174 HOME LIFE ON AN OSTRICH FARM. 



variety of the most astonishing sounds proceeding 

 therefrom, compared with which his usual, every-day 

 profanity was mild. 



He soon recovered, and was on his legs again, none 

 the worse for the adventure ; but it left him with 

 a decided taste for stimulants, which he strove to 

 indulge on all possible occasions. From that day he 

 followed me to the store more pertinaciously than ever ; 

 sitting on the tap of the cask while I drew the wine 

 for meals, bending down and twisting his neck to reach 

 the stream as it flowed into the jug. He gradually 

 learned to turn the tap himself, and was delighted if 

 he could catch a few drops. At last he became clever 

 enough to set the wine running altogether ; and, as 

 he never learned to turn the tap back again, great 

 caution was necessary to see that he did not remain 

 behind in the store, which he was always trying to do. 

 He would often give a good deal of trouble by flying to 

 the very topmost shelf, from whence it was difficult to 

 dislodge him ; and where a chase after him involved 

 climbing over numerous sacks on my part, and much 

 knocking over of bottles and tins on that of Bobby. 



Bobby loved mischief ; he revelled in it, not for the 

 sake of any good which it brought him, but simply out 

 of what the Americans call " cussedness." He was 

 never so happy as when busily engaged in some work 

 of destruction. When discovered, he would retreat to 

 a safe distance, and, if pursued, would always manage 

 to keep just out of reach ; though not too far for you 

 to see the twinkle of enjoyment in his wicked old eye, 



