Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-06-10
GETTING A GORILLA
VICIOUS STRUGGLE WITH ANIMAL
IN AFRICAN JUNGLE.
5rute's Enormous Strength Enables II
to Break Bonds and Stay Mem
Der Of Party Trying to
Capture It.

Capt. Fritz Duquesne, the Boer ivory
hunter. was commissioned by a Ger
man naturalist society to capture one
Of each species of African quad-u-
mana. He was entirely successful in
the work. except that he could obtain
no gorilla, he writes in Hampton's
Magazine under the title Hunting
Ahead of Roosevelt in East Africa
Finally plgmy pointed out a portion
Of the dark jungle in which a gorilla
had been seen.
For four days." continues the cap
tain I'VE camped in this hotbed of dis
ease. Beaters went out in all direc-
tons searching for the gorilla. At
last some deep, wide scratches were
found on a cluster of vines. On close
examination the unmistakable hair OF
the gorilla was found on a broken
twig After some hours we found the
tree where the gorilla lived. We could
tell 1t by the greasy appearance Of
the bark, made so by the repeated
rubbing Of the gorilla's body. We
could tell by the fresh marks. with
sap still wet, that the animal had re-
Gently assembled the tree. The
scratches were short and deep, show
ing that 1t had lifted itself up and
not slid down, which would have made
a long, shallow scratch.
I'VE spread a strong net around the
tree In a circle sloping upward on
the outer side. Around the top of the
uof fhoro xrara x~a,,,, ,<.~-. &c.. Sc,,~
directions held by half a dozen ma
/ tives hidden in the bush. These were
to bring the top OF the net together,
and thus bag our game.
After waiting some hours the
leaves above rustled and then opened
as six-foot male gorilla descended
unsuspectingly and entered the trap
| signaled. the four ropes we're pulled
at once, and we had our Animation
a moment He roared in fury, twist
ing, jumping and biting the rope into
pieces. The natives were pulled about
like dolls as he tried to reach first one
and then another. The professor
jumped about in excitement, trying to
focus a camera on the Infatuated ami
NAL.
/ AT last the mighty arms of the go
rilla broke a hole through the net and
he tore the rest from him as though
1t were a rotten rag. Most of the ma
lives fed in dismay. The professor
dropped his camera and tried to es
cape; in moment the gorilla grasped
him In its terrible hands.
Il sliced my rife and fred In the
air to Brighten the animal In my DO
sition l could not shoot at him without
hitting my friend. For a moment tbs
gorilla stood still holding the now un
conscious man as though he were I
baby. the brute's lips drawn back from
his glistening teeth. thrust anotheI
cartridge in my rife. AS I did $,
there was a buzz in the air and an ar
row shot by a native pierced the go
rilla's side. A roar burst from his rec
throat and he dropped his victim. Lik,
fash, before could shoot, a nativ,
sprang from the leaves, and. hal
throwing, half thrusting, drove an as
segai into the gorilla's heart. With
groan the brute fell dead.
Examining the professor. | founi
that his right arm was broken an
: that some Of his ribs were crushe,
into his lungs. We gave up the Ell
fort to get a live gorilla. and. placin
the injured man in a hammock. car
ried him back toward the east eoasi
, He died on the road. Out on the weld
beside a native village a lonely littl
slab marked Carl Bloch sticks u
!. above the grass. Hunting is not a
1 exciting adventure and laughing vi,
8 tory. 1t has tears. like other things.