Part 29 (1/2)

There was no alar they yoked the oxen and changed their course to the northward The whole of the cattle had been led down to the river to drink, and alloo hours to feed before they started; for they were about to pass through a sterile country of more than sixty e or water They had not left the river ed its appearance As far as the eye could scan the horizon, all vestiges of trees had disappeared, and now the ground was covered with low stunted bushes and large stones

Here and there were to be seen sgas As our travelers were in the advance, they started six or seven ostriches which had been sitting, and a ball froround, the others running off at a velocity that the fastest horse could scarcely have surpassed

”That was a good shot, Major,” said Alexander

”Yes,” replied Swinton; ”but take care how you go too near the bird; you have broken his thigh, and he ht, here is the nest Let Bremen kill the bird,--he understands them, Major It is the male, and those which have escaped are all fes!” said Alexander ”Is the nest a joint concern?”

”Yes,” replied Swinton ”All those which are in the center of the nest with their points upward are the eggs for hatching There are, let me see, twenty-six of them, and you observe that there are as manyostriches as soon as they are born However, ill save thes outside the nest for us, and the others the people may have They are not very particular whether they are fresh or not”

”This is a noble bird,” said the Major, ”and has some beautiful feathers I suppose we may let Bremen take the feathers out and leave the body!”

”Yes; I do not want it; but Bre at the Cape”

As soon as the Hottentots had secured the eggs, and Bremen had skinned the ostrich, which did not occupy many minutes, they rode on, and Swinton then said--

”The enerally associates with from three to seven females, which all lay in the saht, that he s from the attacks of the hyenas and other aniht these animals!”

”And kill the, hich it has often been known to break a hunter's leg, the blow from it is so violent; and what is more fatal, its foot, with the toe of which it strikes and kills both animals and men I once myself, in Namaqua-land, saw a Bushman who had been struck on the chest by the foot of the ostrich, and it had torn open his chest and storound I hardly need say that the poor wretch was dead”

”I could hardly have credited it,” observed Alexander

”The Bushmen skin the ostrich, and spread the skin upon a frame of wicker-work; the head and neck are supported by a skin thrust through them The skin they fix on one of their sides, and carry the head and neck in one of their hands, while the other holds the bow and arrows In this disguise--of course with the feathered side of hiet near to--he walks along, pecking with the head at the bushes, and ieet within shot of the other ostriches, or the quaggas and gnoos which consort with these birds”

”I should like to see that very much,” said the Major

”You would be surprised at the close iht to have said that the Bushs with clay It is, however, a service of danger, for I have, as I told you, known a man killed by the male ostrich; and the natives say that it is by no means uncommon for them to receive very serious injury”

”Hold hard,” said the Major, ”there is a lion; what a terrible black ot! What do you say, Swinton? He is by hi about three hundred yards ahead of theround

”I certainly say not Let him pass, by all ive you the advice which an old Na in the reat want of food and very angry Never attack one then, for they are very dangerous and most desperate,' If, therefore, Major, you wish a very serious affair, and one or two lives lost you will attack that animal But you must expect that what I say will happen”

”Indeed, my dear Swinton, I neither wish to lose my own life, nor to risk those of others, and therefore ill reet out of our way; and I hope he may soon find a dinner”

By this time the caravan had come up with them, and they then proceeded

The face of the country became even more sterile, and at last not an ani for the oxen to feed upon they continued their route during the whole of the day, and at night they halted and secured the cattle to the wagons Wood for fires they were not able to procure, and therefore they ht with their muskets to scare off wild beasts But, as Swinton observed, there was little chance of their being disturbed by lions or other aniame near them upon which the wild beasts prey; and so it proved, for during the whole night they did not even hear the cry of a hyena or a jackal

At the first gleaain yoked, with the hopes of their being able to gain the Val River by night The relay oxen were now put to, to relieve those which appeared to suffer most At noon the heat was dreadful, and the horses, which could not support the want of water as the oxen could, were greatly distressed They continued for about two hours uht exert herself to find it, started off as fast as she could, followed by O to the trees, they altered their course to the eastward, toward soed rocks The caravan arrived at the trees, which they found were growing on the banks of the river Alexandria, which they knew they should pass; but not a drop of water was to be discovered; even the pools were quite dry As they searched about, all of a sudden Begu, and with every htened

”Where is the Bushboy?” said Bre has happened,” cried Swinton; ”couns”

The whole party, Hottentots and all, hastened toward the rocks where Oum had been in search of water As soon as they reached within fifty paces, quite out of breath with their haste, they were saluted with the quah, quah, of a herd of baboons, which were perched at the edge of the rocks, and which threatened the as if they would fly at them