ar, dear brother, if you should be
killed I would not care to live longer. Henry! I will die with you!"

"Don't talk that way, sis. I'm not going to be killed; for I fancy that
we can run faster than it can. It don't appear to make much speed--at
least along the ground; and I think we might both escape it if we only
knew which way it was going to take. At any rate, you do as I say, and
leave the rest to me."

While they were thus discussing the course to be pursued--Henry urging
his sister to retreat in the event of his being attacked, and Helen
tearfully protesting against leaving him--a movement on the part of the
mias claimed all their attention. It was not a movement indicating any
design to leave the spot where it had been browsing; but rather a start,
as if something caused it a surprise. The start was quickly followed by
a gesture, not of alarm, but one that plainly betokened anger. Indeed,
it spoke audibly of this, being accompanied by a fierce growl, and
succeeded by a series of hoarse barkings, just like those of a bull-dog
or angry mastiff, whose mouth, confined in a muzzle, hinders him from
giving full vent to his anger. At the same time, instead of rising
erect, as a human being under similar circumstances would have done, the
frightful ape, that had been already in the most upright position
possible to it, dropped down upon all fours, which still, however, from
the great length of its arms, enabled it to preserve a semi-erect
attitude.

With its huge cheek callosities puffed out beyond their natural
dimensions--(they far exceed a foot in breadth)--its crested hair thrown
forward in a stiff coronal ruff; underneath a pair of eyes, gleaming
like two coals of fire, and, further down, its mouth wide agape,
displaying two rows of great glistening teeth, it stood--or rather
crouched--as if awaiting for the onset of some well-known enemy; a
dangerous enemy, but yet not so dangerous that it need be avoided. On
the contrary, the attitude now assumed by the red gorilla, as also its
voice and gestures, told them that it was affected by no fear, but
breathed only fury and defiance.

Why should it fear? Was there any living thing in the forests of
Borneo--biped, quadruped, or reptile possessed of sufficient powers to
cope with the hairy colossus now before their eyes, which seemed to
partake of the characters of all three, and twice the strength of any of
them individually? Saloo had said there was none