10 Gorilla Adventure by Willard Price Read Free Book Online

said, ‘Let me do it.’
    Hal smiled indulgently. His kid brother certainly had plenty of nerve. And strength too - large for his age and well supplied with muscle. But he was certainly not a match for an angry python. Suppose the snake attacked before the men could come to his aid.
    ‘I’d rather you wouldn’t,’ he said. ‘I’ll tell Joro to pick a man for the job.’
    ‘Why do that when you’ve already got a man,’ Roger objected, ‘or a reasonable imitation of one. There’s nothing dangerous about it. All I have to do is to whistle.’
    Reluctantly, Hal consented. After all, a boy must grow up. And he wouldn’t grow up unless he was given responsibility.
    ‘Go ahead. Here’s the whistle. Blow loud and clear if you see anything.’
    Roger took the whistle. Also he took up a coil of rope.
    ‘What’s that for?’ Hal asked.
    ‘Just to noose it if it tries to make off into the jungle before the men get there.’
    He went off in high spirits.’ The sun had almost left the clearing. Soon it would be shut off by the tall trees. Then the animals would be coming out to drink. The python too, perhaps.
    Hal, a bit anxious, watched him go to the other side of the lake. Then he went out and found Joro.
    ‘My brother is watching for the python’s mate,’ he said. ‘If he sees it he will blow his whistle. When you hear it, get down there in a hurry. Tell the men.’
    Roger scanned the lake, but there was no sign of a python. He looked down the hole that had been enlarged to get at the eggs. He examined the other hole. He could not see very far down - the snake might or might not be at home. Or it might be out looking for food, or prowling in search of those who had taken its mate.
    Roger hid in the bushes. He tried to keep still in spite of the mosquitoes that found his blood so refreshing.
    The forest dwellers began to come out for their evening drink. An impala, stepping daintily, was first. Then came two bushbuck and a topi. Two gorgeous white-and-black colobus monkeys came out, earnestly discussing something between themselves, drank, then, still arguing, disappeared into the forest.
    Not all the creatures were forest animals. A giraffe, probably from the open valley between Mounts Mikeno and Karisimbi, was the next visitor. It could not reach the water with its long neck because its legs were longer. It had to spread its feet far apart in order to bring its body low enough so that its muzzle could touch the water.
    A lion passing close by caught Roger’s scent and stopped. It looked at him long and hard, growling softly. But when Roger did not move it decided to let well enough alone and went on to the water’s edge.
    When it came back it stopped again. Roger did not move a finger. The lion shook its head as if to say, ‘You know I could, if I wanted to,’ then plodded back into the woods.
    The bushes parted and a great gorilla lumbered out. Roger’s heart beat faster. Perhaps this was Gog. It stopped to look him over. No, its features were not like Gog’s -Roger was to learn that no two gorillas look the same. Like people, every one is a bit different This one’s great face was blue-black, and there was no white streak down the back. And it would not stand there so calmly if it were being tortured by a bullet wound. It cupped its hands and began to slap its great chest. But it was quite half-hearted about it, for it was not accompanied by its family, and this other ape with clothes on showed no fear. So it dropped its football-sized hands to the ground, knuckles down, and went on to
    the lake.
    What a specimen - and Roger was letting it slip through bis fingers. He burned with a desire to throw his noose and
    lasso this prize. But what then? The gorilla could turn on him and tear him to pieces. He could blow his whistle, but the gorilla had far more sense than the python - it would be gone before the men could arrive. Aching with frustration, Roger let ten thousand dollars walk by.
    Something was