360 THE PITFALL. 



ginning of the rainy season, having corroborated their story, 

 I no longer hesitated to follow their advice. 



Before finally quitting Tunobis, an incident occurred which 

 bade fair to finish my career in this world. Cantering along 

 one day in the bed of the River Otjombinde, with a view of 

 ascertaining its course, I all at once found myself on the very 

 verge of a pitfall ! but it was too late, for at the moment I 

 was about to rein in my horse, down we both went together, 

 with a fearful crash, through the light net-work of sticks and 

 grass that covered it, to the bottom of the gulf, which could 

 not have been less than ten feet in depth, though happily 

 without either of us breaking our necks. 



This pitfall was specially intended for the giraife, which 

 abounded hereabout, and was very different in construction 

 from those in use for elephants, rhinoceroses, and other large 

 animals ; for, instead of a single cavity, it was divided into 

 two compartments, separated from each other by a wall of 

 earth. Though I never before knew the meaning of this pe- 

 culiar arrangement, it was soon explained. My horse, having 

 recovered somewhat from his surprise and the stunning ef- 

 fects of the fall, plunged violently forward, and endeavored 

 to leap the wall in question ; but he only got his fore quar- 

 ters over it, and the depth of the hole preventing him from, 

 touching the ground either with his fore or hind feet, his 

 whole weight rested on his belly, and thus suspended be- 

 tween earth and heaven, he became totally helpless. 



Seeing that the poor animal could not possibly live long 

 in this position, and that I was too far from camp to return 

 for assistance, I unhesitatingly sprang back into the pit from 

 which I had just extricated myself, and placing my shoulders 

 under his chest (my feet resting against the side of the pit to 

 give me a better leverage), I exerted all my strength, and 

 succeeded in pushing him back into the compartment in which 

 he had been originally deposited. Finding that he was about 

 to renew the plunge, I seized the bridle with my left hand 



