480 THE KING OF THE JUNGLE. 



had overtaken her lord, for, with a strange cry, she scampered down from her low 

 perch, and, still holding her young one to her breast, ran toward the body. 



She never reached it. Hardly half the distance was passed when she bounded 

 forward, uttered a wild shriek, and fell dead, with her young one so tightly clasped 

 that it was thrown beneath her body. 



The same fate which her burly mate had met overtook her before she could 

 realize the presence of the death-dealing hunter. 



Bob Marshall had understood from the first what was necessary, and he 

 executed his design with a promptness and success that would have delighted any 

 ranger of the jungles. 



Thrilled by what he had accomplished, he dashed from behind the tree and ran 

 to where the little one was still desperately struggling to free itself from the dead 

 weight upon it. 



As he did so, he almost stepped upon the body of the huge male, which lay 

 stretched on its back, so fearful-looking, even in death, that the boy involuntarily 

 checked himself and grasped his rifle, half expecting the monstrous animal to 

 spring at him. But the king of the jungle was past anything like that, 



At the moment Bob reached the female, the young one succeeded in working 

 itself loose, and now confronted him with an expression of such ferocious venom 

 that he involuntarily recoiled and placed his hand on his revolver. 



The youngster seemed to feel that the strange creature which it now beheld 

 had done it an irreparable wrong, and it was ready to assail him with the fury, 

 if not the strength, with which its father had annihilated the leopard but a few 

 minutes before. 



Of course, Bob had no fear of the little one, which was a male, after disposing 

 of his mother in such summary fashion, and nothing short of necessity could have 

 tempted him to put a bullet through the young spitfire. 



Bob afterward said that during the brief seconds he and the infant gorilla con- 

 fronted each other it seemed to him that the hideous beast represented a million of 

 dollars, and he pictured the delight the public would feel when they saw him on 

 this side of the Atlantic. 



But the youngster, after snarling and showing his teeth, seemed to expect the 

 youth would attack him, and it was that for which he was waiting. 



Joyously as Bob would have thrown his arms around the creature and held 

 him fast, he was too prudent to attempt it. The infant was too strong for him, and 

 he felt that, unless he had help very soon, the young one would escape, if he chose 

 to leave the vicinity of his dead parents. 



But luck was once more with our friends on that hot day. Bob was standing, 

 undecided what to do, when his heart was delighted by a whistle which he recog- 

 nized as the signal of Gyp. The native and his companion must have returned 

 from their voyage down the river sooner than any one anticipated. 



The reports of the youth's Winchester had guided Gyp to the locality, and 

 a few minutes later he appeared among the trees. 



