It seems that it was then, as he made his
long journey through the forest, that the treacherous and horrid brute
which we had killed, would attack the priest of whom it had grown
weary. But, and this shows the animal's cunning, the onslaught always
took place /after/ he had sown the seed which would in due season
produce the food it ate. Our Kalubi, it is true, was killed before we
had reached the Garden, which seems an exception to the rule. Perhaps,
however, the gorilla knew that his object in visiting it was not to
provide for its needs. Or perhaps our presence excited it to immediate
action.
Who can analyse the motives of a gorilla?
These attacks were generally spread over a year and a half. On the
first occasion the god which always accompanied the priest to the
garden and back again, would show animosity by roaring at him. On the
second he would seize his hand and bite off one of the fingers, as
happened to our Kalubi, a wound that generally caused death from blood
poisoning. If, however, the priest survived, on the third visit it
killed him, for the most part by crushing his head in its mighty jaws.
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