rds and protectors!

CHAPTER XXXVII.

THE PIT-TRAP.

While they were watching the movements of the quaggas, Von Bloom rose
suddenly to his feet. All turned their eyes upon him as he did so. They
saw by his manner that he was about to propose something. What could it
be?

The thought had just occurred to him that they should at once set about
digging the pit.

It was near sunset--wanting only half-an-hour of it; and one would
suppose he would have done better to leave the work till next morning.
But no. There was a good reason why they should set about it at once;
and that was, that they might not be able to complete it in time if they
did not do part of it that night.

It would be no slight undertaking to dig a pit of proper size, for they
would require one that would at least hold half-a-dozen quaggas at a
time. Then there was the carrying away the earth that should come out of
it, the cutting the poles and branches to cover it, and the placing of
these in a proper manner.

To do all these things would take up a great deal of time; and they must
be all done against the return of the quaggas, else the whole scheme
would be a failure. Should the animals arrive upon the ground before the
pit was covered in and all traces of the work removed, they would make
off without entering the water, and perhaps never visit that vley again.

Such were the conjectures of the field-cornet. Hans, Hendrik, and
Swartboy, acknowledged their justice. All saw the necessity of going to
work at once, and to work they all went.

Fortunately among the "implements," were two good spades, a shovel, and
a pick-axe, and all of them could be busy at the same time. There were
baskets in which the dirt could be carried off, and thrown into the deep
channel close by, where it would not be seen. This was also a fortunate
circumstance; for to have carried the stuff any great distance, would
have made the job still heavier, and more difficult to execute in proper
time.

Having marked the outlines of the pit, they went to work with spade,
shovel, and pick. The ground proved tolerably loose, and the pick was
but little needed. The field-cornet himself handled one of the spades
Hendrik the other, while Swartboy acted as shoveller, and filled the
baskets as fast as Hans and Totty, assisted by Trueey and little Jan,
could empty them. These last carried a small basket of their own, and
contributed very materially to the progress of the work,