[Illustration]
The recapture of Sosee was an easy matter, though she had diverted from
her the attention of all before attempting her escape; and several,
standing near, sprang after her when they recovered from their surprise.
These would have instantly seized her but for Ilo and Oboo. These two
lovers and rivals, notwithstanding their ill success with her, were at
heart unwilling that she should die, hoping each that he might, by some
means, still possess her. Instinctively, therefore, they interrupted the
pursuit.
This was less, however, because they intended her escape, than because
they each resolved that the other should not have her. It was also
because they wanted no one else to have her; for her captor would be
entitled to possess her, and, in the Ape customs, recapture counted
as much as original capture, (since one allowing a female to escape
forfeited his title to her).
The interruption of the pursuit, however, was only temporary. For the
whole body of apes, recovering from their surprise, now rushed after
her. Oboo and Ilo joined in the pursuit, but still took more care that
others should not capture her, than that they themselves should. For they
feared their own success as liable to defeat their purpose. The hope
of each was that she would enter the Swamp, where the other pursuers,
becoming scattered, could not overtake her, when he, (Oboo or Ilo), might
pursue her alone, and make her his own. These lovers, therefore, while
running faster than the rest, managed to stumble in the way of those
nearest her, and especially in the way of each other; so that Sosee was
soon gaining on them all.
But her fleetness was of small avail, as also the rivalry of her
pursuers. The Lali closed upon her from three sides. Had she kept running
in a straight line toward the Swamp she might have escaped; but, just as
she had gained so much on them that she was nearly out of danger, she
changed her course, and, veering to one side, ran almost into the arms
of her pursuers. It was now a matter of only a minute when she would be
caught; and if taken she would be instantly killed, for the more savage
rabble, and not her lovers, were, by this turn, brought nearest her. Why
she made such a dangerous detour was understood by none but herself.
Her pursuers were, therefore, confident, and their concern was now less
about whether she should be captured than about who should capture her;
for the victor would be entitled to possess her—or kill her; so that,
instead of being a race with her, it became a race with one another.
A great bearded gorilla, after a spirited struggle to reach the front,
leaped ahead of the rest, like a racer on the home-stretch, and, with
his hair flying in the wind, and his jaws wide open, was on the point
of seizing her. Panting and furious he stopped for a last spring, which
would have both captured her and felled her to the ground; when a shout
arose from the Lali, which, being a shout of terror, made him stop and
look before leaping.
There was abundant cause for this delay. For suddenly out of the edge of
the Swamp, which Sosee now reached, came in full view the forces of the
Ammi with Koree at their head.
Sosee had dimly descried these a moment before, which was the cause of
her change of course; for she started to meet them by the most direct
route, knowing that if she could maintain her pace but a minute longer
she would be safe.
The great ape who was close at her heels stopped at the sight of the
Ammi, which gave Sosee a moment more to live, and in that moment she
rushed into the arms of Koree and her friends.