Even this slight consolation occupied the mind of the distracted father.
The Malay, well acquainted with the habits of the great man-ape, could give no answer.

He only knew that the child's body would not be eaten up by it; since the red gorilla is never known to feed upon flesh--fruit and vegetables being its only diet.
The whole thing was perplexing him, as an occurrence altogether unusual.
He had known of people being killed and torn to pieces by the animal in its anger; but never of one being carried up into the trees.
Usually these animals will not volunteer an attack upon man, and are only violent when assailed.

Then, indeed, are they terrible in their strength as in their ferocity.
The one now encountered must have been infuriated by its fight with the crocodile; and coming straight from the encounter, had in some way connected the children with its conquered enemy.

Murtagh's shout might have freshly incensed it; or, what to Saloo seemed more probable than all, the seizure of the child might be a wild freak suddenly striking the brain of the enraged satyr.
He had heard of such eccentricities on the part of the ourang-outang, and there is a belief among the Dyak hunters that the mias sometimes goes _mad_, just as men do.
This reasoning did not take place on the edge of the lagoon, nor any discussion of such questions.

They were thoughts that had been expressed during the pursuit, at no time hurried.