Swiss Family Robinson

but just then their mother summoned us to dinner.
    The principal dish in this meal consisted of the bears' paws--most savoury -smelling delicacies, so tempting that their close resemblance to human hands, and even the roguish `Fee- fo-fum ' from Jack, did not prevent a single member of the family from enjoying them most heartily.
    Supper over, we lit our watch-fire, retired to our tent and slept soundly.
    We had been working very diligently; the bears' meat was smoked, the fat melted down and stored, and a large supply of bamboos collected. But I wished to make yet another excursion, and at early dawn I aroused the boys.
    Fritz mounted the mule, I rode Lightfoot, Jack and Franz took their usual steeds and, with the two dogs, we galloped off--first to visit the euphorbia to collect the gum, and then to discover whether the ostrich had deserted her eggs in the sand.
    Ernest watched us depart without the slightest look or sigh of regret, and returned to the tent to assist his mother and study his books.
    Our steeds carried us down the Green Valley at a rapid rate, and we followed the direction we had pursued on our former expedition. We soon reached Turtle Marsh, and then, filling our water-flasks, we arrived at the rising ground where Fritz discovered the mounted Arabs.
    As Jack and Franz wanted a gallop, I allowed them to press forward, while Fritz and I visited the euphorbia trees. A quantity of the red gum had exuded from the incisions I had made, and as this had coagulated in the sun, I rolled it into little balls and stored it in a bamboo jar I had brought with me for the purpose.
    As we rode after the boys, who were some way ahead, Fritz remarked, ` Did you not tell me that the juice of that tree was poisonous, father; why have you collected such a quantity?'
    `I did indeed say so,' I replied, `it is a most deadly poison. The inhabitants of the Cape of Good Hope use it to poison the springs where wild animals assemble to quench their thirst; and they thus slaughter an immense number of the creatures for the sake of their hides. I intend, however, to use it to destroy the apes should they again commit depredations, and also in preparing the skins of animals to protect them from the attacks of insects.'
    The two boys were still at some distance from us, when suddenly four magnificent ostriches rose from the sand where they had been sitting.
    Jack and Franz perceived them, and with a great shout, drove them towards us. In front ran a splendid male bird, his feathers of shining black, and his great tail plume waving behind. Three females of an ashen grey colour followed him. They approached us with incredible swiftness, and were within gun-shot before they perceived us. Fritz had had the forethought to bind up the beak of his eagle so that, should he bring down an ostrich, he might be unable to injure it.
    He now threw up the falcon which, towering upwards, swooped down upon the head of the foremost bird, and so confused and alarmed him, that he could not defend himself nor continue his flight. So greatly was his speed checked that Jack overtook him, and hurling his lasso, enfolded his wings and legs in its deadly coils and brought him to the ground. The other ostriches were almost out of sight, so leaving them to their own devices we leaped from our steeds and attempted to approach the captured bird. He struggled fearfully, and kicked with such violence right and left, that I almost despaired of getting him home alive.
    It occurred to me, however, that if we could cover his eyes, his fury might be subdued. I instantly acted upon this idea, and flung over his head my coat and hunting bag, which effectually shut out the light.
    No sooner had I done this than his struggles ceased, and we were able to approach. We first secured round his body a broad strip of sealskin, on each side of which I fastened a stout piece of cord, that I might be able to lead him easily. Then, fastening another cord in a loop round his legs that he might be prevented from breaking into a gallop, we released him from the coils of the lasso.
    `Do you know,' said I to the boys, `how the natives of India secure a newly captured elephant?'
    `Oh, yes!' said Fritz. `They fasten him between two tame elephants. We'll do that to this fine fellow, and tame him double quick.'
    `The only difficulty will be,' remarked Jack, `that we have no tame ostriches. However, I daresay Storm and Grumble will have no objection to perform their part, and it will puzzle