his
head back
For what was probably half a min
ute, but seemed an hour, the two semi
human shapes stood there putting forth
every energy. At last the younger
fighters face was within two inches Of
his opponents head. The younger gorll-
Ia made a supreme effort, twisted his
head suddenly and before his opponent
could dodge had fastened his teeth in
death grip on the throat of the vet
eran fighter
up to this time the battle had been
fought in silence, but as the old goril-
Ia gave up the contest and felt the
teeth Of his antagonist sinking deeper
and deeper into his throat. the pain
was greater than he could bear He
broke into a wailing cry that echoed
I through the jungle. l have heard the
call like that Of the dying gorilla. For
( it was not like an animal. but the wall
1 of a man in overmastering pain, a
/ choking half sob, half Shrek. Again
/ and again it rose up. lifted my rifle
/ and then lowered it, for 1 could not
! help the old gorilla, and to NEEDLE in
/ that fight with only my light rifle
/ meant my own death. The half human
wall broke out again, but while I was
( standing irresolute 1t ceased. The fierce
hard fighting, hard-biting younger gor-
! Ma had been working his way through
| his antagonists throat and had at last
bitten through the wind pipe The great
4 fight was over, and the veteran Of
many similar contests had met the fate
/ he had melted out to others.
~ watched the younger ape. az &c
/ fascinated. while he wreaked his
/ vengc on the body ot his dead enemy.
Then with q start, it occurred to me
] yhat ] would suffer a similar fate Ii I
/ tayed in that Vicinity. But I had no
real cause Of anxiety The gorilla had
/ Other matters to think Of The last
glimpse had Of the conqueror was IS,
! with the glare Of battle still in his eyes
1 and covered from head TO foot with his
own blood and that OF his enemy, h.
/ inprched Off in tIir :iph toward her for
,7om he had fought so desperately
!, nd SO we'll"