Swiss Family Robinson

melons, however, do not constitute his entire diet; he feeds freely on grasses, dates and hard grain, when he can obtain them.'
    `Does the ostrich utter any cry?'
    `The voice of the ostrich is a deep hollow rumbling sound, so much resembling the roar of the lion as to be occasionally mistaken for it. But what does Jack mean by waving his cap, and beckoning in that excited fashion? What has the boy found, I wonder?'
    He ran a little way towards us, shouting: `Eggs, father! Ostriches' eggs! A huge nest-full--do come quickly!' We all hastened to the spot, and in a slight hollow of the ground, beheld more than twenty eggs, as large as an infant's head.
    The idea of carrying more than two away with us was preposterous, although the boys, forgetting what the weight would be, seriously contemplated clearing the nest. They were satisfied when a kind of landmark had been set up, so that if we returned we might easily find the nest.
    As each egg weighed about three pounds, the boys soon found the burden considerable, even when tied into a handkerchief and carried like a basket. To relieve them, I cut a strong elastic heath stick, and suspending an egg in its sling at each end, laid the bent stick over Jack's shoulder, and like a Dutch dairy-maid with her milkpails , he stepped merrily along without inconvenience.
    We presently reached a marshy place surrounding a little pool evidently fed by the stream which Knips had discovered. The soft ground was trodden and marked by the footsteps of many different sorts of animals; we saw tracks of buffaloes, antelopes, onagers or quaggas , but no trace whatever of any kind of serpent: hitherto our journey in search of monster reptiles had been signalized by very satisfactory failure.
    By this brook we sat down to rest and take some food; Fangs presently disappeared, and Jack calling to his pet discovered him gnawing at something which he had dug from the marsh.
    Taking it for a root of some sort, Jack brought it for my inspection. I dipped it in water to clear off the mud, and to my surprise found a queer little living creature, no bigger than half an apple, in my hand. It was a small tortoise.
    `A tortoise, I declare!' cried Fritz. `What a long way from the sea. How came it here, I wonder?'
    `Perhaps there has been a tortoise-shower,' remarked Ernest. `One reads of frog-showers in the time of the ancient Romans.'
    ` Hollo , Professor! You're out for once,' said I. `This is nothing but a mud-tortoise, which lives in wet, marshy ground and fresh water. They are useful in gardens; for although they like a few lettuce leaves now and then, they will destroy numbers of snails, grubs, and worms.'
    Resuming our journey, we arrived at a charming valley, verdant, fruitful, and shaded by clumps of graceful trees. It afforded us the greatest delight and refreshment to pass along this cool and lovely vale, which we agreed to call Glen Verdant.
    In the distance we could see herds of antelopes or buffaloes feeding; but as our dogs continually ranged a long way ahead of us, they were quickly startled, and vanished up one or other of the narrow gorges which opened out of the valley.
    Following the imperceptible windings of the vale, we were surprised, on quitting it for the more open ground, to find ourselves in country we were already acquainted with, and not far from the Jackal Cave , as we called the place where Fangs had been captured in cubhood .
    On recognizing the spot, Ernest, who was in advance with one of the dogs, hastened towards it. We lost sight of him for a few minutes, and then arose a cry of terror, violent barking and deep, surly growls.
    As we rushed forward, Ernest met us, looking white as ashes, and calling out:
    `A bear, a bear, father! He is coming after me!'
    The boy clung to me in mortal fear. I felt his whole frame quivering.
    `Courage, my son!' cried I, disengaging myself from his grasp. `We must prepare for instant defence !'
    The dogs dashed forward to join the fray, whatever it was; and not long were we in doubt. To my no small consternation, an enormous bear made his appearance, quickly followed by another.
    With levelled guns, my brave Fritz and I advanced slowly to meet them. Jack was also ready to fire, but the shock had so unnerved Ernest that he fairly took to his heels. We fired together, one at each bear; but though hit, the monsters were unfortunately only wounded. We found it most difficult to take aim, as the dogs beset them on all sides.
    However, they were much