The Eastern Congo 



away an intruder, but when I first listened to this extraordinary 

 " clopping " noise, I scarcely reaUsed that it was being made 

 by the great ape beating his chest. However on thinking 

 the matter over afterwards it was evident that it was pro- 

 duced in this way. 



Judging it advisable to allay any suspicions in the animal's 

 mind of our continued presence so close to him, we breathlessly 

 waited a considerable time, in the hope that he would move 

 out of the position in which he had entrenched himself. 

 This the gorilla would not do however, but continued at 

 intervals to gibber and beat his chest, accompanying this 

 by stamping and shaking the bamboos. 



Hearing these angry danger signals and the heavy thud 

 of its stamping, one instinctively realised that one was con- 

 fronted with a large and formidable animal, not a mere monkey, 

 and my mind flashed back to the thick and tough trees that 

 I had seen away back, broken and bent to pieces like match- 

 wood and how it would be with my arm or neck if it got 

 either in its grip. However " Faint heart ne'er won fair 

 lady " or anything else, so after giving my friend Tarzan a 

 quarter of an hour to come out, what time we had been loudly 

 sworn at by the en^my, I decided to accept the challenge 

 and carry the war into the enemy's stronghold by going in 

 after him. Therefore, followed by my guide, who was armed 

 with a useful looking spear, I crossed the glade and going 

 down on aU fours crawled into the bamboo thicket rifle in 

 hand. But it was no go this time, for on my advancing a 

 few yards, he heard me and shaking us both up with another 

 of his uncanny roars, crashed away into the forest. Having 

 followed the spoor for a short distance, it became apparent 

 by breaking branches and other noises, that there were quite 



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