"Well--it's like this, George. . . . I'm worried over Sally. She is going back. . . ." "_What!_" I exclaimed. "Returning to England?" "No! No! I mean . . . receding. All the good she's got out of the life over here is rapidly being undone. After all, she's an old woman, George--and I have the feeling that--we must be quick. At her age, strange things happen. Something slips--and suddenly the wheels slow down. You must have noticed the difference in her during the last two or three weeks." I had to admit that she certainly seemed very depressed and listless of late. At the same time, I thought that it was nothing to be alarmed about. "I'm not alarmed!" said Gran'pa. "I'm merely taking precautions. It may be selfish of me to consider her before the rest of these old people--but it is natural, George!" "Quite so! Then why not take her to Windhuk and let us follow later with as many gorillas as we can get by then?" "It is not practicable." "You and Sally could 'plane it, accompanied by the necessary lady gorilla." "No! It is too late in the day to start doing things by instalments, like that. We must all go together. If you've any respect for my feelings, George, give in like a good fellow." "Very well!" I sighed. "It's your expedition--not mine. And perhaps you're right. . . ." "You might admit it less grudgingly. . . . I don't want to seem a killjoy. . . ." "Killjoy!" I exclaimed. "You don't think that I'm fooling with these gorillas for the joy of the thing. The novelty wore off months ago. It's simply a matter of patience, followed by hard work if you're lucky, and a fit of depression if you aren't. What glamour is there in sitting in a cage, muffled up in a monkey skin, with your hand on the gas tap--waiting for some fool gorilla to stray by? It's as bad as being a spider. If only we could go in for a little genuine hunting . . . a few hippo, or elephants. . . . But no! We should scare away these precious apes. Pampered brutes!" "You're very bitter, George!" "Naturally I am when you suggest that I want to finish this job because I like it." "Come now! Even you have your moments of gayety. There's always some new thrill in the jungle. That snake, for instance. . . . One isn't always sitting and waiting. . . . Still, the point is that you agree with me in the main. Capturing gorillas is a long and tedious business. We shall never get enough. Therefore, let us take what we have before any more of them die." So at last, after many hardships and adventures, we came to the beginning of the end. That same evening we called a board meeting, with Gran'pa, as managing director, in the chair. Dr. Croft was in favor of "closing down" immediately; so was Stringer. The only one who opposed Gran'pa (beside myself) was Obongi, our native interpreter. His reason was simple. He didn't want us to go because everyone on Corisco would miss us!