6 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE,

for strength or courage. As we left the camp, the men and
women left behind crowded together, with fear written on
their faces. Miengai, Ngolai, and Makinda set out for the
hunt in one party; myself and Yeava formed another. We
determined to keep near each other, so that in case of
trouble we might be at hand to help ome another. For the
rest silence and a sure aim were the only cautions to be
given. I confess that I was never more excited In my
life. For years I had heard of the terrible roar of the
gorilla, of its vast strength, of its fierce courage when only
wounded. I knew that we were about to pit ourselves
against an animal which even the enormous leopards of the
mountains fear, which the elephants let alone and which
perhaps has driven away the lion out of his territory; for the
king of beasts, so numerous elsewhere in Africa, is not met with
in the land of the gorilla. We descended a hill, crossed a
stream on a fallen log, crept under the trees, and presently
approached some huge boulders of granite. In the stream
we had crossed we could see plainly that the animals had
just crossed it, for the water was still disturbed. Along side
of the granite blocks lay an immense dead tree, and about
this the gorillas were likely to be. Our approach was very
cautious. With guns cocked and ready we advanced through
the dense wood, which cast a gloom even at mid-day over
the whole scene. I looked at my men and saw that they
were even more excited than myself. Slowly we pressed on
through the dense bush, dreading almost to breathe for fear
of alarming the beasts. Makinda was to go to the right of
the rock, while I took the left. Unfortunately he and his
party circled it at too great a distance. The watchful
animals saw him. Suddenly I was startled by a strange, dis-
cordant, half human cry, and beheld four young and half-grown
gorillas running towards the deep forest. I was not ready.
We fired but hit nothing. Then we rushed on in pursuit;
but they knew the woods better than we. Once I caught