44 HUNTING IN TIIIC JUNGLE. 



see the effect of the explosive ball, but Thursday held me 

 back. 



" Look out," he cried ; '' he may yet have some life in 

 him ; and one blow from his talon-like fingers would lay 

 you open like a squirrel." 



The advice was too good to be disregarded, though 

 from my experience in shooting with this terrible form of 

 ammunition I felt sure he was dead; for I never have 

 seen an animal live if the ball once reaches him. And 

 indeed this case proved no exception ; the gorilla was 

 dead. 



When the natives saw the terrible wound which he had 

 received, they looked at my rifle with frightened glances, 

 and began to whisper together. 



" What do they say ? " I asked Thursday. 



^' That they would give twelve slaves for such an arm." 



Such envy did not please me at all. How many trav- 

 ellers have been killed in Central Africa precisely on 

 account of their too tempting fire-arms ! I immediately 

 hit upon a device to protect at once my rifle and myself. 

 I happened to have in my belt a line of empty cartridges 

 to be used for small game, and to be loaded with what- 

 ever charge of powder and ball the animal I was after re- 

 quired. I loaded my rifle rather ostentatiously with one 

 of these cartridges, capped only, and handing it to the 

 chief himself, I stepped about a yard from the end of the 

 barrel and asked him to fire at me, aiming at my heart. 

 As he hesitated, I said to him : " Do as I bid, for the rifle 



