We could perceive also where, from time to time, they
had seated themselves to chew the canes they had borne
off. The chase began to be very exciting.
We had agreed to retiu-n to the women and their
guards, and consult about what was to bo done, after
we had discovered the probable coiu-se of the gorilla,
and this was now done. To make sure of not alarming
our prey, we moved the whole party f cirward a little way,
to some leafy Imts, built by passing traders, and which
served us for shelter and concealment. Here we be-
stowed the women, whose lively fear of the terrible go-



AFTER GORILLAS. 67

rilla arises from Tarions stories cnrrent among the tribes
of women lia^ang been carried off into the woods by the
tierce animaL Tlien we prepared once more to set out
on oiir cliasc, tliis time hopeful to get a shot.
Looking once more to our gmis, we started off. I
coirfess 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 Avound-
ed. I knew that we were about to pit ourselves against
an animal which even the enormously large leopards of
the mountains fear, which the elephants let alone, and
which perhaps has driven away the lion out of this ter-
ritory ; for the "■ king of beasts," so numerous elsewhere
in Afi-iea, is not met with in the land of tlie gorilla.
