Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-06-27


black. smoke-like vines. exhaiing from
their hearts a hundred intoxicating
odors which MIXED with the sickening
eifiayia OF decay.
Insects resembling flowers and
leaves crawled over everything. twigs
apparently walking up the trees and
leaves apparently splitting and dying
ia all directions. Beetles with big.
hypnotic eyes ana bronze backs
buzzed noisily around our heads, and
beautiful birds yying with one an
other In brilliance of pnmage sailed
through the air. filling the dismal for
est with their passion-laden songs,
The constantly dripping sap spattered
from leaf to leaf. soaking into the
noxious earth. II was "a scene. dread
and fascinating. c,amoring Of life In
wiling one 10 death.
For four days we camped in this
hotbed of disease. Beaters went out
In all directions searching ior the co
rilla. At last some deep. wide scratch.
es were found ON a cluster OF vince
On close examination the unmistak
able hair OF the gorilla was found on
broken twig. After some hours we
found the tree where the gorilla lived.
We could tell II by the greasy appear
ance OF the bark. made so by the re-
peated rubbing of the gorillas body.
We could tell by the fresh marks, with
sap still wet that the animal had re-
Gently assembled the tree. The scratch.
Oh kAx bat
II had lifted itself up and not slid
down. which would have made n long.
shallow scratch.
We spread strong net around the
tree In circle sioping upward on the
outer side. Around the top of the net
there were drawn ropes from four d.
rections held by half dozen natives
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 a
six-foot male gorilla descended UNI
suspectingly and entered the trap.
signaled, the four ropes were pulled
at once. and we had our an!mGi-for
moment. He roared in fury. twist
ing. jumping. and biting the ropes into
pieces. The natives were pulled about
like dolls as ne tried to reach first one
and then another. The professor
jumped about In excitement. trying TO
focus a camera en- the Infatuated AMI
NAL.
At last the mighty arms of the go
rilla broke hole through the net and
he tore the rest from him as though
II were a rotten rag. Most OF the ma
tives fed in dismay. The professor
dropped his camera and tried to es-
cape; In a moment the gorilla grasped
him :n its terrible hands.
seized my rifle and fired in the
air TO brighten the animal. In my po-
sition could not shoot at him without
hitting my friend. For a moment the
gorilla stood still, holding the now I'D
conscious man as though he were
baby. the brute's lips drawn back from
his glistening teeth. I thrust another
cartridge In my rife. As l did so
there was buzz In the air. and an
arrow. shot by native, pierced the
gorilla's side A roar burst from his
red throat and he dropped his victim.
Like a fash. before could shoot, a
native sprang from the leaves and.
halfthrowing. halfthrusting. drove
an assagai into the gorilla's heart.
With groan the brute fell dead.
Examining the professor, found
that his right arm was broken and
that some OF his ribs were crushed
into his lungs. We gave up the effort
10 get live gorilla and. placing the
injured man in a hammock, carried
him back toward the East coast. He
died on the road. Out on the weld be-
side native village a lonely little
slab marked carl Bloch" sticks up
above the grass. II is the professors
grave Hunting is not all exciting ad-
venture and laughing victory II has its
tears. like other things.
Copyright. 1900. by BENZ. b. Hampton.)