imal going into the enclosure must
needs pass between these two trees.

Now for the part the gun had to play.

The weapon was placed in a horizontal position against two of the
saplings,--that is, the stock against the one outside the kraal, and the
barrel against one of the door-posts, and there firmly lashed. In this
position the muzzle was close to the edge of the entrance, and pointing
directly to the sapling on the opposite side. It was at such a height
as to have ranged with the heart of a hyena standing in the opening.

The next move was to adjust the string. Already a piece of stick,
several inches in length, had been fixed to the small of the stock, and,
of course, _behind_ the trigger. This was fastened transversely, but
not so as to preclude all motion. A certain looseness in its adjustment
gave it the freedom required to be worked as a lever--for that was its
design.

To each end of this little stick was fastened a string. One of these
strings was attached to the trigger; the other, after being carried
through the thimbles of the ramrod, traversed across the entrance of the
kraal, and was knotted upon the opposite side to the sapling that stood
there. This string followed the horizontal direction of the barrel, and
was just "taut;" so that any farther strain upon it would act upon the
little lever, and by that means pull the trigger; and then of course
"bang" would go the roer.

When this string was adjusted, and the gun loaded and cocked, the trap
was set.

Nothing remained to be done but bait it. This was not a difficult task.
It consisted simply in placing a piece of meat or carcass within the
enclosure, and these leaving it to attract the prowling beasts to the
spot.

When the gun had been set, Swartboy carried up the bait--the offal of an
antelope killed that day--and flung it into the kraal; and then the
party went quietly to their beds, without thinking more of the matter.

They had not slept a wink, however, before they were startled by the
loud "crack" of the roer, followed by a short stifled cry that told them
the gun-trap had done its work.

A torch was procured, and the four hunters proceeded to the spot. There
they found the dead body of a huge "tiger-wolf" lying doubled up in the
entrance, and right under the muzzle of the gun. He had not gone a step
after receiving the shot--in fact, had hardly kicked before dying--as
the bullet, wad, and all, had gone quite through his ri