New-York tribune., 1909-06-06
FEW COW ARDS AMONG
ANIMALS OF AFRICA
NOTED HUNTER TELLS OF
PERILS OF JUNGLE.
Greman Professor Victim of Gorilla
buffalo Coo, Defending Calf,
Kills Leopard.


atteuarts 10 capture his animal alive Many ami
rnals harmless and tinid under ordinary circum-
stances. become demons when captured The milo
est looking antelope Will put up fierce nght "hen
once over its first fright; the ostrich VIII KICK q
man pieces raining its blows with hghtninghhe
rapidly. I do know one African animal that
can be called cowardly.
I was commissioned by a German naturalist so
ciety 10 capture one Of each species Of African
oradr7.lnana- 4 German professor accompanied
ne my expedition. which set forth IN ulIect
line from Oar es SalaaIn-
Arriving a Belgian army post, a p''s1E prisoner
told where we could find gorilla ano an hour
travel fros the post brought TO the place where
the animal made its home. Beaters went out in all
directions searching 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 broken twig- After
some hours we fond the tree where the gorilla
lived We could tell il by the greasy appearance
Of the bark. made so by the repeated rubons OF
the goria's body. We could tell by the tresh
marks with sap still wet, that the animal had re-
Gently ascended the tree The scratches We're SNORT
and leep showing that il had lifted itself up and
DID not slide down. which would have made a
long. shallow scratch
W. spread 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 ol-
recions held BY half dozen natives hidden in the
busr These Here~to bring the top Of the net to
gether and thus bag our game
After waiting some hours the leaves above rusted
and then opened, as a six foot male gorilla de-
scen5Ad tlns,spectfngly and entered the trap
sigraIed the four ropes were pulled at once ana
Ee had our aninal-for moment He roareo IN
fury. twisting. jumping ard biting me rope INTO
rieoes The natives were pulled about like dolls
as he tried 10 reach first and then another
The professor jumped about in excitement. trying
TO focus camera the i5furiated animal
At last the mighty arms Of the gorilla broke a
hole through the net and he tore the rest from
Of he
him as though it were rotten rag MOST OF me
natives fed in dismay. The professor dropped his
camera and tried to escape; in moment the 60
riIla grasped him in its terrible hands
I seized my rife and fired in the air 10 frighten
the animal. In my position I could not shoot al
hin, without hitting my friend. For moment the
gorilla stood still. holding the now unconscious
man as though he were a baby, the brute's lips
drawn back from his gIistening teeth, thrust
another cartridge in my rife As I did so there
was a buzz IN the air, and an arrow shot oy a
native pierced the goriIlas side roar burst
from his red throat and he dropped his victim Like
? fash hefore could shoot a native sprang from
-be leaves and half throwing. half thrusting, drove
an assagai into the gorila's heart With groan
the brute fell dead
Examining the professor, I 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 the road
ON TRAIL OF A LION.
one day. lust as the blue haze Of morning was
lifting from the forest. I saw flock OF vultures
calling in the air and sWooping from time TO time
knew there was dead meat somewhere near.
started out in search. In a quarter Of an hour.
right under where the vultures were circling. 1
heard the crunching of bones in clumP of rocks
half hidden the high grass. There was that un-
rnistakabe sound Of some large animal eating and
tearing flesh After nan9uvring for some time
came across wide trail OF crushed blood stained
grass showing that some large animal must have
been dragged. No animal but lion could drag a
body big enough TO make such large trail.
Cautiously approaching the rocks, heard the an
inaIs satisfied growls and saw the ravenous vult-
ures hook beaked and hungry eyed, perched on the
points Of vantage, awaiting their chance to swoop
down had 10 be careful for if the vultures gave
the danger signal all chance Of getting the game
would be lost After crawling few yards further
got peep between the rocks. Lying down with
cubs sucking, beautiful lioness, chewing
at the ruulp Of impaia antelope. I hated to
shoot. but I a hunter, there nothing
else to do. Although I could the loness in
general way, it was a particularly hard shot. as
there were many thorn bushes and stones in my
The vlltures we're getting uneasy. I moved and
they all rose with heavy Tapping of wings The
noness. startled. sprang to the top Of the rocks.
the cubs following. II sudden that fired
without taking aim and missed the mother. but
wounded a cub. The other cub made of into the
bush the Iioness following
! in a bad temper through disappointment
and drew my knife to cut the throat Of the wound
ed Cub. which whining in pain. AS I put my
hand down to make the thrust it licked me wish
its little hot tongue and a pleading look filed its
soft eyes II was too much like killing a baby.
1 slipped my knife back into its sheath 1t
a harmless little fluffy ball, a kitten. and I picked
Il Up and patted il ! carrying 1t back TO the
camp when I heard noise behind I looked
back and the mother slip into the underground
knew then that there was going to be trouble
Two or three times around the camp that day the
yellow form Of the uoness fitting across
partly exposed places in the hush.
I washed the cubs wound and put some healing
preparation from my medicine chest on It. That
aight gave the sentries warning OF possible dan
ger, and took my little captive into my and
tied It 70 nay stretcher. I drowsed off 10 sleep
watching the shadow Of the sentry the tent
he passed between il and the fire.
RUDE AWAKENING.
Suddenly jerk at my stretcher ayoke me In
stinctivelx placing my hand my Luger pistol 1
opened my eyes. expecting, IL anything to see
the guard My heart almost stopped. To move
meant destruction. for there. on three legs with
an angry snarI and one paw raised to strike was
the noness in the half light that the dying camp
FIRE threw through the flaps of the tent
Ny brains OF me- for they ceased
TO work In silent fear, almost paralyzed, I lay
The noness grabbed its cub and gave tug The
cord that held il SNAPPED overturning my stretcher
She turned and bounded through the door, carry
s,r- off 4 lot