e no objection,"
said Warley. "I have never seen one, though I have often heard of
them."

"I'll cut up the carcass, Mr De Walden," said Lavie, "if you like to go
with the lads."

The missionary consented, and taking the three boys with him, pointed
out to them the ingenious construction of the trap, which had been the
means of preserving Nick's life. He showed them, that the whole
enclosure which had excited Gilbert's wonder, was one network of pits.
The thorn bushes were everywhere trained to grow so thick and close,
that it was impossible to penetrate them; and in the centre of each of
the open spaces between them a deep excavation was made, the top of
which was skilfully concealed by slight boughs laid over it, and covered
with tufts of long grass and reeds. At times, he said, the hunters
would assemble in a large body, and drive the game in from every side,
towards the enclosure. The frightened animals made for the entrances,
and great numbers were thus captured in the pits. Even those which had
passed safely through the openings, became easy victims to the arrows
and assegais of the pursuers, being, in fact, too much alarmed to
attempt to escape from their prison.

Before they had completed their examination of the ground, Lavie was
ready to accompany them. Setting out without further delay, they
reached an hour before sunset the banks of the Gariep. Wearied as they
were with one of the longest day's journeys which they had accomplished,
neither Lavie nor Warley could rest till they had taken a full view of
the magnificent scene which broke upon them, when, after threading the
dense thickets and tortuous watercourses which border the great river,
they came at last on the main stream itself. The vast mass of water--
which had been narrowed in, for a considerable distance by lofty cliffs
on either side, to a channel hardly more than thirty yards in width--
shot downwards over a rocky shelf in an abrupt descent of fully four
hundred feet in height. On either side, the crags, partly bare and
rugged, partly clothed with overhanging woods of the richest green;
above, the tall mountains rising into broken peaks; and below, the
boiling abyss--formed a frame, which was worthy of this splendid
picture. The beams of the setting sun pouring full on the cascade, and
producing a brilliant rainbow which spanned the entire width from side
to side, together with the ceaseless thunder of the falling waters,
seemed ali