214 IN BRIGHTEST AFRICA 
time I got the big gun in hand the female had disap- 
peared and a big silver-backed male was in sight. 
He was about 150 yards away. He was just disap- 
pearing when I got the big gun to my shoulder and 
I had to shoot quickly. I fired and missed. They 
disappeared, and I fully appreciated what an ass I 
had been. We scrambled on for an hour more—the 
hillside becoming higher and more precipitous every 
minute. At last a slight movement of the bush above 
made us aware of their presence. 
The fact that we came up with them again after 
my shooting was pretty good evidence that even 
when disturbed the gorilla does not travel either far 
or fast. The experience I had had with my first 
gorilla two days before corroborated this. He had, 
in fact, run only about 300 yards after first seeing us 
before stopping. Asa matter of fact, I do not believe 
that the gorilla can run fast. Unlike animals that 
catch others for food, the gorilla, who eats vegetation, 
does not have to run for his dinner. Neither does 
he have to run to escape serving as dinner for some 
other animals. His legs, compared to his weight, 
are small and, in relation to man’s, very short. On 
fair footing I think the average man could outrun a 
gorilla. 
Where we came in sight of this band there was no 
friendly tree to lean against as there had been in the 
case of the first gorilla. The hillside was so steep 
that it was difficult to find footing from which to 
shoot. For a slight sense of security I entangled 
myself in a bush and stood ready to shoot. 
