We hastened to Marjorie who had recovered from her swoon, and was able to give us an account of her adventure. There was little for her to tell. She was walking leisurely along, stopping to admire a flower or a brilliant butterfly, when, without warning, she felt herself in the grasp of the horrible creature. She screamed and then fainted. We were unable to conjecture what sort of a creature it might be, for we were not aware that the tropical regions of the Western Hemisphere contained large apes.
While we were discussing the matter, I remembered a story which I had read years before about a creature found in the depths of the South American forest, which was called a "Burghree." As I recollected the story, the description of the "Burghree" corresponded very nearly to the monster we had just encountered. Marjorie, having now recovered, although she was still somewhat weak, we again went to the tree and peered sharply among the branches.
"It seems to me," said Mr. Harborough at length, "that I see something which looks like a great nest, far up in the tree-top."
I looked more closely and also saw it.
Clearly this was the home of the strange creature, and then I recollected that the story of the "Burghree" corresponded almost exactly to the present realization, for it retired to a great platform of branches and grass, far up in the tree-top, whence it hurled defiance and clubs at the men below, while this one uttered no sound. Another shot from the rifle was without result, and we decided that it would be not only useless but folly to waste more ammunition. Resuming our march, few words passed between us for a long time. As for myself, I was absorbed with my own thoughts, and Mr. Harborough seemed to be occupied in like manner.
Suddenly I stopped and rested my gun upon the ground.
"Mr. Harborough," said I, "did you notice that the face of the creature looked more like a human face than that of an ape, and that the feet and hands seemed to be unlike an ape's feet and hands?"
"I noticed the face," he answered.
CHAPTER XVIII.
The March Continued; Arrival on the Mountain.