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RIDING ON AN OSTRICH 828 |
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made directly for us until they had arrived within pistol-shot; there were three females and a male— the last a little in advance, with his beautiful tail-feathers floating behind him. The moment of attack was come. I seized my string with balls, and, calling up all my sleight-oi-hand, I launched it against the male ostrich. Unfortunately, however, instead of catching him around the legs, as I intended, the balls of my string took a turn round his body, and I only fastened his wings to his sides. It diminished his speed somewhat, but the frightened bird turned round, and, using his long legs, endeavoured to escape. Away we dashed after him, I on the ass and Fritz on the colt. But we were nearly exhausted, when, happily, Jack and Francis rode up and cut off his farther retreat.
Fritz then unhooded his eagle, and, pointing out the ostrich to him, he immediately pounced upon his prey. And now commenced an arduous chase. Jack and Francis on one side, and Fritz and I on the other, tormented him and harassed him without ceasing; but the most useful combatant was the eagle. The presence of this new enemy troubled the ostrich greatly ; he felt him on his head, and heard the flapping of his wings, while, on the other hand, the eagle, furious at finding his beak strongly |
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