The sight of that tremendous barrel-like chest bent forward with the long grisly arms a-dangle to grip dead branches here and there and, with a heave of the powerful mis-shapen shoulders, pull the brute forward, made him a little sick. A vision of himself in the embrace of those arms, being crushed to death against that chest, flashed across Frank’s mind. Then it was gone, and the coolness which usually came to his rescue in crises sprang into being now.
Raising his rifle and taking careful aim, he pressed the trigger. The gorilla was hit, but the shot was too high for the heart, passing through a lung. For a moment the great brute paused, swaying. Then he let out another vast bellow, which was cut short by a terrible coughing as the blood poured into his lungs.
The three females, frightened by the sound of the gun and more alarmed now at its effect upon their lord and master, swung away into the trees. But the gorilla with that superhuman strength which he possesses was not to be downed.
As the coughing subsided, he gave another roar of pain and then sprang straight through the air toward Frank. White-faced and trembling, Frank yet realized that if he turned to run the gorilla would be upon him. So levelling his rifle again, he once more pressed the trigger. Shot in midcareer, the gorilla collapsed and fell in a huge huddle almost at Frank’s feet.
About the fallen ape who twitched convulsively and then lay in a grotesque heap while his eyes glazed in death, there was at once something so monstrous and yet human that Frank felt his heart turn to water within him. And he realized then that he could not stalk and shoot gorillas in cold blood, and that if any of that were done some other member of the expedition would have the privilege of shooting the fourteen gorillas, thirteen now, which the Belgian government license permitted him to bag.
After one more look at the fallen monster, a look half-furtive, so quickly did he turn his glance away, Frank started retracing his steps as quickly as possible, following the trail he had blazed. And when on reaching their tent, he found Bob sunk in sound slumber, he gazed at him unbelievingly before his legs gave way and let him down on a camp chair.
Could it be possible that while one boy slept, another should have been so close to a frightful death nearby?
CHAPTER XXVI
MFUM-BA APPEARS
Hours later Frank was still shaking as he stood in the darkness on the edge of the bluff gazing through the night glasses in the direction indicated by the pointers and waiting for the signal rockets which he expected momentarily to see flare up from the village in the darkened plain far below.
Behind him at the radio station was Bob with Samba seated before the transmitter. Every wire had been gone over, the motor had been tuned and found to be in perfect working condition, and the two boys were confident of being able to carry out their part of the program.