When two or three more had expressed themselves as of the same opinion Dan looked pained.
“Looks as if you were all going to leave it to me to grab that monster,” he told them. “And make up your minds I can do it, if only some of you’ll promise to give me a helping hand.”
At that several immediately announced their willingness to assist.
“Of course we all want to feel that it’s going to be safe for us to wander around anywhere on the island, Dan,” said Fred; “and on that account we hope you’ll get busy. No matter what you want me to do I’ll promise to do it, only please don’t ask me to stand and offer to feed the old scamp out of my hand.”
“You won’t have to,” Dan told him. “Fact is, it’s a spade you’ll have to use more than anything else, a spade and a pick and a shovel, all of which fortunately we brought along with us.”
“Do you mean to dig a grave for the gorilla after you get him?” asked Peg.
“Well, hardly, when we promised Mr. Holwell that we wouldn’t hurt the poor creature,” laughed Dan. “What I want you to do is to dig a pit about ten feet deep, with walls so smooth that no gorilla that ever walked on two legs could manage to climb up again, once he fell in.”
“Oh, so that’s the game!” exclaimed Phil. “A pit trap, is it? Seems to me I’ve read of them in books about life in the jungles of Africa and South America.”
“That’s just where I cribbed the scheme!” exclaimed Dan. “Don’t you remember, Phil, lending me those books that you said used to belong to your father years ago? But what’s the difference anyway who was the originator of the idea? The author of the books got it from the natives who were accustomed to catching wild animals in pits. As soon as we’re through lunch I want some of you fellows to go with me and show what you’re worth as diggers.”
None of them backed out, though all realized that their muscles would be stiff and sore before a ten-foot pit could be finished. Still, “Rome was not built in a day” the minister told them, and they must not expect to rush things. Better divide the job into two periods, and by the close of the next day it could easily be completed.