Gerald Breckenridge

“ 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. ”

“ Then a sobbing young woman ran headlong from the hut, clutching her hair, while behind her three older women crowded each other in the doorway. They stared triumphantly until the younger woman disappeared amidst the adjacent huts and then withdrew.
“The old ones kicked the best looking one out,” said Niellsen, grinning a little bit. “Well, age has to protect itself. Now that they’ve banded together to get rid of her, however, they’ll probably fall to fighting amongst themselves.”
The noisy quarrelling subsided, however, as if by magic, and once more peace reigned in Chief Ungaba’s household. ”

“ Imagine sitting in a theatre at home and suddenly seeing a huge rhino come lumbering toward you, as if he were going to charge right out of the screen and into the audience.”
“Talk to Jack,” said Frank coolly. “I can’t hear you. Whoo, it’s hot. Wish the battle would begin.”
Close at hand in the marsh, as if his words had been a signal, a tremendous uproar of cries broke out interspersed with the racheting sound of the clappers in the hands of the native beaters.
“Better get ready,” advised Bob. “That sounds pretty close.” ”

“ Before either Frank or Jack could speak, Bob took charge of the situation. Glaring ferociously as the black warrior towering above him with upraised club, who glared just as ferociously at him in return, Bob shouted to Wimba:
“What’s the meaning of this, Wimba?”
“Him Bone Crusher’s warriors, baas,” returned the latter in tones of purest terror. “Oh, baas, save Wimba.”
“The Bone Crusher’s men?” shouted Bob. “Why, we left their vicinity days ago.”
“Very angry clan,” returned Wimba. “They follow. Say white young men spoil their plans. So now they capture white young men.” ”

“ Wimba in the meantime, as soon as Bob had finished speaking had addressed the pseudo-chief.
The latter replied, and Wimba turning with beaming face cried joyfully:
“Him say all right, baas. If Mikalwa be big chief him can set all friends free.”
“Good,” shouted Bob. And turning toward his astounded comrades, still seated in their blankets, he flung out both hands in a magnificent gesture, as if showering largess upon them. “Fellows,” he cried, “receive your freedom at the hands of Big Chief Mikalwa, otherwise known as”—he paused for dramatic effect, then added—“the snake charmer.” ”

“ Frank grinned. Then, realizing that they had not yet thanked Chief Ruku-Ru for his invitation to witness the warrior dance and military tactics, he turned to the interpreter and ordered him to speak up. A man of superior parts, Wimba could be trusted to couch acceptance in the floweriest of diplomatic language.
The main body of Kikuyus were melting away into the moonlit darkness, doubtless discussing at a great rate the marvellous music played by the spirits of the air at the bidding of the young white wizards. The sound of laughter and high voices came muffled out of the darkness. ”

“ Oh, Chief Ruku-Ru, great amongst the Kikuyus, I am the spirit invoked by the white men. Their fate is in my keeping. I watch over them and their servants. And I tell you that Wimba is guiltless. Let but a hair of his head be touched and thy village shall be levelled, thy people destroyed by plague, thy cattle die, thy springs dry up. ”

“ But big Bob saw the danger to his comrade, too.
He gained Jack’s side and, legs braced, facing the hysterically frightened blacks, he waved his automatic in their faces.
“Any man deserting will be shot,” he cried. “Matse, tell these fellows we want to save their lives. We’ll swing the raft against the island below us. If everybody works on the steering oar it can be done. And we’ll all be saved.” ”

“ The situation was too serious for Jack and Frank, whose anxious gaze roved from Bob to Wimba to the leader of the raiders and back to Bob again.
“Tell them, Wimba,” cried Bob, “tell these rascals that Mikalwa prefers to die with his own people. If he cannot set his friends free, he will not become their chief. They must treat him as one of their prisoners.” ”

“ Immediately at the rear of this hut and towering above it rose a spreading tree of luxuriant foliage, a forest giant which had wandered down into the plain.
Mfum-ba beckoned impatiently, and Jack delaying no longer ran to join him. As he crossed the open alleyway between the huts, he gazed toward the square. But his view of it was cut off by the dense mass of bearers at the mouth of the alley, and so he knew that anybody looking in could not see him, either.
“Working like clock work,” he thought. ”

“ Wimba,” he commanded, “tell the chief what I have said. Forget nothing. There will be a voice from the sky and in the chief’s own language. Do not fear. But speak quickly.”
From his position between two tall Kikuyu warriors, Wimba who stood to the left of the chief, had been listening in blankest astonishment. His strong face with the thin lips and intelligent lines of many of the Kikuyu tribesmen had betrayed as much despair as his self-restraint under ordeal would permit him to betray, when Jack had begun to speak. ”

“ Looking back from the top of a little hill, the three boys could see the village of Chief Ruku-Ru, which they had skirted, still sleeping after its exciting night. Ahead, through the long buffalo grass, wound the bearers under the direction of Wimba and Matse, each man either carrying a bundle on his head or else supporting on his shoulders one end of a pole from which was slung one of the more bulky articles of equipment, while a companion upheld the other. ”

“ On came the rhinoceros, and Jack seeing him grow larger and larger in the eye of the camera until his bulk seemed to fill the whole world continued to crank the machine, exulting in the realization that he was obtaining what undoubtedly would be the finest film of the whole expedition to date, perhaps the finest and most thrilling of all including whatever pictures lay in the future. ”

“ It was noted, too, that the natives were none too friendly. When they entered strange villages, tall warriors would crowd around them scowling. And their heavy hide shields and twelve-foot spears created an uneasy impression in the mind of at least one member of the expedition, namely Mr. Hampton. Then, too, it was no unusual matter to look up suddenly while following a native trail through dense forest and behold the eyes of a half-hidden watcher peering from leafy covert, a matter which occurred not once but many times. ”

“ Chief Ruku-Ru half rose from his chair in anger at this interruption. But before he could give a command to have the boys seized, if such discourtesy to his guests was contemplated, Jack holding himself proudly erect addressed the throne.
“Oh, great chief,” he cried in English, “we be strangers in your land, it is true. Yet have we watched with interest the progress of this trial, and your impartial conduct. But we believe you have been deceived by liars amongst those who seek Wimba’s life. Therefore we appeal to our gods to speak from the sky and tell you the truth. ”

“ Down the hill, through a cover of woods, and into the village dashed Chief Ruku-Ru and his warriors, the boys at the rear but holding their own.
Loud cries from the foremost sounded warning that the enemy was still on the ground. At once the blacks ahead of them leaped to take cover behind the nearest huts, and began creeping forward from hut to hut, crouching and running close to the ground in covering open spaces. ”

“ Chief Ungaba sitting at the door of his hut was not an especially kinglike object as he knuckled his eyes sleepily. He failed to note their approach at first because of the fact that he was leaning sideways as if to hear without being seen while listening to sounds of high shrill voices raised in altercation within the hut.
“What’s going on, I wonder,” asked Bob of his companions.
Mr. Hampton laughed heartily. “The chief’s wives are hard at it,” he said. “They are having their regular morning squabble. Poor man, he has six first wives, and they lead him a dog’s life. ”

“ The more so were they content to do this as, after passing Kabale, a tiny frontier post in the mountains of Uganda, two weeks from Masaka, they entered a desolate volcanic region which had been laid waste by eruptions of lava in 1912 where little game was encountered.
By day, in fact, this region was plunged into a silence so uncanny as to affect the nerves of even the boys. For they were accustomed in their travel through central Africa to hear the jungle alive about them. Here long distances were covered where not even the hum of an insect or the call of a bird was to be heard. ”

“ In fact, the Bone Crusher’s men showed little stomach for fighting, that is, for facing Bob. The mute evidence of the latter’s prowess was at his back, where the prone figure of the Bone Crusher lay without a quiver, since that blow on the point of the jaw.
But the lull in hostilities did not last. Chief Ruku-Ru’s men were heartened by the turn of events in their favor. They crowded forward with sharp yells. The flight of arrows into the mass of the enemy began anew.
“I haven’t the heart to shoot to kill,” muttered Frank. “But if they realize we have firearms, they may flee more quickly. ”

“ Spinning about he laughed and said: “All right, Wimba. Show’s over. Give each of the actors an extra help of tobacco. I’m proud of you and your troupe.”
Wimba spoke rapidly to the others, and on each face broke out a broad smile while the trio standing guard over the boys lowered their clubs and relaxed their hostile attitude. The smiles gave way to chuckles as the Negroes took in the dazed expression spreading over the features of Frank and Jack. And then as Bob, unable longer to control his mirth, broke into loud laughter, the Negroes followed suit. ”

“ Hampton and Niellsen were gathered about a camp fire not far from their tent. Niellsen who had taken motion pictures in many out-of-the-way corners of the world had been telling of some of his experience.
“And so,” he concluded, “when I turned back my bed before jumping in that night, I found a puff-adder all curled up nicely there for a snooze. You fellows have often asked me why I always look into my bed before hopping in. Well, that’s the reason.”
“Brrr,” shuddered Bob, “if there’s anything I detest it’s a snake. And puff-adders are the deadliest in the world, aren’t they?” ”

“ I fixed up with Matse to play the records. He’s become a great radio fan, and when you fellows left me alone with him the other night—when you used the radio to free Wimba, you know—why, I showed him how to operate the set. He’s as imitative as a monkey and as bright as a new penny. I listened in for a minute, before putting the headpiece on the chief’s ears, and Matse had things going all right.”
“Well, you might have let a fellow in on it,” said Jack.
“Oh, you and Frank were too busy talking to your father,” said Bob. ”

“ Hampton chuckled, and leaning close to his companion whispered:
“Jack was right. A scientific man couldn’t be fooled, but would realize we were using the radio. He is falling right into our trap.”
Just what he meant could have been understood by anyone inside The Prophet’s hut. For as the furious man, speeding to search for the radio receiving set which he now realized must have been concealed somewhere within, entered the pitch black darkness of the interior, strong hands closed about his throat, throttling all possibility of outcry. ”

“ WIMBA’S TRIAL
“Look here, Jack, we ought to do something to help Wimba. I don’t believe he’s getting a square deal.”
“Nor I, Frank. But what can we do? Chief Ruku-Ru is supreme here. And if he decides against Wimba—”
Jack Hampton’s tone was as near hopeless as one could ever expect to hear from the lips of that optimistic young adventurer.
Nor is that to be wondered at. The predicament of their head man, Wimba, a Kikuyu of superior parts whose services they had been fortunate enough to obtain at Nairobi, administrative capital of British East Africa or Kenya Colony, was serious. ”

“ Hampton to start. What could the old medicine man have in mind?
It goes without saying that they had not invaded Chief Narnia’s village unprovided with an interpreter. But as this man stepped forward to speak, the two white men were dumbfounded to see the medicine man hold up a hand as if for silence. Then from beneath his enfolding dirty robe of cotton came a strange rattle, and over the faces of Chief Namla and the warriors drawn up in a rude semi-circle behind him and facing the whites appeared an expression of awe. ”

“ The blacks, with the exception of Matse who sat dozing on the bank, were not in sight, having retired to a glade back amongst the trees and gone to sleep. Their philosophy seemed to be to leave worry to the young white men.
“Anyhow, we wouldn’t need them,” decided Jack. “Because we won’t have to take this stuff ashore to set it up. We can put it up right here on the raft. Water is a fine conductor and will give us a good ground. And we can have better luck out here in the open with our aerial than in amongst the trees.” ”

“ Bob groaned, and casting a glance of despair toward Jack and Frank, he added in a husky voice: “This looks tough, fellows. If we’d only kept a guard.”
“Can’t we fight ’em.” Frank was shaky-voiced but game.
“I’d be the last fellow to hold back,” said Bob. “But what chance would we have? Cumbered up in these blankets and without weapons? We’d just get our heads split open.”
“Wh—what of father and Niellsen?” asked Jack. He was terrified and showed it. And who could blame him? Nevertheless, his thought was not for himself but his father.
“I’m prisoner, too, baas,” said Wimba, mournfully. ”