Swiss Family Robinson

even this great monster to run away with them.'
    So we at once began operations. Storm and Grumble were led up on either side of the recumbent ostrich, and the cords secured to their girths. Jack and Franz, each armed with a stout whip, mounted their respective steeds, the wrappers were removed from the bird's eyes, and we stood by to watch what would next occur.
    For some moments after the return of his sight he lay perfectly still, then he arose with a bound and, not aware of the cords which hampered him, attempted to dash forwards. The thongs were stout, and he was brought to his knees. A fruitless struggle ensued, and then at length seeming to accommodate himself to circumstances, he set off at a sharp trot, his guards making the air re-echo with their merry shouts. These cries stimulated the ostrich to yet further exertions, but he was at length brought to a stand by the determined refusal of his four-footed companions to continue such a race across loose sand.
    The boys having enjoyed the long run, I told them to walk with the prisoner slowly home, while Fritz and I returned to examine the ostrich's nest. The eggs were quite warm, and I was certain that the mother had quite recently left the nest; leaving about half, I packed the rest of the eggs in a large bag I had brought for the purpose, and slung it carefully on the saddle before me.
    We soon caught up our advance guard, and without other notable incident reached our tent.
    Astonishment and dismay were depicted on the face of my wife as we approached.
    `My dear husband,' she exclaimed, `do you think our provisions so abundant that you must scour the deserts to find some great beast to assist us to devour them? You must discover an iron mine next, for iron is what ostriches chiefly live on, is it not?
    `Oh! I do wish you would be content with the menagerie you have already collected, instead of bringing in a specimen of every beast you come across. And this is such a useless monster!'
    `Useless! Mother,' exclaimed Jack, `you would not say so had you seen him run; why he will be the fleetest courser in our stables. I am going to make a saddle and bridle for him, and in future he shall be my only steed. Then as for his appetite, father declares it is most delicate, he only wants a little fruit and grass, and a few stones and tenpenny nails to help his digestion.'
    The way in which Jack assumed the proprietorship of our new prize seemed to strike his brothers as rather cool, and there was instantly a cry raised on the subject.

`Very well,' said Jack, `let us each take possession of the part of the ostrich we captured. Your bird, Fritz, seized the head; keep that; father shall have the body, I'll have the legs, and Franz a couple of feathers from the tail.'
    `Come, come,' said I, `I think that Jack has a very good right to the ostrich, seeing that he brought it to the ground, and if he succeeds in taming it and converting it into a saddle-horse it shall be his. From this time, therefore, he is responsible for its training.'
    The day was now too far advanced to allow us to think of setting out for Rockburg , so we fastened up the ostrich between two trees, and devoted the remainder of the evening to making preparations for our departure.
    At early dawn our picturesque caravan was moving homewards. The ostrich continued so refractory that we were obliged to make him again march between Storm and Grumble, and as these gallant steeds were thus employed, the cow was harnessed to the cart, laden with our treasures. Room was left in the cart for my wife, Jack and Franz mounted Storm and Grumble, I rode Lightfoot, and Fritz brought up the rear on Swift.
    At the mouth of the Gap we called a halt, and replaced the cord the boys had strung with ostrich feathers by a stout palisade of bamboos. I also took the opportunity of collecting a store of pipe-clay, as I intended during the winter months, which were close at hand, to try my hand at china making.
    When we reached the sugar-cane grove, we again stopped to collect the peccary hams we had left to be smoked; and my wife begged me to gather some seeds of an aromatic plant which grew in the neighbourhood , and which had the scent of vanilla. I obtained a good supply, and we moved forward towards Woodlands, where we intended to rest for the night, after our long and fatiguing march.
    Our tent was pitched, and on our beds of cotton we slept soundly.
    Next morning early we examined our farmyard, which appeared in a most