138 In the Heart of Africa 



grew worse as the sun rose gradually higher. Undecided whither 

 exactly we should turn next, we slunk along further for a few 

 steps when suddenly the screeching burst out again in our imme- 

 diate vicinity almost right over our heads. We used the noise as 

 a cover, and rapidly advanced a little further till a wall of 

 thorns, through which it was impossible to work without making 

 some noise, arrested our progress. The slightest sound now would 

 have been fatal, so with knees raised and on the tips of our toes 

 we moved a little sideways. It was labour lost ! No sight of our 

 quarry to be obtained from any point ; a mere confusion of 

 foliage above and all around us. The situation was critical ; for 

 at any moment the chimpanzees might leave their tree. Finally, I 

 reached a spot where there was a slight break in the leafy roof, 

 and through this aperture I perceived an immense ape standing 

 on the bough of a lofty mutoie, perhaps sixty metres up. In a 

 flash my rifle was at my shoulder, and the noise of the shot rattled 

 and reverberated through the forest with resounding echoes. A 

 heavy fall and wild bellowing followed. At the same moment I 

 caught sight of a second ape, apparently younger, through the 

 circle of the small aperture, and the dull thud of the bullet 

 convinced me that I had hit again. We now worked along as 

 rapidly as we could manage it to the trunk of the tree, to which a 

 fresh track of blood guided us until it was lost again in the 

 shrubs. Here we heard the chimpanzee, evidently badly injured, 

 fleeing down the slope amongst the rustling foliage only a few 

 paces in front of us. But to catch up with an ape, even a 

 wounded one, in a forest thicket is a hopeless task for any 

 European. So I soon gave up the chase. At the sound of my 

 firing, however, a few of my people who had followed up behind 

 now came up with me. The promise of a large baksheesh spurred 

 them on to renewed efforts. Without a moment's consideration 

 they glided down after the game, following the trail. A few 

 anxious moments of breathless suspense followed, and then I 

 heard faint, subdued cries, which filled me with an indescribable 

 feeling of satisfaction. The old fellow, who was badly hurt, 

 had stood up against my people down in the gorge, and they had 



