Rex Brandon #1 Death Warriors by Denis Hughes

Author:Denis Hughes
Format: epub

9

The Valley of Devils

“Betts’ gramophone!” he whispered incredulously. “Well, at any rate it gives us a line.” He was speaking half to himself. The Borwingi did not understand his words, but N’gambi nodded briefly.

“Come, baas,” he murmured softly.

They started forward again, more swiftly now that they had a definite indication as to where Quana might be. The sound of the gramophone came from fifty or sixty yards away. As they advanced, Brandon decided that no gorilla in the world would have the comprehension or intelligence to work a gramophone. A great hope filled his mind as he thrust a way through the undergrowth that cut off their view of Quana’s tree-top dwelling.

Then the Borwingi guide halted and lifted his right arm to point. He was staring ahead with widened eyes.

Brandon stopped dead, looking up and forwards at the strangest sight he had ever witnessed. Twenty feet from the ground, in the fork of a tall tree, was a rough platform of boughs. Standing at one end of the platform, long hairy arms almost touching the boughs that formed it, was the biggest gorilla Brandon had seen in all his big-game hunting experience. It was also the first gorilla he had seen that was under the spell of music, for such was the case. The massive creature was swaying to and fro with monotonous regularity, keeping ponderous time to the rhythm of the tune.

And sitting hunched up as far away from the animal as he could get was Arthur Betts, pale and exhausted as he kept his gramophone going continuously.

It was then that N’gambi, careless for an instant, put his foot on a dry twig. The sudden crack changed the scene before them with alarming speed.

Quana stopped his swaying abruptly, lumbering round to peer toward the little group on the ground some distance away. Arthur Betts saw Brandon at the same time. Instinctively he uttered a shout of mingled joy and relief. It was too much for Quana. With an unexpectedly swift lurch the great ape whirled about and hurled himself at Betts.

Brandon brought the heavy elephant rifle up to his shoulder as quickly as lightning. In a split second he drew a bead on Quana, squeezing the trigger calmly and with care, although he knew that the life of Betts depended on the shot.

The crashing report echoed through the forest, mingling with Betts’ startled cry and the bellowing roar of Quana.

Quana’s mighty fists closed convulsively, not on Betts, but on the small black case of the gramophone. The impact of Brandon’s steel-coated bullet smashed into the gorilla as it grabbed the instrument.

Then Brandon was running forward with N’gambi and the Borwingi guide close at his heels. They had almost reached the base of the tree when the twitching body of Quana toppled downwards, dark blood oozing from a jagged hole at the nape of his neck.

The thud of the falling body literally shook the ground.

Brandon approached the inert monster cautiously, not sure if it was lifeless. But he need not have worried.

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