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 sanded 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 Truey 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, by lightening
the labours of Hans and Totty.
And so the work went merrily on until midnight, and even after that
hour, under the light of a full moon; by which time the diggers were
buried to their necks.
But they were now fatigued. They knew they could easily complete the
pit next day; and so they laid down their implements, and after
performing their ablutions in the crystal water of the stream, retired
to their sleeping-quarters in the tree.
By early dawn they were at it again, busy as bees; and the pit
progressed so rapidly that before they stopped to take breakfast Von
Bloom could scarce see out of it standing on his toes, and the crown of
Swartboy's woolly head was nearly two feet below the surface. A little
more digging would do.
After breakfast they went to work at briskly as ever; and laboured away
until they considered that the hole was sunk to a sufficient depth. It
would have taken a springbok to have leaped out of it; and no quagga
could possibly have cleared itself from such a pit.
Poles and bushes were now cut; and the pit was neatly covered with
these, and strewed over, as well as a large tract of the adjoining
ground, with rushes and grass. The most sagacious animal would have
been deceived by the appearance; even a fox could not have discovered
the tray before tumbling into it.
They had completed the work before going to dinner,--which,
consequently, fell late on that day--so nothing more remained to be done
but to dine, and await the coming of the quaggas.
At dinner they were all very merry, notwithstanding the immense fatigue
they had gone through. The prospect of capturing the quaggas was very
exciting, and kept the party in high spirits.
Each offered a prognostication as to the result. Some said they would
trap three quaggas at the least; while others were more sanguine, and
believed they might take twice that number. Jan did not see why the pit
should not be full; and Hendrik thought this probable enough--
considering the way they intended to drive the quaggas into it.
It certainly seemed so. The pit had been made of sufficient width to
preclude the possibility of the animals leaping over it, while it was
dug lengthwise across the path, so that they could not miss it. The lay
of the ground would guide them directly into it.
It is true that, were they to be left to themselves, and permitted to
follow their usual method of marching--that is, in single file--only
one, the leader, might be caught. The rest, seeing him fall in, would
be sure to wheel round, and gallop off in a different direction.
But it was not the intention of the hunters to leave things thus. They
had planned a way by which the quaggas, at a certain moment, would be
thrown into a complete panic, and thus forced pell-mell upon the pit.
In this lay their hopes of securing a large number of the animals.
Four was as many as were wanted. One for each of the hunters. Four
would do; but of course it mattered not how many more got into the pit.
The more the better, as a large number would give them the advantage of
"pick and choose."
Dinner over, the hunters set about preparing for the reception of their
expected visitors. As already stated, the dinner had been later than
usual; and it was now near the hour when the quaggas might be looked
for.
In order to be in time, each took his station. Hans, Hendrik, and
Swartboy, placed themselves in ambush around the lake--at intervals from
one another; but the lower end, where the animals usually approached and
went out, was left quite open. Von Bloom remained on the platform in
the tree, so as to mark the approach of the quaggas, and give warning by
a signal to the other three. The positions taken by these were such,
that they could guide the herd in the direction of the pit by merely
coming out of the bushes where they lay concealed. In order that they
should show themselves simultaneously, and at the proper moment, they
were to wait for a signal from the tree. This was to be the firing of
the great "roer," loaded blank. Hans and Hendrik were also to fire
blank shots on discovering themselves, and by this means the desired
panic would be produced.
The whole scheme was well contrived, and succeeded admirably. The herd
appeared filing over the plain, just as on the preceding days. Von
Bloom announced their approach to the three in ambush, by repeating in a
subdued tone the words,--
"Quaggas are coming!"
The unsuspecting animals filed through the gorge, scattered about in the
water, drank their fill, and then commenced retiring by the path on
which lay the trap.
The leader having climbed the bank, and seeing the fresh grass and
rushes strewed upon the path, uttered a snorting bark, and seemed half
inclined to wheel round. But just at that moment boomed the loud
detonation of the roer; and, then, like lesser echoes, the reports of
the smaller guns on the right and left, while Swartboy shouted at the
top pitch of his voice, from another quarter.
A look back showed the quaggas that they were well-nigh surrounded by
strange enemies. But one course appeared open to them--the way they
were wont to go; and barking with affright, the whole drove dashed up
the bank, and crowded on towards the pit.
Then was heard a confused noise--the cracking of the poles--the
trampling of many hoofs--the dull sounds of heavy bodies falling
together, and mingling in a continuous struggle--and the wild snorting,
as the creatures hurried forward in affright. Some were seen springing
high in the air, as if to overleap the pit. Others poised themselves on
their hind hoofs, and wheeling round, ran back into the lake. Some
dashed off through the bushes, and escaped in that way; but the great
body of the drove came running back, and plunging through the water,
made off by the gorge through which they had come. In a few minutes not
one was in sight.
The boys thought they had all escaped; but Von Bloom, from his more
elevated position in the tree, could perceive the snouts of several
protruding above the edge of the pit.
On arriving at the spot, to their great satisfaction the hunters
discovered no less than eight full-grown quaggas in the trap--just twice
the number required to mount the party.
In less than two weeks from that time, four of the quaggas were broken
to the saddle, and perfectly obedient to the bit. Of course there was a
good deal of kicking, and plunging, and flinging, and many hard gallops,
and some ugly falls, before it came to this; but both the Bushman
Swartboy and the Bush-boy Hendrik were expert in the _manege_ of horses,
and soon tamed the quaggas to a proper degree of docility.
Upon the very first occasion when these animals were used in the hunt of
the elephant, they rendered the very service expected of them. The
elephant, as usual, bolted after receiving the first shot; but the
hunters on "quagga-back" were enabled to keep him in sight, and follow
rapidly upon his heels. As soon as the elephant discovered that, run as
he would, his pursuers had the power of overtaking him, he disdained to
fly farther, and stood to bay; thus giving them the opportunity of
delivering shot after shot, until a mortal wound brought his huge body
to the earth.
Von Bloom was delighted. His hopes were high, his benignant star was
once more in the ascendant.
He would yet accomplish his design. He would yet be rich. A few years
would enable him to build up his fortune--to construct a pyramid of
ivory!