In Wildest Africa -^ 



grown. As he had been slightly hurt in the process 



of capture, I tended him myself most carefully, and 



experienced great satisfaction on his restoration to health. 



From the time of his recovery the bird was faithful to 



me, and did not leave the camp any more, although he 



was only caged at night-time ! He attached himself to 



my headman, and tried to bite both men and beasts 



whom he considered as not to be trusted, and generally 



sat very solemnly in the vicinity of my camp and greeted 



me on my home-comings by wagging his head and 



flapping his wings. Such a clatter he made as he 



gravely rushed backwards and forwards ! Not until- I 



caressed him would he be quiet. After a time he began 



to build himself a nest under the shade of a bush quite 



close to my tent. The dimensions of this nest gradually 



increased in an extraordinary manner. This eyrie he 



defended to the utmost, and would not allow my blacks 



to go near it, or any of his animal companions. Great 



battles took place, but he always made his opponents 



take to their heels, and even the poor old donkey, if it 



happened to come his way. On the other hand, he was 



very friendly with my young rhinoceros. It was an 



extraordinary sight to see the rhinoceros with its friends, 



the eoats and the solemn bird. Two fine Colobus 



monkeys, three young lions, young ostriches, geese, and 



various other creatures made up my little zoological 



garden. They all were good friends among themselves 



and with my tame hens, which used to prefer to lay 



their eggs in my tent and in those of the bearers. 



Sometimes I used to entrust some francolin eggs to 



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