CHASED BY AN OSTRICH 85 



perplexity at the gun bearer. "What shall we 

 do? "I said. "Run?" 



Although he could not understand English, 

 he must have known by my tone that I was 

 asking a question, and so he replied with the 

 only English word he knew: 



"Yes." 



I did not wait to pick up the bag of traps 

 but snatched the shotgun. The gun bearer 

 grabbed the rifle, and off we started. It was 

 fully half a mile over the gently rolling veldt 

 to camp, and it seemed that the great bird 

 would easily overhaul us before we could reach 

 it, but the thought of the four hundred dollars 

 stimulated me to my top speed. Yet I did not 

 dare to throw away the shotgun. 



We had a lead of three hundred yards. At 

 intervals I looked back over my shoulder and 

 saw the ostrich swinging over the ground at a 

 graceful trot; his wings were half raised, and 

 at every step his body rose and sank as if it 

 were resting on springs. 



A herd of about twenty-five wildebeests 

 were just ahead of us. When they saw us bear- 

 ing down on them they divided to let us pass. 

 Then they lined up on each side, about a hun- 



