MY FIRST GORILLA. 30 



bird was perched, I saw nothing ; but when the note 

 was repeated, I realized that I had been deceived by an 

 admirable imitation, and that the old chief had used this 

 signal to call his hunters around us again. 



However skilful the Fan chief was in cheating me, he 

 evidently had not deceived the gorilla, for his fury re- 

 doubled. At this instant the natives joined us, crawling 

 through the dense undergrowth as we had done. 



"Chief," said Thursday, in a whisper so low it hardly 

 reached me, " the brute has already detected us." 



" How do you know that ? " said I, softly. 



"Look!" he replied; "his nostrils quiver with anger 

 as he scents us, and his cruel eye never leaves our 

 shelter." 



"Then why does he not attack us ? Is he afraid?" 



"Fear! The man-eater? You'll not believe that 

 Ions;." 



"Why does he wait, either to run or fight?" As I 

 whispered these words the old chief made me a sign, 

 urging me to silence. The furious cries and roars of the 

 gorilla grew louder and fiercer. It was plain, even to so 

 inexperienced a hunter as myself, that something unusual 

 was about to happen. The monster gnashed his tremen- 

 dous teeth, shaking with rage, but did not leave his 

 hut-roof. For the twentieth time I asked myself the 

 double question, " Why do we not give him a shot, or 

 why does he not get away from us?" A dozen times I 

 raised my rifle, — the one carrying the explosive ball, — 



