^44 GORILLAS AND CHIMPANZEES 



with it prevented his either smelling or hearing her. 

 I could not warn him without alarming her. If he 

 could have seen her before she made the attack, I 

 should have left him to take his chances by flight or 

 by battle. I should have been glad of an oppor- 

 tunity to witness such a combat and to study the 

 actions of the belligerents, but I could not consent 

 to see a friendly dog taken at such disadvantage. 

 She was now rapidly covering the distance between 

 them, and the dog had not yet discovered her. 

 When she reached a point within about four yards 

 of him I determined to break the silence. I cocked 

 my rifle, and the click of the trigger caught her 

 attention. I think this was the first thing that 

 made her aware of my presence. She instantly 

 stopped, turned her face and body towards the cage, 

 and sat down on the ground in front of it. She 

 gave me such a look that I almost felt ashamed of 

 having interfered. She sat for fully one minute 

 starinor at me as if she had been transfixed. There 

 was no trace of anger or of fear, but the look of 

 surprise was on every feature. I could see her eyes 

 move from my head to my feet. She scanned me 

 as closely as if it had been her purpose to purchase 

 me. At length she glanced at the dog, who was 

 still eating the bone, then turned her head uneasily, 

 as if to search for some way of escape. She rose, 

 and retraced her steps with moderate haste ; she 

 did not run, but lost no time. She glanced back 

 from time to time to see that she was not pursued. 

 She uttered no sound of any kind. 



