FIGHTING A GORILLA
The appearance of the gorilla had been so unexpected that for the
instant Dave knew not what to do. As the captain went down with the
creature on top of him, the young diver fancied that the man would
surely be killed.
"Help!" cried Captain Broadbeam, and this call aroused the youth to
his senses. Catching up a stick, he hit the gorilla a resounding
whack on the head. Then he struck at the beast's body.
The gorilla did not like such treatment, and with a snarl it dropped
its hold on the captain and turned towards Dave. A moment later it
was on the young diver's breast and Dave was doing his utmost to
throw the creature off.
It was now the young diver's turn to call for assistance, which he
did most lustily.
"I'll help you!" cried the captain, and catching up a stone, he hit
the gorilla in the side with it. The creature gave a snarl and
sprang back to the top of the rocks. Then it disappeared as suddenly
as it had come.
"Ugh!" murmured Dave. "What a horrid beast!"
"Are you hurt?"
"Only a scratch or two."
"We were lucky to get off so easily, lad."
"Is he gone for good!" asked Dave, with a slight shiver.
"I'm sure I don't know."
Each now lost no time in arming himself with a stout club and with a
couple of fair-sized and sharp stones. They listened, but could hear
nothing of the gorilla.
"I'd feel safer if I knew that beast was dead," said the captain.
"He may take it into his head to attack us again."
"And he may be only one of a regular tribe," put in Dave.
"No, Dave; gorillas don't live together like monkeys. At the most
you'll find two together."
With great caution they climbed to the top of the rocks and peered
over. Not a living creature of any sort was in sight.
"He has gone, that's certain," said Dave, and gave a sigh of relief.
They went on their way, and inside of an hour had walked completely
around the island, which was not over half a mile in diameter.
"Now we'll go up the hill and take a look around," said Captain
Broadbeam.
On the side of the hill the tropical growth was thick, and they had
to fairly cut their way through the tangle of underbrush and long
trailing vines.
"This is what I call work," said Dave, panting. "How much further
have we to go?"
"Not very much further, Dave. I think--listen!" The captain broke
off short and both listened. But only the murmur of the breeze
through the trees came to their ears.
"What did you hear?" asked the young diver.
"I fancied I heard that gorilla again."
"Oh, don't say that!"
"Perhaps I was mistaken. But it would be just like the beast to
follow us," continued the master of the _Swallow_.
"We will have to be on our guard."
Both looked around with care, but could see nothing of the gorilla.
Then they pushed on once more, up the rocks and through a tangle of
vines until they reached a bit of a clearing on the very top of the
hill.
"Here we are, safe and sound!" said the captain. "I wish we had a
spyglass."
They took a careful look around, and noted that the island was
circular in form, with a small cove on the south shore, where the
rowboat had landed.
On all sides stretched the rolling Pacific, the waves glistening
brightly in the strong sunshine.
Not another island of any sort was in sight.
"I believe that other island is to the westward of this," said the
captain. "But it's too far off to be located with the naked eye."
"I don't see anything of the _Swallow_, or of any other ship," came
from Dave, after he had gazed around for several minutes.
"The ship is probably in the vicinity of that other island."
From the top of the hill they could see that the island was
uninhabited. Whether or not any wild beasts outside of the gorilla
were located there they could not determine.
"I hope we don't have to stay here too long," remarked the young
diver, as they started back for the spot where they had left Bob and
Stoodles.
"We'll have to stay until we find the ship."
Halfway down the side of the hill Captain Broadbeam gave a sudden
leap into the air.
"Look out!" he screamed.
"What's the matter?" queried Dave.
"Spiders! As big as your hand!"
The master of the _Swallow_ was right. He had stepped on a mound
which was a spiders' nest, and out from the soil issued ten or a
dozen big brown and yellow spiders, most ferocious in their
appearance.
The creatures made after both the captain and Dave, and both lost no
time in putting a good distance between themselves and that vicinity.
"Gosh! I never saw such spiders in my life!" gasped Dave, when he
thought himself safe.
"They certainly were large, Dave. But such things grow big in the
tropics."
"They looked as if they might be poisonous."
"They are. We must watch out for them in the future."
Not long after this they came to a spot where a number of bushes were
growing, covered with large, oval-shaped berries.
"These berries are perfectly good and very nourishing," said the
captain. "Let us pick a quantity and take them back to the camp."
Back of the patch of berries was a fine spring and here they procured
a cold drink of water. Just below the spring was a wide pool several
feet deep, and in this pool numerous small lizards were darting
around.
"Everything is full of life in the tropics," remarked the young
diver. "Just look at the birds and fish, and lizards and spiders,
and a hundred and one other things!"
"Yes, and the vegetation is very plentiful," added the captain.
They were still some distance from the shore when Dave called a halt.
"Look at the big birds yonder," he whispered. "Can't we bring down
two or three with sticks or stones? They will make fine eating."
"We can try it, Dave."
Sticks and stones were handy, and arming themselves they approached a
large tree upon which the birds were resting.
"Ready?" asked Dave.
"Yes."
"Throw!"
The youth let fly a short stick and the captain a sharp stone. Down
came two birds, one dead and the other seriously wounded. The others
set up a wild squawking and flew away.
"Not so bad!" cried the captain, and ran to dispatch the wounded bird.
As he stooped over the bird there was a strange cry from another tree
close by and then a whir through the air.
"The gorilla!" ejaculated Dave. "Look out!"
The young diver's cry came too late. Down came the beast that had
attacked them before, landing directly on Captain Broadbeam's
shoulder and clutching the man by the throat!
For the instant Dave was almost paralyzed. But then he realized the
captain's peril and rushed in to the man's assistance.
In his hands the young diver clutched a heavy stick, and this he
brought down with all force on the gorilla's head.
The creature was taken by surprise and dropped its hold. But its
skull was too thick to mind greatly the blow which had been
delivered, and an instant later it leaped forward once more, this
time for Dave.
The young diver dodged, and in a twinkling the gorilla had Dave
around the waist while the youth had the creature around the shoulder
and neck. Then began the struggle, the beast trying to bite and Dave
trying his best to prevent such a movement.
In the midst of the melee Captain Broadbeam rushed to the rescue. He
had picked up Dave's stick, which the young diver had dropped, and
now he struck the gorilla twice across the back and then across the
lower limbs.
Not knowing what to make of this last attack, the creature turned
once more and dropped its hold of Dave. But at another blow from the
stick it began to retreat, and soon was lost to sight in the jungle
on the hillside.
"He has gone!" said the captain, breathing heavily from his exertions.
"What a fighter he is!" gasped Dave. He had all he could do to catch
his breath.
"I wish we had killed him, lad. Then he couldn't bother us again."
"Yes, it's too bad we didn't finish him. He will probably lay low
for us now. Maybe he'll attack us while we sleep."
"We'll have to stand guard."
Making certain that the gorilla had really left the vicinity, they
continued the journey to the shore, reaching the camp a little while
later. They found Doctor Barrell waiting impatiently for their
return. Both Bob and the Irishman were sleeping soundly.
"And what did you discover?" asked the man of science.
"Very little," answered the captain. "But we have had a couple of
nasty fights."
"With the savages?"
"No, with a gorilla."
"Is it possible! Did you kill the creature?"
"No, he got away."
"Too bad! I would give much to catch a gorilla alive. We could add
him to our collection."
"Thanks, but no live gorilla in mine," came promptly from Dave.
"Give me a dead one every time."
The doctor listened to their story with much interest and was glad to
see they had brought some berries and the birds for a meal.
"I have found some herbs and plants and given both of the sufferers
medicine," said he. "I think Bob Vilett will recover rapidly, but it
will take time to bring Pat Stoodles around."
It was now midday, and the sun was scorching. This being so, all
were content to rest in the shade. A fire was built, and over it the
birds and also some oysters were done to a turn, and these, with the
berries, made a good meal for all.
During the afternoon Dave made himself a good bow and also several
arrows. The captain followed his example, and also cut several
good-sized clubs.
"We must arm ourselves as best we can," said Captain Broadbeam. "If
those savages should happen to come this way we'll be at their mercy."
It was almost sundown when Dave chanced to go down to the ocean front
once more. He looked out to sea and then gave a cry that aroused all
of the others.
"A ship! A ship!"