DOMESTICATING MY GORILLA. 63 



place, and leaning far out and holding on by a branch, 

 watch the movements of his advancing enemy. The 

 sight was an odd one, and, as I heard Joseph's furiously 

 rumbling growls T began to see that the negro had un- 

 dertaken no easy task. At a given moment he received 

 about his head and shoulders all the fruit that master 

 Joseph could pluck from the tree, which in a few mo- 

 ments he had completely despoiled, leaving himself with- 

 out further ammunition. The native had dodged a large 

 part of the missiles by circling the tree, and as most of 

 the fruit was overripe, he suffered but little damage. 

 When the gorilla could find nothing further to throw he 

 again took refuge in the leafy top, uttering cries of rage 

 which promised a warm reception to his pursuer when 

 the latter should come within reach of his sharp teeth. 

 The native moved cautiously upward, for he was within 

 a few feet of the swaying top, and the gorilla had shown 

 no sign. It was at once exciting and amusing. The 

 gorilla might spring upon his enemy, who, under the 

 shock and pain from a bite, might lose his hold and come 

 toppling down a hundred feet or so upon the ground. 

 Luckily there was no such tragic ending. At the very 

 moment when the hunter cast the net over the topmost 

 branch, upon which Joseph had perched, the latter with 

 the quickness of thought slid down the trunk on the 

 other side, and amid a shout of laughter from the crowd 

 beneath, hung a few yards below his pursuer. It took 

 the poor fellow fully half an hour to disentangle his net 



