to an
erect position, and so standing on short bow-legs, emitted a
tremendous roar, beginning with low mutterings, increasing to the
deep-throated bark, and then dying away in hoarse grumblings. A
terrible object he was truly, with his fierce grey eyes, formidable
dog-teeth projecting from his powerful jaws, which rested without
the interval of anything like a neck on the curve of a chest that
swept out vast on the well-founded ribs, wrought in strength to
support the weight of the protruding stomach.

One arm was raised with the palm of the hand on the chest, the other
hung down, a truly fearful weapon, reaching to the crooked knee, and
ending in great flattened fingers, that were bent inwards. After the
roar the fierce creature lowered itself on to the knuckles of its
arms, and seemed as if in another instant it would spring on its
foes, still scrambling for a footing, when a piece of mould struck
it on the cheek. It made a side-spring at the sooty guide, who
nimbly jumped out of reach, and, when it turned, Mr. Hume was on his
feet swinging his rifle-strap over his head. Quick as a trained
boxer the long black arm shot out and sent the rifle flying through
the air, but as its fierce eyes followed the whirling flight of the
weapon, the hunter, putting forth all his great strength, smote the
animal full on the ear, a blow that would have felled the strongest
man. Then he leapt back, just in time to escape a terrific sweep of
a hooked hand that would have disembowelled him, as the monster,
after a shake of the head, delivered its favourite blow at the
abdomen of its adversary. Going down on its knuckles again, it leapt
high into the air, and as it descended thrust a long black arm round
a tree to seize Mr. Hume, who all the time was calling out for a
weapon. The flat fingers hooked under the leather belt, and with a
fierce grunt the gorilla put forth its strength to draw the white
man closer, while the latter, with his feet braced against the tree,
resisted. Then Compton and Venning, who had unslung their rifles,
but who had been confused by the rapid movements of the great ape,
found their opportunity and fired. Both bullets took effect, and the
gorilla, loosening his hold, turned with a roar upon his new foes.
His aspect as he faced them was truly ferocious, and his strength
was apparently unimpaired, for the thin pencil-like bullets had
merely bored two little holes through a fleshy part. A moment his
terrible eye