A LIBATION 75 



to make the wilderness as foul as the altar of 

 Cain. 



With an effort I passed from the standpoint 

 of a somewhat inconsequent and inconsistent 

 Jekyll to that of a primeval Hyde. From my 

 flask, the contents of which had been carefully 

 preserved intact up to the present, I poured 

 out a libation to the manes of the departed 

 ostrich. Might his freed spirit find refuge in 

 some Elysian wilderness unvexed of prowlers 

 who call chemistry and machinery to the aid 

 of their own physical deficiencies, and slay 

 because slaughter stimulates their debilitated 

 pulses. 



Far, far away to the south-west I saw faith- 

 ful Hendrick approaching. I would not wait 

 for him ; he was too distant. My paramount 

 need just then was shade — even if such could 

 only be found under the tilt of a wagon where 

 the thermometer probably stood at 112 Fahr. 

 Hendrick's needs were elementary; he would 

 be delighted with the meat and the inferior 

 black feathers which I had not thought it worth 

 while to pluck. With the latter Hendrick and 

 his kindred would adorn their disreputable 

 hats. But their actions would be less opposed to 

 Nature's plan than mine, for it was the men who 

 would go sombrely gay, not their woman-kind. 



