"Don't worry!" he said. "If it's a gorilla I'll bet its curiosity will get the better of it presently and it'll return to another spot. If it is not a gorilla—then we've lost nothing!"
"True!"
I let forth another call and heard Gran'pa and Dr. Croft give their answering cries as if in mocking derision at our first failure.
"It may go ambling off to their cages," I whispered, in a spirit of intense rivalry.
"Just as good," answered Stringer.
"It isn't! We want to score the first victory."
Again we called to our kinsmen of the forest; and this time our efforts were rewarded with astonishing success.
Without the least sound or warning, the branches of the surrounding trees suddenly parted at two places at once, and there emerged into the open a couple of huge male gorillas on all fours.
They stopped, stared first at us, and then at one another.
"Rivals for our hands—by jingo!" whispered Stringer, with a nervous attempt at humor.