let us pass as quickly as possible over the subsequent discussion during which it was decided by lot that bob and frank should stay behind to operate the radio, while jack should accompany the main party for the purpose of concealing the receiving set and loudspeaker in an advantageous place.
both bob and frank keenly regretted the necessity which would prevent them from forming part of the expedition, for they wanted very much to see the discomfiture of the prophet. while as for bob, he yearned to be present in case of a fight.
however, where necessity commanded, like good soldiers they could only obey. half the force of bearers was to be left with them and two of the guards, including samba. this latter trusted fellow, it had developed, was a native of this region who had been carried away by slave traders in his youth, and, therefore, knew the dialect. it was he, accordingly, who would have to speak over the radio.
early in the morning, mr. ransome’s spies returned before daylight, in fact, having set out from a village where the prophet was located during the night and camped until the first faint streaks of dawn at the foot of the precipice, after which they had made their way up the height in short order.
the prophet was located in a big village eight miles distant on the plain. they had marked the location well, and through glasses were able to point it out to bob and frank. thus that there would be any difficulty in observing the signal rockets, which mr. hampton would send up as a sign for samba to “speak his piece” over the radio there no longer remained a doubt.
welcome was the word of the spies that the prophet, whose activities heretofore had lain in the central portion of the great plain, nearest the active volcanoes, and who only recently had invaded the fringes, had not yet aroused the natives to such a pitch of hostility against the whites as to make it impossible for mr. hampton’s party to obtain a hearing.
“that’s all we shall need,” said mr. hampton, as all ready to follow the bearers and other members of the party down the steep paths of the precipice to the plain, he and jack paused for a last word with bob and frank. “once we get a hearing, we can trust to the superstitions of the natives to do the rest.”
they wrung each others’ hands in farewell, and then the departing ones set out. jack was elated, of course, at the turn of fortune which had made it possible for him to be “in at the death” as he phrased it. yet he realized, too, that a considerable weight of responsibility rested upon him to see to it that the receiving set was properly hidden and in good working order.
as for bob and frank, when the others had disappeared around a turn of the path, dipping into a canyon, they swallowed their disappointment at being left behind and hastened away to take up their duties. chief of which, of course, was the drilling of samba not only in the message he was to utter over the radio and which he translated into high-flown native language, but also in coaching him how loud to speak into the transmitter, how close to approach his lips to it, and the proper tone to employ to achieve the best effect.
to descend the precipice and cross the plain to the village would take the slow-moving party much more time than it had the spies. it was not expected they would reach the village, in fact, until late in the afternoon. moreover, some time would be spent there in negotiating with the chief and in drawing off the crowd of natives from the vicinity of the prophet’s hut through means of niellsen’s motion picture camera, in order that jack should have his opportunity to conceal the radio receiving set and the loudspeaker.
it had been agreed, in fact, that by no means should mr. hampton call for the use of the radio until 8 o’clock that night. accordingly, bob and frank, even after spending hours coaching samba until he was letter perfect in his speech and likewise knew just how to utter it to obtain the best effect, still had time on their hands.
they had set up their radio station not far from the edge of the precipice, in order that the one watching for the expected signal should when beholding it be able to pass on the word at once to the one manipulating the station and directing samba. in order that they would be able to keep the village which had been pointed out to them under their glasses after nightfall, they had planted two stakes in line with each other and bearing directly on the village, so that even in the thickest darkness glasses trained in the direction indicated by the pointers would pick out the signals.
but it was uncomfortably hot in the open sun about the radio station, even at that altitude of 8,000 feet, and after work had been completed and everything was in readiness, bob retired to his tent for a nap. frank, who was not inclined to sleep, strolled around through the woods, which he found so strange as to be exciting.
it was his first experience in the untrodden woods of this mountain region, and had he realized the danger he would not have wandered from camp. for this mountain region is the home of the most terrible of all african animals, the great man-ape. horribly human and yet inhuman in appearance, the gorilla lives in these trackless forests of beautiful hard-wood trees where flowering plants climb over trunk and bough in a riot of color and where the underbrush is so tangled as to be almost impassable. with the strength of a dozen men in his tremendous barrel-like chest and his over-long arms, is combined a ferocity unparalleled amongst wild beasts.
but frank was not even thinking of gorillas as he forced his way through the thickets, admiring the beauty of blossoms which for the most part he had never seen before. of one danger only was he fearful. that was of snakes. and to the fact that he kept his eyes darting here and there as he pushed tough vines aside or hacked at tangled underbrush with the butt of his rifle in order to clear a path, he owed his salvation.
for the sight that met his eyes as he parted a great mass of tangled vines and found himself staring into a small clearing where a forest giant, smitten and blasted by lightning, had fallen and brought down with it a mass that now lay withered or dying the vines which had connected it with other trees, was such as to freeze the blood in his veins.
on top of the fallen trunk not twenty yards from him crouched a grotesque powerful gorilla with three slightly smaller brutes behind him. it was a male and three females.
frank stood aghast, feeling the blood seem to retreat from his body, unable for the moment to move. then he started to back away, as with a powerful effort of the will, he regained control of his limbs in a measure.
but the huge gorilla had seen him. and now he sent a challenge rolling and rumbling down the forest aisles in a tone that beginning low rose and rose in volume as he beat upon his chest with a drumming thud. a moment before the forest had been alive with the call of birds, but as the sound of that ferocious anger shattered the air, everything that spoke was stricken dumb. and when the gorilla ceased his roar, the silence which succeeded was one of stark terror.
that frank, too, was stricken with terror there is no denying. but as, after issuing his ferocious challenge, the great brute stood upright on its short bowed legs, and started running along the fallen tree trunk toward him, frank realized he must act quickly if he were to save his life.
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?
