58 ANIMAL SKETCHES. CHAP. 



under his bedstead, where Master Joe had, in fact, 

 ensconced himself. So terrific was the appearance of the 

 three years old ape that the hunter, hastily shutting the 

 windows, decamped with his followers, leaving Joe in pos- 

 session of the field. At last, seeing him quite quiet, Du 

 Chaillu despatched some black fellows for a net and, open- 

 ing the door quickly, with astonishing intrepidity and 

 presence of mind threw it over poor little Joe's head. Two 

 men seized his arms, another secured his legs, Du Chaillu 

 held his be-netted head ; and thus, borne by four strong 

 men, the two foot six inches of infuriated gorilla was once 

 more returned to his bamboo prison. Again he escaped ; 

 and this time he made for the open. But the odds were 

 fearfully against him. " About one hundred and fifty of 

 us surrounded him," says the veracious traveller. What 

 could a baby gorilla of three do against a hundred and 

 fifty brave men ? He was again secured, again carried off 

 by four men, and placed in irons. Ten days afterwards, 

 Death, the friend and foe of apes and men, somewhat 

 suddenly released him from his chains. 



More recent observers give the young gorilla credit for 

 a much more amiable disposition. Falkenstein, who 

 brought to Europe a fine gorilla boy which lived for some 

 time in the Berlin Aquarium, says that he showed no 

 trace of mischievous, malicious, or savage qualities, though 

 he was, he adds, sometimes self-willed. What little fel- 

 low with any grit in him is not ? Perhaps among gorillas 

 as among human folk there are naughty boys and good 

 boys ; perhaps Falkenstein understood gorilla boy-nature 

 better than Du Chaillu ; or perhaps (may we not hope it 

 for the sake of Master Joe's memory ?) the stories told 

 against him as against other naughty boys were not all 

 quite true. At any rate Falkenstein was able to give his 

 young charge a very fair character for cleanliness, docility 



