CHAPTER LXXXIII. 



HOME AGAIN. 



THE natives, Gyp and Hargo, had pushed matters with such vigor that they 

 returned from King William several hours sooner than they had expected at 

 the time of starting thither with the captive chimpanzee. The missionary 

 was pleased to take charge ot the little creature, and promised it the best of care. 

 He had had others in his keeping before, and understood them so well that no one 

 eould have done better. 



The servants had reached camp only a short time after the departure of Jack 

 Harvey and Bob Marshall on their gorilla hunt. It was not an easy matter to fol- 

 low them through the jungle, but they set out to do so, and were thus engaged 

 when the report of Bob's Winchester fell on their ears. 



The sound showed that he was not far off, and Gyp at once started to join 

 him. Hargo decided to stay where he was and to pursue his hunt of the animals 

 alone unless summoned by signal from his master. 



This, you will perceive, was in keeping with Jack Harvey's policy of separating 

 the hunters, and the act of the native was at the suggestion of Gyp himself. 



Hargo had not been left alone ten minutes, when his trained ear told him that 

 he was in the neighborhood of one of the creatures for which they had hunted so 

 kmg in vain. Like his friend Gyp, he had been in the business before, and was 

 confident he fully understood all the requirements. 



The native stood still and looked carefully around, half suspecting he had 

 already been discovered by the terrific game. 



Such, indeed, was the fact, for he had hardly had time to take a quick surrey 

 when he descried a female skurrying off among the trees. As is generally the 

 case, she was the first to discover the danger, and announced it to her mate, who was 

 feeding near at hand. The female had no young one with her, so far as Hargo 

 could see, but, all the same, she turned over to the head of the family the duty of 

 attending to intruders. 



The gorilla that rose on his hind feet and advanced toward the African was 

 fully as large as the one shot by Bob Marshall. Indeed Hargo had never seen 

 such a formidable creature, which, instead of fleeing, appeared to be eager for a 

 fight. 



Walking forward, he stopped a rod away, struck his tremendous breast with his 

 paw, sending out a sound like a bass drum, and, opening his vast crimson mouth to 

 its full extent, emitted a roar that was enough to test the nerves of the bravest maa. 

 Then he commenced walking slowly forward, with his wicked black eyes fixed on 

 the native and the hair over his skull twitching with rage. 



