Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-02-24
4 G|)RHA'S COURTSH|P.
Battle Between Apes In an
African Forest
THE STORY OF A WITNESS
The Fierce Foes Were Fighting for
Mate, and the Muscles of the
Younger Proved Too Much for the
Experience of the Older.

Younger Proved Too Much for the
Experience of the Older.
After the adjustment of our little
unpleasantness with the South" said
Capt Jack Benton, in the New York
Sun, II drifted back into civil life. 1t
seemed monotQnous. however, after the
excitement of campaigning, and, re-
ceiving an offer to go to Africa and COL
lect animals for menageries, 1 jumped
at 1t. My work took me into the interior
Of upper Guinea, which was then about
as wild country as there was in the
world.
"One morning I left camp to make a
circuit of some traps we had set in the
night, and, as / wasn't on the lookout
for big game, ! took only a light rifle
with me. Trudging through the woods,
| came on a little clearing, and there,
not fifty feet away, / saw a big male
gorilla. He was on all tours, half-squat-
ting on the ground.
Equipped with only a light rifle, I
had no ambition to NEEDLE with the
beast. / slipped back into the under
brush, and was about to make off as
quietly as possible when the peculiari-
ty of the gorflla's actions attracted me.
He seemed to be trying to look as ami
able as was possible for such monster
and second glance showed me the
reason for this. At the right of the
clearing was second gorilla, smaller
but equally ferocious looking, a fitting
mate for the first big brute. l 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
clumsily toward her, when suddenly a
dull boom! boom! sounded from far
away in the forest. Up to that instant
the male gorilla, while avage-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-
lenge was heard came a sharp bark
followed by 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
a 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 clearing, waiting to
bestow her hand on the victor, sat the
female gorilla whose charms had in
spired such jealous rage.
Neither of the big animals wasted
time in preliminaries; they had worked
themselves up into such an insanity of
rage that only killing would satisfy
Each advanced on his hind legs until
within six feet of the other. Then the
younger gorilla began to fight. Step
ping forward with marvellous quickness
for such an ungainly animal, he struck
a 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 blow on the
head that would have crushed a mans
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.
1.-THE older gorilla was taken by sur
| prise at this sudden rush and change
of tactics by his opponent. But though
at a disadvantage, he was too old a
fighter to be easily dismayed. First he
secured 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 a 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-li0e 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 goril-
la 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-
la 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
through the jungle. l have heard the
| death cry of many animals, but never
| a call like that of the dying gorilla. For
| it was not like an animal, but the wall
of man in overmastering pain, a
| choking half sob, half shrek. Again
and again it rose up. / lifted my rifle
| and then lowered 1t. for l 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 l was
| standing irresolute it ceased The fierce
hard fighting, hard biting younger gor-
| lila had been working his way through
| his antagonists throat and had at last
bitten through the wind pipe. The great
| fight was over, and the veteran of
many similar contests had met the fate
he had melted out to others.