THE MAN-APE
Let us pass as quickly as possible over the subsequent discussion
during which it was decided by lot that Bob and Frank should stay
behind to operate the radio, while Jack should accompany the main
party for the purpose of concealing the receiving set and
loudspeaker in an advantageous place.
Both Bob and Frank keenly regretted the necessity which would
prevent them from forming part of the expedition, for they wanted
very much to see the discomfiture of The Prophet. While as for Bob,
he yearned to be present in case of a fight.
However, where necessity commanded, like good soldiers they could
only obey. Half the force of bearers was to be left with them and
two of the guards, including Samba. This latter trusted fellow, it
had developed, was a native of this region who had been carried away
by slave traders in his youth, and, therefore, knew the dialect. It
was he, accordingly, who would have to speak over the radio.
Early in the morning, Mr. Ransome’s spies returned before daylight,
in fact, having set out from a village where The Prophet was located
during the night and camped until the first faint streaks of dawn at
the foot of the precipice, after which they had made their way up
the height in short order.
The Prophet was located in a big village eight miles distant on the
plain. They had marked the location well, and through glasses were
able to point it out to Bob and Frank. Thus that there would be any
difficulty in observing the signal rockets, which Mr. Hampton would
send up as a sign for Samba to “speak his piece” over the radio
there no longer remained a doubt.
Welcome was the word of the spies that The Prophet, whose activities
heretofore had lain in the central portion of the great plain,
nearest the active volcanoes, and who only recently had invaded the
fringes, had not yet aroused the natives to such a pitch of
hostility against the whites as to make it impossible for Mr.
Hampton’s party to obtain a hearing.
“That’s all we shall need,” said Mr. Hampton, as all ready to follow
the bearers and other members of the party down the steep paths of
the precipice to the plain, he and Jack paused for a last word with
Bob and Frank. “Once we get a hearing, we can trust to the
superstitions of the natives to do the rest.”
They wrung each others’ hands in farewell, and then the departing
ones set out. Jack was elated, of course, at the turn of fortune
which had made it possible for him to be “in at the death” as he
phrased it. Yet he realized, too, that a considerable weight of
responsibility rested upon him to see to it that the receiving set
was properly hidden and in good working order.
As for Bob and Frank, when the others had disappeared around a turn
of the path, dipping into a canyon, they swallowed their
disappointment at being left behind and hastened away to take up
their duties. Chief of which, of course, was the drilling of Samba
not only in the message he was to utter over the radio and which he
translated into high-flown native language, but also in coaching him
how loud to speak into the transmitter, how close to approach his
lips to it, and the proper tone to employ to achieve the best
effect.
To descend the precipice and cross the plain to the village would
take the slow-moving party much more time than it had the spies. It
was not expected they would reach the village, in fact, until late
in the afternoon. Moreover, some time would be spent there in
negotiating with the chief and in drawing off the crowd of natives
from the vicinity of The Prophet’s hut through means of Niellsen’s
motion picture camera, in order that Jack should have his
opportunity to conceal the radio receiving set and the loudspeaker.
It had been agreed, in fact, that by no means should Mr. Hampton
call for the use of the radio until 8 o’clock that night.
Accordingly, Bob and Frank, even after spending hours coaching Samba
until he was letter perfect in his speech and likewise knew just how
to utter it to obtain the best effect, still had time on their
hands.
They had set up their radio station not far from the edge of the
precipice, in order that the one watching for the expected signal
should when beholding it be able to pass on the word at once to the
one manipulating the station and directing Samba. In order that they
would be able to keep the village which had been pointed out to them
under their glasses after nightfall, they had planted two stakes in
line with each other and bearing directly on the village, so that
even in the thickest darkness glasses trained in the direction
indicated by the pointers would pick out the signals.
But it was uncomfortably hot in the open sun about the radio
station, even at that altitude of 8,000 feet, and after work had
been completed and everything was in readiness, Bob retired to his
tent for a nap. Frank, who was not inclined to sleep, strolled
around through the woods, which he found so strange as to be
exciting.
It was his first experience in the untrodden woods of this mountain
region, and had he realized the danger he would not have wandered
from camp. For this mountain region is the home of the most terrible
of all African animals, the great man-ape. Horribly human and yet
inhuman in appearance, the gorilla lives in these trackless forests
of beautiful hard-wood trees where flowering plants climb over trunk
and bough in a riot of color and where the underbrush is so tangled
as to be almost impassable. With the strength of a dozen men in his
tremendous barrel-like chest and his over-long arms, is combined a
ferocity unparalleled amongst wild beasts.
But Frank was not even thinking of gorillas as he forced his way
through the thickets, admiring the beauty of blossoms which for the
most part he had never seen before. Of one danger only was he
fearful. That was of snakes. And to the fact that he kept his eyes
darting here and there as he pushed tough vines aside or hacked at
tangled underbrush with the butt of his rifle in order to clear a
path, he owed his salvation.
For the sight that met his eyes as he parted a great mass of tangled
vines and found himself staring into a small clearing where a forest
giant, smitten and blasted by lightning, had fallen and brought down
with it a mass that now lay withered or dying the vines which had
connected it with other trees, was such as to freeze the blood in
his veins.
On top of the fallen trunk not twenty yards from him crouched a
grotesque powerful gorilla with three slightly smaller brutes behind
him. It was a male and three females.
Frank stood aghast, feeling the blood seem to retreat from his body,
unable for the moment to move. Then he started to back away, as with
a powerful effort of the will, he regained control of his limbs in a
measure.
But the huge gorilla had seen him. And now he sent a challenge
rolling and rumbling down the forest aisles in a tone that beginning
low rose and rose in volume as he beat upon his chest with a
drumming thud. A moment before the forest had been alive with the
call of birds, but as the sound of that ferocious anger shattered
the air, everything that spoke was stricken dumb. And when the
gorilla ceased his roar, the silence which succeeded was one of
stark terror.
That Frank, too, was stricken with terror there is no denying. But
as, after issuing his ferocious challenge, the great brute stood
upright on its short bowed legs, and started running along the
fallen tree trunk toward him, Frank realized he must act quickly if
he were to save his life.
The sight of that tremendous barrel-like chest bent forward with the
long grisly arms a-dangle to grip dead branches here and there and,
with a heave of the powerful mis-shapen shoulders, pull the brute
forward, made him a little sick. A vision of himself in the embrace
of those arms, being crushed to death against that chest, flashed
across Frank’s mind. Then it was gone, and the coolness which
usually came to his rescue in crises sprang into being now.
Raising his rifle and taking careful aim, he pressed the trigger.
The gorilla was hit, but the shot was too high for the heart,
passing through a lung. For a moment the great brute paused,
swaying. Then he let out another vast bellow, which was cut short by
a terrible coughing as the blood poured into his lungs.
The three females, frightened by the sound of the gun and more
alarmed now at its effect upon their lord and master, swung away
into the trees. But the gorilla with that superhuman strength which
he possesses was not to be downed.
As the coughing subsided, he gave another roar of pain and then
sprang straight through the air toward Frank. White-faced and
trembling, Frank yet realized that if he turned to run the gorilla
would be upon him. So levelling his rifle again, he once more
pressed the trigger. Shot in midcareer, the gorilla collapsed and
fell in a huge huddle almost at Frank’s feet.
About the fallen ape who twitched convulsively and then lay in a
grotesque heap while his eyes glazed in death, there was at once
something so monstrous and yet human that Frank felt his heart turn
to water within him. And he realized then that he could not stalk
and shoot gorillas in cold blood, and that if any of that were done
some other member of the expedition would have the privilege of
shooting the fourteen gorillas, thirteen now, which the Belgian
government license permitted him to bag.
After one more look at the fallen monster, a look half-furtive, so
quickly did he turn his glance away, Frank started retracing his
steps as quickly as possible, following the trail he had blazed. And
when on reaching their tent, he found Bob sunk in sound slumber, he
gazed at him unbelievingly before his legs gave way and let him down
on a camp chair.
Could it be possible that while one boy slept, another should have
been so close to a frightful death nearby?