OSTRICHES. 129 



not ; but there he was, living in solitary grandeur on 

 the lower slope of our big mountain. Every time 

 we took a certain favourite walk, a portion of which 

 he had marked out as his beat, he would dispute the 

 right of way with us ; resenting the invasion of his 

 solitude with more fuss than was ever made by the 

 father of the largest family of chicks. Sometimes he 

 would lie in ambush, and rush out at us from unex- 

 pected places, with all the artfulness of a rogue elephant. 

 Fortunately, his domain being on tbe mountain-side, 

 there was plenty of high bush, behind which it was 

 not difficult to dodge him. 



