The Trap

The sun had set and the darkness had descended on the island which was inhabited mostly by the tribals.

The silence of the night was broken occasionally by the sounds of wild animals. One sound that was startling and seemed to be of an animal struggling to get out of a trap it had fallen into.

There was a gang of poachers who had set the trap. They had been hiding in a shelter by the side of a ridge, since it had been raining incessantly for the past 48 hours. They had heard the sounds and were sure that they had had their prey.

The leader of the gang came out and listened very carefully to the sounds to make sure that they had caught the right animal. Turning towards his companions he said with a cruel smile, “We have got it,” “We have got the antelope, which had been evading trap since many days.”

The members of the gang applauded in anticipation and cheered the leader. They were six in all, tall, strong and haughty men who were very familiar with the antelope’s habits.

It always takes the same route and drops its dung at the same place to mark the identity of the place. It smells its droppings and ascertains for any invasions.

They had been watching the movements of the antelope for a few days. It was only when they were sure of its path it undertook often that they had laid a trap. They dug a deep pit near the dung heap and covered it with strips of bamboo, mud and grass hay. Then they built a shelter for themselves at a safe distance quiet and unnoticed and waited for the animal to fall into the trap.

The frightened grunts and snorts indicated that their wait was over and the days of their hardships were limited now. They moved slowly, silently and swiftly through the tall elephant grass in the direction of the sound where the grunted throat made loud noises.

They carried torches and lanterns. Out of the hollow bamboo tubes they could make tubes stuffed with kerosene soaked rags that were mostly used to make fire. The flames of the burnt grass could lead them to trouble as the forest guards were always on alert. The lighted torches attracted them. Nevertheless they had to take the risk.

Slowly the noose was loosened around the animal neck and then suddenly tightened with all the force. The antelope breathed its last and was ready to be torn to pieces. “Its horns would fetch thousands of rupees.” said the leader, “what about the hide, fur and meat”, retorted others and the jungle echoed with a vicious laughter.

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