THE HUNTER'S ARCADIA. 



all or either of these assumptions being for the 

 purpose of wiling the uninitiated away from its nest. 

 My chum well knew all these tricks of our home 

 birds, but never for a moment supposed that African, 

 and therefore uneducated ones were up to the same 

 artifices ; so he had been led on step by step till a 

 safe distance had been placed between him and the 

 object of the quarry's solicitude. 



That night we sat up long and late, not from 

 desire, but from circumstances over which we had no 

 control. First, some of the oxen broke loose and went 

 off on end, scouring over the veldt as if the "old 

 gentleman " himself was at their heels, and such 

 good use did they make of their legs that the small 

 hours had arrived before they were brought back. 



Soon after this contretemps a jackal was caught in 

 one of the traps, which caused all his companions to 

 unanimously deplore the misfortune in their most 

 doleful notes, and this, as a matter of course, started 

 all the dogs howling, which, in spite of forcible 

 language and threats of whip, they refused to desist 

 from. So there was nothing for it but to kill the 

 captive, lift the traps, and untie our pack. 



This last step did not lessen their confounded 



