CHAPTER XXXIX.
The recapture of Sosee was an easy matter, though she had diverted from her the attention of all before attempting her escape; and several, standing near, sprang after her when they recovered from their surprise.
These would have instantly seized her but for Ilo and Oboo. These two lovers and rivals, notwithstanding their ill success with her, were at heart unwilling that she should die, hoping each that he might, by some means, still possess her. Instinctively, therefore, they interrupted the pursuit.
This was less, however, because they intended her escape, than because they each resolved that the other should not have her. It was also because they wanted no one else to have her; for her captor would be entitled to possess her, and, in the Ape customs, recapture counted as much as original capture, (since one allowing a female to escape forfeited his title to her).
The interruption of the pursuit, however, was only temporary. For the whole body of apes, recovering fromtheir surprise, now rushed after her. Oboo and Ilo joined in the pursuit, but still took more care that others should not capture her, than that they themselves should. For they feared their own success as liable to defeat their purpose. The hope of each was that she would enter the Swamp, where the other pursuers, becoming scattered, could not overtake her, when he, (Oboo or Ilo), might pursue her alone, and make her his own. These lovers, therefore, while running faster than the rest, managed to stumble in the way of those nearest her, and especially in the way of each other; so that Sosee was soon gaining on them all.
But her fleetness was of small avail, as also the rivalry of her pursuers. The Lali closed upon her from three sides. Had she kept running in a straight line toward the Swamp she might have escaped; but, just as she had gained so much on them that she was nearly out of danger, she changed her course, and, veering to one side, ran almost into the arms of her pursuers. It was now a matter of only a minute when she would be caught; and if taken she would be instantly killed, for the more savage rabble, and not her lovers, were, by this turn, brought nearest her. Why she made such a dangerous detour was understood by none but herself.
Her pursuers were, therefore, confident, and their concern was now less about whether she should be captured than about who should capture her; for the victor would be entitled to possess her—or kill her; so that, instead of being a race with her, it became a race with one another.
A great bearded gorilla, after a spirited struggle to reach the front, leaped ahead of the rest, like a racer on the home-stretch, and, with his hair flying in the wind, and his jaws wide open, was on the point of seizing her. Panting and furious he stopped for a last spring, which would have both captured her and felled her to the ground; when a shout arose from the Lali, which, being a shout of terror, made him stop and look before leaping.
There was abundant cause for this delay. For suddenly out of the edge of the Swamp, which Sosee now reached, came in full view the forces of the Ammi with Koree at their head.
Sosee had dimly descried these a moment before, which was the cause of her change of course; for she started to meet them by the most direct route, knowing that if she could maintain her pace but a minute longer she would be safe.
The great ape who was close at her heels stopped at the sight of the Ammi, which gave Sosee a moment more to live, and in that moment she rushed into the arms of Koree and her friends.