458 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



half eaten, broken branches and numerous fresh 

 trails. 



Selecting the footprint that appeared the largest, 

 I was following it up, when I heard a low, hoarse 

 barking, which M'pogola declared was the usual 

 noise made by the N'gina when feeding, and 

 creeping gently through the bushes for a short 

 distance, I heard the breaking of branches a short 

 distance in front, which was followed by a suc- 

 cession of low grunts, now and then interrupted 

 by a snappish yelp, like the snarling of a cur. 



Making signs to the people to lie down, I crept 

 forward, and soon, to my intense delight, saw three 

 gorillas feeding upon a wild jungle fruit looking 

 like a haw-berry. One was standing on his hind 

 legs, with his head stretched in my direction, as if 

 listening for some sound that had attracted his 

 attention, and as he was not more than eighty 

 yards distant I raised my rifle and fired, but just 

 as I pulled trigger he turned round, and had 

 he not uttered a moaning kind of yell denoting 

 pain, I should have been afraid that I had missed 

 him. 



