ON THE EDGE OF THE POOL. 449 



suffocating vines, discussed the business that had brought them thither, far beyond 

 all human habitations. The ardor with which the sportsmen had entered upon the 

 task was somewhat dampened by hope deferred, for this was the second day of the 

 hunt, and, in the face of the promises of Gyp and Hargo, they had not yet caught 

 sight of the first gorilla. 



This was the more trying since they had approached nigh enough several times 

 to hear the animals, and to detect unmistakable signs of their presence very near 

 them. They saw the spoor of a large male, and came upon a spot which, it may be 

 said, was still warm from the recent visit of a female and her young, that had been 

 engaged in eating a species of berry growing close to the ground and of which the 

 creature is extremely fond. 



The knowledge that they were close to the animals, I think, must have made the 

 hunters so eager to get a shot that they failed to exercise the precaution indispen- 

 sable in approaching them. The gorilla is wonderfully alert, and many a skillful 

 hunter has been baffled again and again until compelled to give up in despair. 



The natives, being experienced in hunting the animals, were armed the same a* 

 Jack and Bob. That is to say, they were provided with guns, though of the old- 

 fashioned pattern, being single-barreled muzzle-loaders, carrying large balls and 

 capable of doing effective execution when rightly handled. The Texan would hav 

 been glad to furnish them with repeating rifles, but that was impossible, and the 

 blacks were contented with their own fire-arms, in which their faith was as un- 

 bounded as that of the whites in their magazine weapons. 



Gyp and Hargo had been associated with Europeans long enough to speak the 

 English language tolerably well, though they were little inclined to conversation. 

 They sat on the log, silent and glum, while Bob and Jack did about all the talking. 



The natives appeared to feel the disappointment as much as their employers, 

 and, though they may have seen that the failure was due to the ardor of the gen- 

 tlemen, they were too thoughtful to say so. Probably they were convinced that 

 Jack and Bob suspected it themselves and would remedy the fault. 



The Texan was armed as when careering over the pampas of Bechuana Land, 

 on the back of his fleet-footed Apache, carrying not only his Winchester, two 

 revolvers and a knife, but his valued lasso as well. It was slung over his left 

 shoulder, and, accustomed as he was to riding his mustang, he found the task of 

 tramping through the dense jungle laborious, but he clung to the rawhide, confi- 

 dent that he would find use for it before his return. 



Gyp was provided with a strong net, extremely useful in flinging over the heads 

 of young animals when they proved vigorous enough to use their teeth and claws. 

 He declared that it had been employed in capturing snakes and gorillas, though 

 the Texan believed the fellow was addicted to drawing the long bow in the story 

 line. 



Through the interstices of the dense vegetation by which they were enveloped, 

 could be seen the shimmer of water. It was a large, stagnant pool, covering sev- 

 eral acres, and while more than one tiny stream wound its way into it, it was with' 



