Hunting Notes of a Bushman. 13 
is short and has no other outlet the labba may be 
dug out ; or it may be driven out by filling the hole 
with water, if there is any near. But if the hole is 
deep, the quarry must, if time allows, be burnt out. 
To do this the hole must be enlarged somewhat, so as 
to form a rough fire-place, in which a fire of dried 
wood and leaves must be made and kept up for 
twenty minutes or half an hour. When plenty of 
embers have collected, green wood must be put across the 
hole over the fire, and palm or other leaves over that > 
and then the whole must be covered with earth to keep 
the heat in. All this must be done as quietly as possible. 
The fire consumes the air in the hole ; and the animal, 
being suffocated, will be found, when the hole is even- 
tually opened, dead close to the fire. But if noise has 
been made in making the fire or if sticks have been 
poked into the hole, the animal will have retreated to the 
far end and possibly may never be got out. 
Labba often come at night close to the Indian 
houses to gnaw bones, crab shells, or tortoise backs. They 
do not seem to fear the dogs much at night. The writer 
once shot a labba, which was in the habit of coming nightly 
to gnaw crab shells at a place where he was stopping, by 
putting a piece of white paper about four inches square 
on a stick low down on the opposite side of the crab shells 
to where he sat watching. When the labba was heard 
gnawing he kept his eye fixed on the paper and when it 
was obscured fired and killed the labba. Labba are often 
killed by gun-traps ; but these are dangerous anywhere 
but in the most unfrequented paths, and to set them pro- 
perly requires a great deal of care. 
