This hesitation of the monster proved the salvation of the flyers.  It gave them a chance to pull their shattered nerves together and elevate their rifles.  As he must keep the light on the creature, which now all recognized as a large gorilla, so that his companions and himself could see to shoot, John had only one arm with which to handle his gun.  But he brought the weapon up quickly, and pressed the trigger just as three other shots rang out from the guns of his companions, who had stepped on either side of their leader.