AN OVERTHROW. 



61 



Now, if the fugitive had held his neck motionless, the lasso would have failed 

 once more, but, just as the Texan expected, he ducked and thereby brought about 

 his own overthrow. 



Having displayed his stupidity by his peculiar flight, it was eminently proper 

 that he should sustain that reputation by inserting his head into the snare that was 

 dangled in front and above it. In it went, very much as you thrust your hand into 

 a hollow tree to draw out a shrinking squirrel. 



In accordance with his training, the mustang, the instant he saw the success of 

 his rider, threw himself on his haunches and braced himself for the shock that was 



AA*>. 



As OVERTURN. 



meant to bring down 

 the ostrich, or instantly 

 check his flight. Jack, 

 as I told you, had 

 wound several feet of 

 the tenacious rope a- 

 round his left arm, so 

 that he, too, was pre- 

 pared for the shock. 



It was terrific. The 



ostrich was brought up with such suddenness that he fell on his side, where, 

 struggling savagely for a second or two, he scrambled to his feet again. 



In the general smash-up it so happened that he rose with his head turned pre- 

 cisely the opposite way from that which he had been following. He started back- 

 ward a step or two, then stopped and stared around, in a bewildered manner, and, 

 all at once, wheeled and resumed his flight in the same direction he was following 

 when so roughly interrupted. 



Jack's experiment, therefore, had answered 'the question that was in his mind 

 when he set out on his hunt after the idiotic birds. 



