chap. viii. ANECDOTES OF ANTELOPES. 385 



had been caught in that way. We then set off to 

 examine the other trap, but on getting to the place we 

 found it gone. His short experience had already sufficed 

 to teach my companion that if a trap was attached to an 

 immoveable weight, the leopard or antelope, as the case 

 might be, generally succeeded in drawing out its foot ; 

 sometimes even leaving it in, and escaping with its loss ; 

 he therefore had wisely adopted the plan of securing it 

 to an oval piece of iron-wood, the great weight of which 

 rendered it impossible for the animal caught to go far, 

 while its shape secured that it should always so far yield 

 to its efforts to free itself that there was no fear of the 

 limb giving way. 



A few moments' inspection of the ground served to 

 inform us that it was an nkonka with which we had 

 to deal, and the way in winch the ground was torn up, 

 and the marks upon the trees, showed how furious his 

 struggles had been. The trail left by the weight he 

 dragged behind him was easily followed, though we did 

 so quietly and cautiously, hoping to see him first and to 

 wound him mortally before his struggles should render the 

 task more difficult. A. was leading, and after going fifty 

 or sixty yards down a slight incline, he suddenly pulled 

 up and exclaimed "By Jove! what a sell 1 " "Why, 

 what 's the matter ? " I asked, and on peering over his 

 shoulder I saw the empty trap lying a few yards in front, 

 with the wooden weight closely jammed between the pro- 

 jecting roots of a tree. Our first impulse was merely to 

 reset the trap and then turn homewards, but curiosity 

 having tempted me to examine the antelope track, I at 

 once noticed that it was dead lame, and even if its fore- 



2 B 



