till, and though I listened so intently I could hear
nothing but my uncle's breathing. So still did everything become that I
began to feel less oppression at my chest, and ready to believe that it
was all fancy, when suddenly the embers of the fire seemed to have
fallen a little together, for the glow grew stronger and there was a
faint flicker which made my heart give one great bound.

For there, between me and the fire, was what appeared to be the
monstrous figure of an orang-outang, which had crawled close up to the
fire and was looking at it.

The creature was on all-fours and had its back to me, while the darkness
of the night prevented me from making it out properly; but it looked to
me very large and dark coloured, and I had read that the strength of
these creatures was enormous.

It crouched there about five yards from where I lay, and as I wondered
whether I had better shoot, I suddenly recollected that both barrels of
my gun were loaded with small shot, and that at such a distance, though
the shot would well hang together, they were not certain to make a
mortal wound; while the result would be that the monster would be more
fierce and terrible than it was before.

I don't think I was afraid to fire, but I hesitated, and as I waited I
felt that there was a possibility of the animal not being aware of our
presence, for it was evidently the fire that had attracted it.

But these hopes came to an end directly, and I raised my gun softly to
my shoulder, for the creature seemed about to crawl towards me. This
was only for a moment or two though, and then there was a peculiar
scratching noise as if the monster was tearing at the bushes, and I
could dimly see its great back waving to and fro. Then all at once the
scratching ceased, and it seemed to have thrown some twigs and leaves
upon the fire, which blazed up, and my gun nearly fell from my hand.

"Ebo!" I shouted; and as my uncle sprang up and we crept out into the
ruddy light spread by the burning wood, there was my monster in the
shape of our trusty follower, dancing about like mad, and chattering
away as he pointed to the fire, then to himself, then to a distance, and
seemed to be trying to make us understand that he had seen the fire and
tracked us by its light to where we were.

His delight seemed to know no bounds, for whenever he came to a pause in
his performance and stood grinning at us, he broke out again, leaping
about, running away, coming b