ere 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 shot at them. During the day they were wary,
and either hid themselves in caves of the cliff or in the burrows of the
ant-eater. At night they were bold enough, and came into the very camp;
but then the darkness hindered a good 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 some way must be thought of to thin the numbers of these animals, or
get rid of them altogether. 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 from a noose they could free themselves by
cutting the rope by their sharp teeth!

At length the field-cornet resorted to a plan--much practised by the
boers of Southern Africa for ridding their farms of these and similar
"vermin." It was the "gun-trap."

Now there are several ways of constructing a gun-trap. Of course a gun
is the principal part of the mechanism, and the trigger pulled by a
string is the main point of the contrivance. In some countries the bait
is tied to the string, and the animal on seizing the bait tightens the
string, draws the trigger, and shoots itself. In this way, however,
there is always some uncertainty as to the result. The animal may not
place its body in the proper position with regard to the muzzle, and may
either escape the shot altogether, or may be only "creased," and of
course get off.

The mode of setting the "gun-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 s