Page 251 - for-the-term-of-his-natural-life

to fix the butts. This was the most difficult part of the busi-
ness, for it was necessary to discover precisely the amount
of pressure that would hold the bent rod without allowing
it to escape by reason of this elasticity, and which would yet
‘give’ to a slight pull on the gut. After many failures, how-
ever, this happy medium was discovered; and Rufus Dawes,
concealing his springes by means of twigs, smoothed the
disturbed sand with a branch and retired to watch the ef-
fect of his labours. About two hours after he had gone, the
goats came to drink. There were five goats and two kids,
and they trotted calmly along the path to the water. The
watcher soon saw that his precautions had been in a man-
ner wasted. The leading goat marched gravely into the
springe, which, catching him round his neck, released the
bent rod, and sprang him off his legs into the air. He ut-
tered a comical bleat, and then hung kicking. Rufus Dawes,
though the success of the scheme was a matter of life and
death, burst out laughing at the antics of the beast. The oth-
er goats bounded off at this sudden elevation of their leader,
and three more were entrapped at a little distance. Rufus
Dawes now thought it time to secure his prize, though three
of the springes were as yet unsprung. He ran down to the
old goat, knife in hand, but before he could reach him the
barely-dried catgut gave way, and the old fellow, shaking
his head with grotesque dismay, made off at full speed. The
others, however, were secured and killed. The loss of the
springe was not a serious one, for three traps remained un-
sprung, and before sundown Rufus Dawes had caught four
more goats. Removing with care the catgut that had done

0 For the Term of His Natural Life