Read Online 10 Gorilla Adventure by Willard Price - Free Book Online
Authors: Willard Price
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‘Look,’ Roger said. ‘Two live babies.’
The two youngsters had been lying unseen close to their dead mother. Now one of them sat up and the other climbed on its mother’s chest, took the long hair in its two little hands and tugged vigorously. When it did not get any response it sat mournfully looking about, making no sound. A chimp would have been chattering. But gorillas are not talkative and an infant is no cry-baby.
‘They look mighty lonesome,’ Roger said. ‘And they must be hungry. Do you think they would let me pick them up?’
‘If anybody can do it, you can,’ Hal said. ‘You get along well with the beasties, I don’t know why. I think you must be part beastie yourself.’
‘Thanks for the compliment,’ Roger-said. He picked his way over the bodies. He stood looking down at the two small apes and they returned his gaze without stirring. They were too young to know how dangerous a human being is.
Roger stooped beside them. They inspected him soberly. After a moment he put out his hand. He let it lie quietly between them where they could both sniff at it. He spoke to them in a low voice. His words would mean nothing to
them but the gentleness of his voice was easily understood.
Slowly he moved his hand and petted one of them, then the other. They seemed to like it.
Still, he knew he couldn’t rush matters. He did not attempt to take them up. Instead, he rose slowly and started to walk away. He turned and found them following close upon his heels.
He had been elected. From now on, he was their mother.
He stooped again. One of them clambered up on his shoulder and the other he took into his arms.
‘A neat job,’ Hal said.
Chapter 10
The honey bird
Hal showed the notebook to Joro. ‘Where do you suppose we could find this Nero?’
‘Perhaps he and his whole gang would be at Kala village today,’ Joro said. ‘One of my scouts brings back word that they’re having a big ceremony there in honour of a new chief.’
Let’s go and see,’ Hal said.
Tieg was pouting. He was supposed to be the guide of this expedition but it was Joro who was leading the party. Tieg felt left out. He must assert himself. He must do something to make these people think he was a great guy -that he knew something about these woods.
But he didn’t know enough to recognize a honey bird when he saw one. It sat on a branch, fluttering its wings and chirping loudly.
‘It’s trying to attract our attention,’ Hal said. Tf we’d follow it it would lead us to some honey. But we won’t take the time for that now.’
Tieg saw his chance to be important. Tt would be time well spent,’ he objected. ‘All of us would like some honey. I’ll go and get it for you. I’ll meet you at the village later.’
Everyone in Africa knew about the honey bird. Even Tieg had heard of it, though he had never actually seen one. The honey bird, or honey guide as it was sometimes called, loved wild honey, but didn’t enjoy being stung by the bees, before it would guide a man to the nest in the hope that nan would get it down, scare away the bees, take some
of the honey, and leave the rest for the honey guide. This was important to the little bird, because it cared for nothing so much as honey.
There was another extraordinary thing about the honey guide. If honey were not left for it, it would take revenge. Many hunters had suffered because of this peculiar habit. The angry bird would lead you again - but this time not to a bees’ nest, but to a serpent or lion or leopard or some other dangerous creature, in the hope that you would be scratched, bitten, or stung.
Some people, like Tieg, who had not studied the honey guide, did not believe all this. This co-operation between a man and a bird was too strange to be true. They did not realize that symbiosis, which means teamwork between two different kinds of animals, is not uncommon in nature.
The rhino and the egret are friends, the bird rides on the beast’s back and
The two youngsters had been lying unseen close to their dead mother. Now one of them sat up and the other climbed on its mother’s chest, took the long hair in its two little hands and tugged vigorously. When it did not get any response it sat mournfully looking about, making no sound. A chimp would have been chattering. But gorillas are not talkative and an infant is no cry-baby.
‘They look mighty lonesome,’ Roger said. ‘And they must be hungry. Do you think they would let me pick them up?’
‘If anybody can do it, you can,’ Hal said. ‘You get along well with the beasties, I don’t know why. I think you must be part beastie yourself.’
‘Thanks for the compliment,’ Roger-said. He picked his way over the bodies. He stood looking down at the two small apes and they returned his gaze without stirring. They were too young to know how dangerous a human being is.
Roger stooped beside them. They inspected him soberly. After a moment he put out his hand. He let it lie quietly between them where they could both sniff at it. He spoke to them in a low voice. His words would mean nothing to
them but the gentleness of his voice was easily understood.
Slowly he moved his hand and petted one of them, then the other. They seemed to like it.
Still, he knew he couldn’t rush matters. He did not attempt to take them up. Instead, he rose slowly and started to walk away. He turned and found them following close upon his heels.
He had been elected. From now on, he was their mother.
He stooped again. One of them clambered up on his shoulder and the other he took into his arms.
‘A neat job,’ Hal said.
Chapter 10
The honey bird
Hal showed the notebook to Joro. ‘Where do you suppose we could find this Nero?’
‘Perhaps he and his whole gang would be at Kala village today,’ Joro said. ‘One of my scouts brings back word that they’re having a big ceremony there in honour of a new chief.’
Let’s go and see,’ Hal said.
Tieg was pouting. He was supposed to be the guide of this expedition but it was Joro who was leading the party. Tieg felt left out. He must assert himself. He must do something to make these people think he was a great guy -that he knew something about these woods.
But he didn’t know enough to recognize a honey bird when he saw one. It sat on a branch, fluttering its wings and chirping loudly.
‘It’s trying to attract our attention,’ Hal said. Tf we’d follow it it would lead us to some honey. But we won’t take the time for that now.’
Tieg saw his chance to be important. Tt would be time well spent,’ he objected. ‘All of us would like some honey. I’ll go and get it for you. I’ll meet you at the village later.’
Everyone in Africa knew about the honey bird. Even Tieg had heard of it, though he had never actually seen one. The honey bird, or honey guide as it was sometimes called, loved wild honey, but didn’t enjoy being stung by the bees, before it would guide a man to the nest in the hope that nan would get it down, scare away the bees, take some
of the honey, and leave the rest for the honey guide. This was important to the little bird, because it cared for nothing so much as honey.
There was another extraordinary thing about the honey guide. If honey were not left for it, it would take revenge. Many hunters had suffered because of this peculiar habit. The angry bird would lead you again - but this time not to a bees’ nest, but to a serpent or lion or leopard or some other dangerous creature, in the hope that you would be scratched, bitten, or stung.
Some people, like Tieg, who had not studied the honey guide, did not believe all this. This co-operation between a man and a bird was too strange to be true. They did not realize that symbiosis, which means teamwork between two different kinds of animals, is not uncommon in nature.
The rhino and the egret are friends, the bird rides on the beast’s back and
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