MY FIRST GORILLA. 35 



"You could not get your second gun from the boy before 

 he would be upon you, and you would be crushed to a 



jelly." 



At that moment the whole line, as if instinctively, 

 came to a halt. The native guide leading us gave a 

 simial as ag;reed. 



'•In which direction?" the chief signed. 



The guide pointed ahead of us, a little to the right, 

 toward a clump of tall trees. 



"Wait for me here," said the chief, with that sharp 

 tone of command which he knew so well how to assume 

 toward his men. Then, turning to me, — 



" Let the white captain follow me." 



No sooner had my interpreter translated this to me 

 than the chief dropped on all fours and began to crawl 

 in the direction the scout had indicated. I followed suit, 

 feeling that I was on the eve of a new and exciting 

 experience. 



For five minutes, that seemed an age, I saw the chief 

 moving slowly without the least noise, parting the under- 

 brush with his hands, and holding it one side until I too 

 had passed. Suddenly he stopped, half raised himself, 

 and seemed to centre all his attention on a point in space 

 beyond the close curtain of foliage in front of us. My 

 heart beat in great throbs. Finally he made me a sign to 

 approach, and I, in turn, cast a rapid glance through the 

 forest. I felt my hair stand on end as, at the end of a 

 little clearing, I saw seated on a leafy hut an enormous 



