nearly blinded by the sand, dust, and
other materials that had formed the covering of the pit.

Congo was too well acquainted with this South African device for killing
large game to be anyways disconcerted by what had happened; and after
becoming convinced that he was uninjured by the fall, he turned his
glance upward, expecting assistance from his companion.

But Swartboy's aid could not just then be given. The Bushman, amused by
the ludicrous incident that had befallen his rival, was determined to
enjoy the fun for a little longer. Uttering a wild shout of laughter
that was a tolerable imitation of an enraged hyena, Swartboy seemed
transported into a heaven of unadulterated joy. Earth appeared hardly
able to hold him as he leaped and danced around the edge of the pit.

Never had his peculiar little mind been so intensely delighted; but the
manifestations of that delight were more suddenly terminated than
commenced; for in the midst of his eccentric capers he, too, suddenly
disappeared into the earth as if swallowed up by an earthquake! His
misfortune was similar to that which had befallen his companion. Two
pitfalls had been constructed close together, and Swartboy now occupied
the second.

It is a common practice among the natives of South Africa to trap the
elephant in these twin pitfalls; as the animals, too hastily avoiding
the one, run the risk of dropping into the other.

Swartboy and the Kaffir had unexpectedly found a place where this plan
had been adopted; and, much to their discomfiture, without the success
anticipated by those who had taken the trouble to contrive it.

The cavity into which Congo had fallen contained about two feet of mud
on the bottom. The sides were perpendicular, and of a soapy sort of
clay, so that his attempts at climbing out proved altogether
unsuccessful, thus greatly increasing the chagrin of his unphilosophic
mind. He had heard the Bushman's screams of delight, and the sounds had
contributed nothing to reconcile him to the mischance that had befallen
him. Several minutes passed and he heard nothing of Swartboy.

He was not surprised at the Bushman's having been amused as well as
gratified by his misfortune. Still, he expected that in time he would
lend assistance and pull him out of the pit. But as this assistance was
not given, and as Swartboy, not satisfied with laughing at his
misfortune appeared also to have gone off and left him to his fate, the
Kaffir became