Stringer's expression of Old Bill-like melancholy slowly vanished, and we began basking in the sunshine of one of his most fascinating smiles. His bushy eyebrows and walrus moustache gave up bristling, and gently subsided; his eyes twinkled; once more did hope kindle in his breast. "That's better!" exclaimed Gran'pa. "Now, if only we could only hit on some idea for attracting the females--which seem to be about six times as plentiful as the males--and a hundred times as shy. . . . We might, for instance, capture one of their babies and use it as a sort of decoy duck. . . . It's obviously no good trying to disguise ourselves as infant gorillas-in-arms. The real article is what we want. . . . George, we must get one of their 'puppies'--something which will howl for its mummie! If only we can awaken the lady gorilla's finer feelings--her desire to cherish and fondle the young--she's ours! What? . . . ?" "It sounds rather a low down trick," I replied. "Not at all," said Dr. Croft. "It's perfectly legitimate--if it works!" Stringer, who had been looking much brighter and happier up to this point, again showed signs of despondency. "If you do get a baby gorilla," he observed, "it doesn't follow that any but its own mother will show affection for it." "Nonsense!" dogmatized Gran'pa. "The moment its howl for food or material comfort goes up, it will awaken a tender response in the breast of every true feminine gorilla in the jungle. You see if I'm not correct!" Four days later, we got our first chance of proving--or disproving--Gran'pa's new theory. CHAPTER XIV THE CAPTURE OF LITTLE WILLIE From what little we already knew of the anthropoid apes and from what the natives told us, we soon realized the improbability of discovering a very young gorilla without its mother. Even then, it would be necessary to sacrifice life before a capture could be effected. It took over two hours to convince Gran'pa of the likelihood of having to shoot at least one female gorilla. Fortunately, I was not yet well enough to take part in the affair, and so the objectionable task fell to the lot of Stringer and Dr. Croft. For the first time in the history of our campaign we sent forth a detachment of our party with the sole aim of killing--like "real sportsmen," as Gran'pa said with bitter cynicism. To our eternal shame, this is what happened. Armed with guns and accompanied by two natives, Stringer and Croft were walking cautiously and quietly through the forest when they heard the wail of a young gorilla--a harsh, half-moaning sound, quite unlike any cry uttered by the adult. The heavy silence of mid-day was upon the woods, and the four assassins crept noiselessly towards the spot where the baby was spasmodically conversing with its mother and, possibly, its father--who would be doubly dangerous when protecting his wife and offspring.