r," the fisherman answered, and he held a hand up with its back
towards the gorilla, and his thumb was folded in on the palm so that it
could not be seen by the beast.

"Ay--true indeed. Why, thou must be a kinsman of ours, though thy fur
is somewhat scanty. Sit down and take thy share of this food, and eat."

The fisherman sat down, and broke off bananas from the stalk and ate
heartily.

"Now mind," said the gorilla, "thou hast eaten food with me. Shouldst
thou ever meet in thy wanderings any of my brothers, thou must be kind
to them in memory of this day. Our tribe has no quarrel with any of
thine, and thy tribe must have none against any of mine. I live alone
far down this river, and thy tribe lives further still. Mind our
password, `_Tu-wheli, Tu-wheli_.' By that we know who is friendly and
who is against us."

The fisherman departed, and speeding on his way reached his village
safely; but he kept secret what he had seen and met that day.

Some little time after, the tribe resolved to have a grand hunt around
their village, to scare the beasts of the forest away; for in some
things they resemble us. If we leave a district undisturbed for a moon
or so, the animals think that we have either departed the country or are
afraid of them. The apes and the elephants are the worst in that
respect, and always lead the way, pressing on our heels, and often
sending their scouts ahead to report, or as a hint to us that we are
lingering too long.

The people loaded themselves with their great nets, and first chose the
district where the Gorilla Father lived. They set their nets around a
wide space, and then the beaters were directed to make a large sweep and
drive all the game towards the nets, and here and there where the
netting was weak, the hunters stood behind a thick bush, their heavy
spears ready for the fling.

Well, it just happened that at that very time the Father of the Gorillas
was holding forth to his kinsmen, and the first they knew of the hunt,
and that a multitude of men were in the woods, was when they heard the
horrid yells of the beaters, the sound of horns, the jingle of iron, and
the all-round swish of bushes.

The fisherman, like the rest of his friends, was well armed, and he was
as keen as the others for the hunt, but soon after he heard the cries of
the beaters, he saw a large gorilla rushing out of the bushes, and knew
him instantly for his friend, and he cried out "_Tu-wheli! Tu-whe