Evening star., 1934-11-11

Somewhere Bua Matadi had been taught to
feaI spiders and serpents and as the thing
moved toward him. the fighting light in his
eyes died-his whole mien spoke surrender.
Without more ado, he turned and ambled
peaceably back to his cage.
TRADITIONAL native superstitution sur
! rounds the gorilla with an atmosphere as
colorful the tropical jungles they inhabit.
Even white men in these places are not immune
from the subtle influence.
felt it that morning We sought the mu-
scum specimen. when out in the forest We struck
the trail of a band of sorillas. The jungle here
was very dense. and its silent immensitv and
desoation seemed especially damp and gloom
ridden. The Batwa tracker announced the find
by muttered "Ngagi GORILLA, though
addressing something the ground. and his
voice seemed the only sound in the jungle.
His two companions pressed back with their
spear blades the leaves and grasses from the
new-made trail of our quarry / examined the
trail where the gorllas. marching in single file.
had smashed a tunneled opening through the
thickets. and noted the 12-inch manlike imprint,
the foot of great male, in the soft mud.
The trackers hunted in relays; the one trail
Ing was just ahead Hin followed with a cer-
tain grim expectancy, slippery roots and snares
of bush and tendril entrapping my stumbling
Ie6t. we CTept past the circular COuCIcS VI
twigs where the gorillas had slept and on into
a canebrake a shoulder of the mountain,
then down again into an oppresSvely still and
dark jungle.
1t had been raining for days. and now the
mutter of thunder grew louder overhead. AT
each flashing illumination of lightning the
jungle sprang glowing like a picture cast
in bronze. only to lapse again into gloom
Contrary to the scientific theory of mans
ba
the degenerate descendant of family of blacks
like themselves who had gone wild" Surely
not 1 could gansay this belief. for always as
hunted this ape came the feeling that hunted
man. This feeling was on now We
treaded softly over the padded moss beds when
flash of lightning cast its lurid glare
thickets interspersed with riot of purple
blossoms.
The head tracker paused and held up his
hand. Instantly my nerves sprang edge.
Had the gorillas frightened by the storm, back
tracked?
For a time the great forest wrapped in
silence and the dwarf did not move. Suddenly
from among the prowling shadows came stac-
cato humping; then cultural roar which sent
the trackers flying back trail. filled the forest
For dragging seconds it persisted, berserker
insanely human outburSt dying into utter
silence.
Tor a time the pail of an intense quiet
! wrapped all in its gloom, and my gun boy
moved to my side-wating.
The slow shuttle of approaching feet over the
leafy forest floor preceded rattesnake of a
sound as a concealed gorilla made his teeth coll
lide by striking upward his chin with the
backs of his knuckles. Instantly as though it
were signal, from the nearby thckets came
hollow slapping as a gorilla beat upon each
taut drawn cheek with the palms of his hands.
From many personal contacts with them
familiar with this demonstrations mere
flourish, sort of gorilla bluff made to frighten
off undesirable. If the intruder did not re-
treat. next would come curiosity My gun boy
and l. strangely apelike creatures one black
one white, were worth seeing.
hoped to finish my affairs with them before
the coming of the next emotional outburst-one
OF anger
1 crouched low. rifle all ready. and whistled