Part 83 (2/2)

His handkerchief? No, it would be too thin Hurrah! His jacket would do!

His rifle was in the way It round He could return for it

It was let down as gently as possible, and soon left far behind

In a twinkling Hendrik stripped off his jacket Hoas it to be arranged so as to blind the quagga? It would not do to drop it

A moment's consideration served the ready boy to mature his plan After a moment he bent down, passed a sleeve upon each side under the quagga's throat, and then knotted theether The jacket thus rested over the animal's mane, with the collar near its withers, and the peak or skirt upon the small of its neck

Hendrik next leaned as far forward as he could, and with his extended arms pushed the jacket up the animal's neck, until the skirt passed over its ears, and fell down it front of its face

It ith some difficulty that the rider, bent down as he was, could retain his seat; for as soon as the thick flap of cloth caa, the latter halted as if he had been shot dead in his tracks He did not fall, however, but only stood still, quivering with terror His gallop was at an end!

Hendrik leaped to the ground He was no longer afraid that the quagga, blinded as he noould et off; nor did he

In a fewrheia's teeth, the head-stall safely buckled, and Hendrik once more in the saddle, with his jacket upon his back

The quagga felt that he was conquered His old associates were no longer in sight to teiance; and with these considerations, aided by a slight dose of bit and spur, he turned his head, andabout the route he should take He followed back the spoor of the quaggas to the place where he had dropped his gun, which after riding a mile or two he recovered

As there was no sun in the sky, nor other object to guide hiht he could not do better than trace back the spoor; and although it led hi ht he reached the pass in the cliff, and was soon after sitting under the shadow of the nwana-tree, regaling a most interested audience with the narrative of his day's adventures

CHAPTER XL

THE GUN-TRAP

It was about this time that the field-cornet and his people were very much annoyed by beasts of prey The savoury smell which their camp daily sent forth, as well as the remains of antelopes, killed for their venison, attracted these visitors Hyenas and jackals were constantly skulking in the neighbourhood, and at night ca up their horrid chorus for hours together

It is true that nobody feared these aniht were safe in their aerial hoet at them

But for all that, the presence of the brutes was very offensive, as not a bit of meat--not a hide, nor rheim, nor any article of leather--could be left beloithout their getting their teeth upon it, and chewing it up Quarters of venison they had frequently stolen, and they had eaten up the leathern part of Swartboy's saddle, and rendered it quite useless for a while In short, so great a pest had the hyenas grown to be, that it beca the the day they ary, and either hid themselves in caves of the cliff or in the burrows of the ant-eater At night they were bold enough, and caood aim, and the hunters knew too well the value of powder and lead to waste it on a chance shot, though now and then, when provoked by the brutes, they ventured one

But soht of to thin the nuether This was the opinion of everybody

Two or three kinds of traps were tried, but without much success A pit they could leap out of, and fro the rope by their sharp teeth!

At length the field-cornet resorted to a plan-- their farun-trap”

Now there are several ways of constructing a gun-trap Of course a gun is the principal part of theis the main point of the contrivance In so, and the anier, and shoots itself In this way, however, there is always some uncertainty as to the result The aniard to the ether, or et off

The un-trap” in South Africa is a superior plan; and the creature that is so unfortunate as to draw the trigger rarely escapes, but is either killed upon the spot, or so badly wounded as to prevent its getting away

Von Bloom constructed his trap after the approved fashi+on, as follows:--Near the carew, standing in a line, and about a yard between each two of them Had he not found these trees so disposed, stakes firround would have answered his purpose equally well

Thorn-bushes were now cut, and a kraal built in the usual manner--that is with the tops of the bushes turned outwards The size of the kraal was a matter of no consequence; and, of course, to save labour, a small one was constructed