第33部分(第5/7 頁)

affir　barely　escape　with　his　life　from　its　attentions　by　going　to　earth　in　an　ant…bear　hole　like　a　hunted　jackal。　Of　course　the　ostrich　could　not　follow　him　into　the　hole；　but　it　stood　sentry　at　its　mouth　waiting　for　him　to　e　out　again。　When　attacked　by　an　ostrich　the　only　thing　to　do　is　to　lie　down　quite　flat。　In　this　position　it　cannot　strike　you　with　its　bludgeon…like　foot；　nor　is　its　beak　adapted　to　pecking；　though　it　can　and　does　dance　and　roll　upon　you　and　sit　upon　your　head　as　though　it　were　an　egg　which　it　wished　to　hatch。

These　birds；　so　ferocious　with　human　beings；　are　terribly　afraid　of　dogs。　I　think　that　we　lost　two　of　ours　through　the　visitation　of　wandering　hounds　at　night　that　set　them　running　furiously　till　they　broke　their　necks　in　the　wire　fences。　Its　own　voracity　brought　another　to　its　end：　for　they　will　pick　up　pocket…knives　or　anything　that　attracts　them。　This　fowl　managed　to　swallow　a　huge　sharp…pointed　bone　which　fixed　itself　across　the　gullet　in　such　a　position　that　it　would　go　neither　up　nor　down。　There　was　only　one　thing　to　be　done　—　operate。　So　we　operated；　with　a　razor　and　without　an　anaesthetic。　I　only　hope　that　such　another　job　may　never　fall　to　my　lot；　for　that　ostrich　was　unmonly　strong　and　resented　our　surgical　aid。　However；　we　got　the　bone　out　and　the　creature　recovered。　Imagine　our　horror　when；　a　few　weeks　later；　it　appeared　with　another　bone　immovably　planted　in　exactly　the　same　place！　This　time　we　left　it　to　fate；　by　which　it　was　speedily　overtaken。

Besides　the　ostriches　we　had　a　number　of　draught　oxen　and　some　waggons。　Out　of　these　we　did　very　well；　as　we　hired　them　to　Government　for　transport　purposes；　though　from　these　trips　they　returned　dreadfully　footsore　and　poor。　But　cattle　also　had　their　risks。　Thus　I　remember