by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.
THE PURSUIT ARRESTED.
From branch to branch, and tree to tree, the red gorilla continued itsswift advance; still bearing with it the little Helen.
From trunk to trunk, the pursuers crawled through the underwood beneath,feeling as helpless as ever.
What was to be the end of this strangely singular pursuit they could nottell, for they had never before--and perhaps no man at any time had--taken part in such a chase, or even heard of one so terrible.
They could offer no conjecture as to what might be its termination; butmoved forward mechanically, keeping the gorilla in sight.
Was Helen yet living, or was she dead? No cry came from her lips, noword, no sound! Had the life been crushed out of her body by thepressure of that strong muscular arm, twined round her like the limb ofan oak? Or was the silence due to temporary loss of feeling?
She might well have swooned away in such a situation; and her father,struggling with faint hopes, would have been glad to think this wasindeed the case.
No signs could be gained from what they heard, and none from what theysaw. They were now passing through the very depth of the forest--atropical forest, with the trees meeting overhead, and not a speck of skyvisible through the interwoven branches, loaded with their thickfestoons of leaves and lianas.
They were gliding through dense arcades, lit up with just sufficientsunshine to wear the sombre shadows of a dusky twilight. There wereeven places where the retreating form of the ape could not have beendistinguishable in the obscurity, but for the white drapery of thechild's dress, now torn into shreds, and flaunting like streamers behindit. These luckily served as a beacon to guide them on through thegloom.
Now and then the chase led them into less shady depths, where thesunlight fell more freely through the leafy screen above. At suchpoints they could obtain a better view, both of the red abductor and itscaptive.
But even then only a glimpse--the speed at which the gorilla was going,as well as the foliage that intervened, preventing any lengthenedobservation.
Nor were the pursuers at any time able to get sight of the child's face.It appeared to be turned toward the animal's breast, her head buried inits coarse shaggy hair, with which her own tresses were mingled instrange contrast.
Even her form could not be clearly distinguished. As far as they coulddecide by their occasional glimpses, they thought she was still alive.The brute did not seem to treat her with any malevolent violence. Onlyin a rude uncouth way; which, however, might suffice to cause the deathof one so young and frail.
To depict the feelings of her father, under such circumstances, would bea task the most eloquent pen could not successfully attempt. Agony likehis can never be described. Language possesses not the power. Thereare thoughts which lie too deep for words; passions whose expressiondefies the genius of the artist or the poet.
Perhaps he was hindered from realising the full measure of hisbereavement during the first moments of the pursuit. The excitement ofthe chase, and the incidents attending it--the hope still remaining thatsome chance would arise in their favour--the certainty, soonascertained, that they could keep up with the ape, which, despite itsagility in the trees, cannot outstrip a man pursuing it along theground,--all these circumstances had hitherto withheld him from givingway to utter despair.
But the time had come when even these slight supports were to fail.
It was when they arrived upon the brink of a lagoon, and a water-surfacegleamed before their eyes; reflected by a daylight that struggled dimlydown through the tops of the tall trees.
The trees rose out of the water, their trunks wide apart, but theirbranches intermingling.
The path of our pursuers was interrupted--they saw it at once--but thatof the pursued seemed continuous as before.
They were arrested suddenly on the brink of the lagoon, apparently withno chance of proceeding farther. They saw the red gorilla stillclimbing among the trees, with the white drapery streaming behind it.
Soon they saw it not--only heard the crackle of twigs, and the swishingrecoil of the branches, as its huge body swung from tree to tree.
The monster was now out of sight, along with its victim--a victim, invery truth, whether living or dead!
But for the support of Murtagh and Saloo, Captain Redwood would havefallen to the earth. In their arms he sobbed and gasped,--
"Helen! my child, Helen! What will become of her? O Father! O God,protect her!"
