, and it was by this plan he intended to succeed in
capturing the dogs.

The next thing Ossaroo did was to provide himself with an equal number
of stoutish thongs, which his knife and the numerous raw hides that lay
about soon enabled him to do. When these were all prepared, about
twenty small skewer-like rods were obtained from the bushes and
sharpened at one end. Then a like number of "griskins" were cut from
the antelope venison--it being esteemed of least value; and thus
provided, Ossaroo started forth to set his snares.

Karl and Caspar of course accompanied him, the latter limping on one
leg, and carrying a large pine-torch--for as the moon had gone down, and
it was now quite dark, they required a light to do the work. Karl was
loaded with the thongs, skewers, and griskins, while Ossaroo himself was
in charge of the snares.

Now it so happened that not far from the hut, and all around it, there
grew numbers of low trees, with long branches that extended horizontally
outward. They were a species of the _pyrus_, or mountain-ash, sometimes
known as "witch hazel." The branches, though long, were thin, tough,
and elastic, and not much burdened with either branchlets or leaves.
They were the very things for Ossaroo's purpose, and he had observed
this before it had become quite dark, and while he was meditating upon
some plan to get square with the wild dogs. Upon these branches he was
now to operate.

Reaching up he caught one of them in his hand, drew it downwards, and
then suddenly let it go again, in order to try the "spring" of it. It
appeared to satisfy him; and, once more laying hold of it, he stripped
off its leaves and twigs, and then tied the rawhide thong to its upper
end. To the other end of the string was next adjusted the skewer-like
rod, and this last was fastened in the ground in such a way as to hold
the branch bent downward with considerable force, while a very slight
jerk upon the pin itself would set the former free. The shikarree now
arranged his piece of venison for a bait, fixing it so that it could not
possibly be dragged away or even slightly tugged without setting free
the rod-trigger, and consequently the bent branch. Last of all, was
arranged the snare, and this was placed in such a position with regard
to the bait, that any animal attempting to seize the latter must
necessarily have the whole or part of its body encircled by the ready
running noose.

When all these matters wer