CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
I HAVE A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER AND A NARROW ESCAPE.
The happiness that now beamed in the faces of Makarooroo, Okandaga, andNjamie was a sufficient reward to us for all the trouble we had takenand all the risk we had run on their account. Poor Njamie wasexceedingly grateful to us. She sought by every means in her power toshow this, and among other things, hearing us call her son by the nameof Puggy, she at once adopted it, to the immense amusement and delightof Peterkin.
After the first excitement of our meeting had subsided somewhat, weconsulted together as to what we should now do. On the one hand, wewere unwilling to quit the scene of our hunting triumphs and adventures;on the other hand, Makarooroo and his bride were anxious to reach themission stations on the coast and get married in the Christian manner.
"Our opposing interests are indeed a little perplexing," said Jack,after some conversation had passed on the subject.--"No doubt, Mak, youand Mbango with his friends might reach the coast safely enough withoutus; but then what should we do without an interpreter?"
Our poor guide, whose troubles seemed as though they would never end,sighed deeply and glanced at his bride with a melancholy countenance ashe replied--
"Me'll go wid you, massa, an' Okandaga'll go to coast an' wait dere forme come."
"Ha!" ejaculated Peterkin, "that's all very well, Mak, but you'll donothing of the sort. That plan won't do, so we'll have to try again."
"I agree with you, Peterkin," observed Jack. "That plan certainly willnot do; but I cannot think of any other that will, so we must justexercise a little self-denial for once, give up all further attacks onthe wild beasts of Africa, and accompany Mak to the coast."
"Could we not manage a compromise?" said I.
"What be a cumprumoise?" asked Makarooroo, who had been glancinganxiously from one to the other as we conversed.
Peterkin laid hold of his chin, pursed up his mouth, and looked at mewith a gleeful leer.
"There's a chance for you, Ralph," said he; "why don't you explain?"
"Because it's not easy to explain," said I, considering the best way inwhich to convey the meaning of such a word.--"A compromise, Mak, is--isa bargain, a compact--at least so Johnson puts it--"
"Yes," interposed Peterkin; "so you see, Mak, when you agree with atrader to get him an elephant-tusk, that's a cumprumoise, according toJohnson."
"No, no, Mak," said I quickly; "Peterkin is talking nonsense. It is nota bargain of that kind; it's a--a--You know every question has twosides?"
"Yis, massa."
"Well, suppose you took one side."
"Yis."
"And suppose I took the other side."
"Then suppose we were to agree to forsake our respective sides and meet,as it were, half-way, and thus hold the same middle course--"
"Ay, down the middle and up again; that's it, Mak," again interruptedPeterkin--"that's a cumprumoise. In short, to put it in another and aclearer light, suppose that I were to resolve to hit you an awful whackon one side of your head, and suppose that Ralph were to determine tohit you a frightful bang on the other side, then suppose that we were toagree to give up those amiable intentions, and instead thereof to giveyou, unitedly, one tremendous smash on the place where, if you had one,the bridge of your nose would be--_that_ would be a cumprumoise."
"Ho! ha! ha! hi!" shouted our guide, rolling over on the grass andsplitting himself with laughter; for Makarooroo, like the most of hisrace, was excessively fond of a joke, no matter how bad, and was alwaysready on the shortest notice to go off into fits of laughter, if he hadonly the remotest idea of what the jest meant. He had become soaccustomed at last to expect something jocular from Peterkin, that healmost invariably opened his mouth to be ready whenever he observed ourfriend make any demonstration that gave indication of his being about tospeak.
From the mere force of sympathy Mbango began to laugh also, and I knownot how long the two would have gone on, had not Jack checked them bysaying--
"I suspect we are not very well fitted to instruct the unenlightenedmind," ("Ho--hi!" sighed Makarooroo, gathering himself up and settlingdown to listen), "and it seems to me that you'll have to try again,Peterkin, some other mode of explanation."
"Very good, by all means," said our friend.--"Now, Mak, look here. Youwant to go _there_" (pointing to the coast with his left hand), "and wewant to go there" (pointing to the interior with his right hand). "Nowif we both agree to go there," (pointing straight before him with hisnose), "_that_ will be a cumprumoise. D'ye understand?"
"Ho yis, massa, me compiperhend now."
"Exactly so," said I; "that's just it. There is a branch of this riverthat takes a great bend away to the north before it turns towards thesea, is there not? I think I have heard yourself say so before now."
"Yis, massa, hall right."
"Well, let us go by that branch. We shall be a good deal longer on theroute, but we shall be always nearing the end of our journey, and at thesame time shall pass through a good deal of new country, in which we mayhope to see much game."
"Good," said Jack; "you have wisdom with you for once, Ralph--it seemsfeasible.--What say you, Mak? I think it a capital plan."
"Yis, massa, it am a copitle plan, sure 'nuff."
The plan being thus arranged and agreed to, we set about the executionof it at once, and ere long our two canoes were floating side by sidedown the smooth current of the river.
The route which we had chosen led us, as I had before suspected, intothe neighbourhood of the gorilla country, and I was much gratified tolearn from Mbango, who had travelled over an immense portion ofsouth-western Africa, that it was not improbable we should meet withseveral of those monstrous apes before finally turning off towards thecoast. I say that I was much gratified to learn this; but I littleimagined that I was at that time hastening towards a conflict thatwell-nigh proved fatal to me, and the bare remembrance of which stillmakes me shudder.
It occurred several weeks after the events just related. We had goneashore for the purpose of hunting, our supply of provisions chancing atthat time to be rather low. Feeling a desire to wander through thewoods in solitude for a short time, I separated from my companions. Isoon came to regret this deeply, for about an hour afterwards I cameupon the tracks of a gorilla. Being armed only with my small-boredouble rifle, and not being by any means confident of my shootingpowers, I hesitated some time before making up my mind to follow thetracks.
At first I thought of retracing my steps and acquainting my comradeswith the discovery I had made; but the little probability there was ofmy finding them within several hours deterred me. Besides, I feltashamed to confess that I had been afraid to prosecute the chase alone;so, after pondering the matter a little, I decided on advancing.
Before doing so, however, I carefully examined the caps of my rifle andloosened my long hunting-knife in its sheath. Then I cautiouslyfollowed up the track, making as little noise as possible, for I waswell aware of the watchfulness of the animal I was pursuing.
The footprints at first were not very distinct, but ere long I came on amuddy place where they were deeply imprinted, and my anxiety wassomewhat increased by observing that they were uncommonly large--thelargest I had ever seen--and that, therefore, they had undoubtedly beenmade by one of those solitary and gigantic males, which are always foundto be the most savage.
I had scarcely made this discovery when I came unexpectedly on thegorilla itself. It was seated at the foot of a tree about fifty yardsfrom the spot where I stood, the space between us being comparativelyclear of underwood. In an instant he observed me, and rose, at the sametime giving utterance to one of those diabolical roars which I havebefore referred to as being so terrible.
I halted, and felt an irresistible inclination to fire at once; butremembering the oft-repeated warnings of my companions, I restrainedmyself. At that moment I almost wished, I freely confess, that thegorilla would run away. But the monster had no such intention. Aga
inuttering his horrible roar, he began slowly to advance, at the same timebeating his drum-like chest with his doubled fist.
I now felt that my hour of trial had come. I must face the gorillaboldly, and act with perfect coolness. The alternative was death. Asthe hideous creature came on, I observed that he was considerably largerthan the biggest we had yet seen; but, strange to say, this fact made nodeeper impression upon me. I suppose that my whole mental and nervousbeing was wound up to the utmost possible state of tension. I _felt_that I was steady and able to brave the onset. But I was not aware ofthe severity of the test to which I was destined to be subjected.Instead of coming quickly on and deciding my fate at once, the savageanimal advanced slowly, sometimes a step or two at a time, and thenpausing for a moment ere it again advanced. Sometimes it even sat downon its haunches for a second or two, as if the weight of its overgrownbody were too much for its hind legs; but it did not cease all that timeto beat its chest, and roar, and twist its features into the mostindescribable contortions. I suppose it took nearly five minutes toadvance to within twelve yards of me, but those five minutes seemed tome an hour. I cannot describe the mental agony I endured.
When within ten yards of me I could restrain myself no longer. I raisedmy rifle, aimed at its chest, and fired. With a terrible roar itadvanced. Again I fired, but without effect, for the gorilla rushedupon me. In despair, I drew my hunting-knife and launched it full atthe brute's chest with all my might. I saw the glittering blade enterit as the enormous paw was raised to beat me down. I threw up my rifleto ward off the fatal blow, and at the same moment sprang to one side,in the hope of evading it. The stock of the rifle was shattered topieces in an instant, and the blow, which would otherwise have fallenfull on my head or chest, was diverted slightly, and took effect on myshoulder, the blade of which was smashed as I was hurled with stunningviolence to the ground. For one moment I felt as if I were fallingheadlong down a precipice; the next, I became unconscious.
On recovering, I found myself lying on my back at the bottom of whatappeared to be a large pit. I must have lain there for a considerabletime, for I felt cold and stiff; and when I attempted to move, mywounded shoulder caused me unutterable anguish. I knew, however, that Imust certainly perish if I did not exert myself; so with much difficultyI crept out of the pit. The first object that met my eyes, on rising tomy feet, was the carcass of my late antagonist; which, on examination, Ifound, though badly wounded by both bullets, had eventually been killedby the knife. It must have died almost immediately after giving me theblow that had hurled me into the pit. I had not observed this pit,owing to the screen of bushes that surrounded it, but I have now nodoubt that it was the means of saving my life.
My recollections of what followed this terrible adventure areexceedingly confused. I remember that I wandered about in a state ofdreamy uncertainty, endeavouring to retrace my steps to our encampment.I have a faint recollection of meeting, to my surprise, with Jack andPeterkin, and of their tender expressions of sympathy; and I have a veryvivid remembrance of the agony I endured when Jack set my brokenshoulder-blade and bandaged my right arm tightly to my side. Afterthat, all was a confused dream, in which all the adventures I had everhad with wild beasts were enacted over again, and many others besidesthat had never taken place at all.
Under the influence of fever, I lay in a state of delirium for many daysin the bottom of the canoe; and when my unclouded consciousness was atlength restored to me, I found myself lying in a bed, under thehospitable roof of a missionary, the windows of whose house looked outupon the sea.
And now, reader, the record of our adventures is complete. During thefew weeks that I spent with the kind missionary of the Cross, I gainedstrength rapidly, and amused myself penning the first chapters of thisbook. Makarooroo and Okandaga were married, and soon became usefulmembers of the Christian community on that part of the African coast.Mbango and his friends also joined the missionary for a time, butultimately returned to the interior, whither I have no doubt theycarried some of the good influences that they had received on the coastalong with them.
King Jambai proved faithful to his engagement. All our packages andboxes of specimens arrived safely at the coast; and when unpacked forexamination, and displayed in the large schoolroom of the station, thegorillas, and other rare and wonderful animals, besides curious plants,altogether formed a magnificent collection, the like of which has notyet been seen in Great Britain, and probably never will be.
When I was sufficiently restored to stand the voyage, Jack and Peterkinand I embarked in a homeward-bound trading vessel, and taking leave ofour kind friends of the coast, and of Makarooroo and Okandaga, who weptmuch at the prospect of separation from us, we set sail for Old England.
"Farewell," said I, as we leaned over the vessel's side and gazed sadlyat the receding shore--"farewell to you, kind missionaries and faithfulnegro friends."
"Ay," added Peterkin, with a deep sigh, "and fare-you-well, ye monstrousapes; gorillas, fare-you-well!"
THE END.
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