River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-06-24

SUNS AhIO I11C SOI1SO 1OlS0Jo WuGIS
there was no doubt about capturing
gorilla. A smile of satisfaction swept
over the natives faces. and at sunrise
we started for a three months tramp
to the west of the Tanganyika
Arriving at Belgian army post,
pigmy prisoner told us where we
could find a gorilla, and an hours
travel from the post brought us to the
place where the animal made it's
home. 1t was an ideal retreat, rank
with rotting vegetation, the accumula-
lions of centuries, reaching up to our
knees. Snakes glided, kissing, out of
the way, and lizards, green blue and
every color of the spectrum, bolted in
fear to the tree tops and blinked at
us with their little, glistening eyes
from safe perches among the limbs.
Monkeys looked in wonder and then
scampered in thousands through the
forest, screeching like wild fiends and
swinging from tree to tree for such
distances that they seemed to fly.
How a Jungle Looks.
Beautifully designed ferns grew un-
der foot and crept caressingly up the
great tree trunks. Flowers of fan
tastic beauty, weird shape, and al
most maniacal expression grew up
and hung down from the smooth,
black, smoke-like vines, eXhaling from
their hearts hundred intoxicating
odors which mixed with the sickening
effiuvia of decay.
Insects resembling flowers and
leaves crawled over everything, twigs
apparently walking up the trees and
leaves apparently splitting and flying
in all directions. Beetles with big,
hypnotic eyes and bronze backs
buzzed noisily around our heads, and
beautiful birds vying with one an
other in brilliance of plumage 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. 1t was a scene, dread
and fascinating, clamoring of life in
viting one to death.
For four days we camped in this
hotbed of disease. Beaters went out
in all directions searching for the go
rilla. At last some deep, wide scratch
eS were found on a cluster of vines.
On close examination the unmistak-
able hair of the gorilla was found on
a broken twig. After some hours we
found the tree where the gorilla lived.
We could tell it by the greasy appear
ance of the bark, made SO by the re-
peated 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 scratch
es were short and deep, showing that
it had lifted itself up and not slid
down, which would have made a long,
shallow scratch.
We spread a strong net around the
tree in circle sloping upward on the
outer side. Around the top of the net
there were drawn ropes from four d.
rections held by half a 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 I'M
suspectingly and entered the trap. l
signaled, the four ropes were pulled
at once, and we had our animal-for
a moment. He roared in fury, twist
ing, jumping, and biting the ropes into
pieces. The natives were pulled about
lilo 6n71o DC hn t14in6 10
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 60
rilla broke a hole through the net and
he tore the rest from him as though
it were a rotten rag. Most of the ma
tives fed in dismay. The professor
dropped his camera and tried to es-
cape; in moment the gorilla grasped
him in its terrible hands.
I seized my rife and fired in the
air to frighten the animal. In my po-
sition I could not shoot at him without
hitting my friend. For moment the
gorilla stood still, holding the now un-
conscious man as though he were a
baby, the brute's lips drawn back from
his glistening teeth. I thrust another
cartridge in my rifle. AS I did so
there was a 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 flash, before I could shoot, a
native sprang from the leaves and.
half-throwing, half-thrusting, drove
an assagai into the gorilla's heart.
With groan the brute fell dead.
Examining the professor, l found
that his right arm was broken and
that some of his ribs were crushed
into his lungs. We gave up the effort
to 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 a native village a lonely little
slab marked "Carl Bloch" sticks up
above the grass. 1t Is the professors
grave. Hunting is not all exciting adj
venture and laughing victory. 1t has its
tears, like other things.
Copyright, 1909, by Benz. B. Hampton.)