ead in
his tracks. He did not fall, however, but only stood still, quivering
with terror. His gallop was at an end!

Hendrik leaded to the ground. He was no longer afraid that the quagga,
blinded as he now was, would make any attempt to get off; nor did he.

In a few minutes the broken bit-ring was replaced by a strong rheim of
raw leather; the bit inserted between the quagga'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 tempt him from his allegiance; and with these
considerations, aided by a slight dose of bit and spur, he turned his
head, and moved sullenly upon the back-track. Hendrik knew nothing
about 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 him, he
thought he could not do better than trace back the spoor; and although
it led him by many a devious route, and he saw nothing more of his
eland, before night 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 FORTY TWO.

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 came around the great
nwana-tree in scores, keeping up their horrid chorus for hours together.
It is true that nobody feared these animals, as the children at night
were safe in their aerial home, where the hyenas could not get 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 below without 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 became necessary to adopt some mode of destroying them.

It was not easy to get a sh