far when we were brought to a sudden standstill by
one of those awfully loud and savage roars which we at once recognised
as being that of a gorilla. It sounded like what we might term barking
thunder, and from its intensity we were assured that our conjectures as
to the creature being a solitary male gorilla were correct.

"Dat him, massas!" cried our guide quickly, at the same time cocking
both barrels of his rifle. "Look hout! we no hab go after him no more.
Him's come to fight us. Most always doos dot--de big ole gorilla."

We saw from the deeply earnest expression of the negro's countenance
that he felt himself now to be in a very serious position, which would
demand all his nerve and coolness.

Again the roar was repeated with terrible loudness and ferocity, and we
heard something like the beating of a huge bass drum, mingled with the
cracking of branches, as though some heavy creature were forcing its way
through the underwood towards us.

We were all much impressed with this beating sound, and, as is often the
case when men are startled by sounds which they cannot account for, we
were more filled with the dread of this incomprehensible sound than of
the gorilla which we knew was approaching us. We might, indeed, have
asked an explanation from Makarooroo, but we were all too much excited
and anxious just then to speak.

We drew together in a group.

Jack, who stood a little in front of us, having claimed the first shot,
was whispering something about its being a pity there was so little
light, when his voice was drowned by a repetition of the roar, so
appalling that we each started, feeling as though it had been uttered
close to our ears. Next instant the bushes in front of us were torn
aside, and the most horrible monster I ever saw, or hope to set eyes on,
stood before us.

He was evidently one of the largest-sized gorillas. In the gloom of the
forest he appeared to us to be above six feet high. His jet-black
visage was working with an expression of rage that was fearfully
satanic. His eyes glared horribly. The tuft of hair on the top of his
head rose and fell with the working of his low wrinkled forehead in a
manner that peculiarly enhanced the ferocity of his expression. His
great hairy body seemed much too large for his misshapen legs, and his
enormous arms much too long for the body. It was with the fists at the
ends of those muscular arms that he beat upon his bulky chest, and
produced t