30 A Breath from the Veldt 



he would commonly have but a poor chance of a dinner. They are decidedly 

 good birds for the table, but (except the blue khoorhan) are seldom inclined 

 to fat. As I shall deal more fully with these birds in another chapter, I leave 

 them for the present to return to the day's sport. 



A drive of about two hours into the veldt brings us to one of the dams, 

 where the horses must have a little rest before proceeding to the harder work 

 of the evening. Whilst engaged in outspanning we obtain a good view of a 

 big troop of wild ostriches, four old cocks and six hens, feeding and sunning 

 themselves about a mile off on some low broken ground. Throughout the 

 Karroo these splendid birds are protected, except during three days in August, 

 when any person desiring to shoot one must obtain permission from the farmer 

 on whose ground they happen to be running. As the birds wander over great 

 tracts of country, it is not always an easy task to kill one, though good 

 opportunities frequently occur when springbuck shooting is proceeding. Some 

 few, however, are killed by the farmers themselves, as it is part of the business 

 of the shepherds to hunt for ostrich nests and to report to their masters 

 whenever one is found. The shooter can then, by waiting for the return of 

 the cock bird, be pretty sure of bagging him, provided he displays a certain 

 amount of caution and keeps well out of sight in a hole previously dug for 

 the purpose. 



When running, the ostrich has a very noble and pleasing appearance ; and 

 a troop frightened and starting to run is a sight not easily to be forgotten. 

 Their powers of sight are extraordinary. As the sportsman moves down wind 

 in search of springbuck he may often see ostriches moving along in a mirage 

 above the wavering haze of the horizon line. The birds, from the height of 

 their position having observed his advances long before he has seen them, give 

 the hint to the troops of springbuck in their vicinity. This notification of 

 danger in a much-hunted country like the Karroo is quickly passed from one 

 troop of bucks to another, till it is no uncommon sight to see reflected in the 

 air five or six hundred animals moving along in one of the mirages so common 

 on the South African plains. As optical illusions, these mirages are simply 

 marvellous ; an ostrich looks like a little black blot above the horizon sailing 

 along through space, and closely resembling a man on horseback. Some 

 indication of one of these scenes will be found in the sketch on p. 27. 



Half an hour after leaving the dam, where we had refreshed our horses with 

 a drink and a roll in the dust, and ourselves with water-melons and liquids of 

 various kinds, we began to see troops of springbuck on our left hand, scattered 



