Evening journal., 1909-04-12
TRAPPING A GORILLA
Story Of a Vicious Struggle In
the African Jungle.
A NET THAT FAILED TO HOLD.

The Shared Monster Broke Through
It's Meshes and Was tho Cause Of
One Death Before He Was Himself
Killed by the Attacking Party.
Captain Fritz Duquesne, the Boer
ivory hunter, was commissioned by
German naturalist society to capture
one OF each species Of African quadru-
mana. lie was entirely successful in
the work, except that he could obtain
no gorilla. Finally a pygmy pointed
out a portion Of the dank jungle IN
which a gorilla had been seen.
The captain Immediately arranged
his camp and laid his 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,
tive camped in this hotbed Of disease.
Beaters went out in all directions
searching for the gorilla. At last some
deep. wide scratches were found on
cluster Of vines. On close examination
the unmistakable hair Of the gorilla
was found on 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 recently ascended
the tree. The scratches were short
and deep, showing that 1t had lifted
itself I'D aud had not slid down, which
would have made long, shallow
scratch
"We spread q strong net around the
tree in circle sloping upward on th'
outer side. Around the top Of the net
there were drawn ropes from four di
tections. 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 un-
suspectingly and entered the trap. l
sipnaled, the four ropes were pulled
at once, and we had our animal-for
n moment. He roared In fury, twist
ing. iumping 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 infuriated animal.
AT last the mighty arms Of the go.
rilla broke hole through the net and
he tore the rest from him as though
it were rotten rag. Most OF the ma
tives fed in dismay. The professor
dropped his camera and tried TO es-
cape In moment the gorilla grasp
ed him in its terrible hands.
Il seized my rife and fred in the
air to frighten the animal. In my po
sition / could not shoot at him with
out hitting my friend. For a moment
the gorilla stood still, holding the nov
unconscious man as though he were
baby, the brute's lips drawn bacl
+, from his gllstening teeth.
I Il thrust another cartridge in M,
4 rife. AS l did so there was a buzz II
] the air, and an arrow, shot by a ma
r tive, pierced the gorilla's side. A roa
! burst from his red throat. and he drop
ped his victim. Like a fash, befor
|. 1 could shoot, a native sprang from
the leaves and, half throwing, hal
thrusung, drove an assagai into th
o. gorilla's heart With a groan tn
o brute fell dead.
n Examining the professor. l foun
= thGt his right arm was broken an
that some of his ribs were crushed int
: his lungs. We gave up the effort {
= get live gorilla and. placing the in
: jured man In a hammock. carried hir
d back toward the east coast
n 'He died on the road. Out on th
k veldt beside native village a lionel
d little slab marked Carl Bloch stick
I, up above the grass. 1t is the profess
!, or's grave. Hunting is not all excl
u ing adventure and laughing victorl
Il 1t has its tears, like other things."-
n. Hampton's Magazine.