Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-06-03
TRAPPING 4 GORILLA 4
Story of a Vicious Struggle In
the African Jungle.
A NET THAT FAILED TO HOLD.

The Shared Monster Broke Through
It. Meshes and Was the Cause OF
One Death Before He Was Himself
Killed by the Attacking Party.
CAPTAIN Fritz Duquesne, the Boer
ivory hunter, was commissioned by q
German naturalist society to capture
ene of each species Of African quadru-
mana. He was entirely successful In
the work. except that he could obtain
no gorilla. Finally pygmy pointed
out a portion of the dank jungle In
which a gorilla had been seen.
The captain Immediately arranged
his camp and laid bis plans and made
preparations to trap the monster and
get him alive If possible, though he
fully realized the danger of the under
taking.
For four days." said the captain
I'VE camped in this hotbed of disease
Beaters went out in all directions
>earching for the gorilla. At last some
deem. wide scratches were found on
cluster of vines On close examination
the unmistakable hair Of the gorilla
was found on q broken tWig.
AFTER some hours we found the tree
where the gorilla lived: We could tell
it by the greasy appearance OF the
bark. made so by the repeated rubbing
of the gorilla's body. We could tell ny
the fresh marks, with sap still wet,
that the animal had recently hscended
the tree. The scratches were short
and deep, showing that 1t bad ll1ted
itself I'D and had not slid down, Whlcn
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 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 ana
thus bag our game.
"After waiting some hours the leaves
above rustied and then opened al a
six foot male gorilla DESCENDED I'M
suspectingly and entered the trap.
signaled, the four ropes were pulled
at once, and we had, our animal-ror
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 jump
ed about in excitement trying to TO-
Gus a camera on the Infatuated animal.
"At last the mighty arms Of the 60
rilla broke hole through the net, and
he tore the rest from him as though
it were a rotten rag. Most Of the ma
lives fed In dismay. The professor
dropped his camera and tried to e.
cape, In q moment the gorilla grasp
ed him In IT. terrible hands.
II seized my rifle and fred In the
air to frighten the animal. In my po-
sition could not shoot at him with
out hitting my friend For 4 moment
the gorilla stood still. holding the now
unconscious man as though he were
a baby, the bruts's lips drawn back
from his giistening teeth.
Il thrust another caftr1o8o IN my
rifle. Al l did 80 there was buzz in
the air. and an arrow, shot by 4 ma
tive, pierced the gorila's side. A roar
burst from his red throat, and he drop
ped his victim. Like q dash, before
I could shoot. q native sprang from
the leaves and. half throwing, half
drove an assagai into the
gorilla's beart With q groan the
brute fell dead
Examining the professor. found
THAI his right arm was broken and
that some of his RIBS we're crushed into
his lungs. We fave up the effort to
get live gorilla and. placing the in
jured man in 4 hammock, carried him
back toward the east coast.
He died on the road. Out on the
veldt beside a native village 4 lonely
little slab marked Carl Bloch sticks
up above the. grass. 1t il the profess
or's grave. Hunting Is not all excit-
ing adventure and laughing victory.
1t has its tears, like other things."-
Hampton's Magazine.