The Swiss Family Robinson or Adventures on a Desert Island Part 35

The prospect which opened before us on emerging from the rocky pa.s.s was wide and varied. Swelling hills and verdant wooded vales were seen on one hand, while a great plain stretched before us, extending from the banks of the river toward a chain of lofty mountains, whose summits were rendered indistinct in the haze of the distance.

We crossed the stream, which we named East River, filling our flasks with water, and it was well we did so, for in continuing our journey, we found the soil become more arid and parched than we had expected; in fact we soon appeared surrounded by a desert.

The boys were astonished at the altered appearance of the country, part of which had been explored when we met with the buffaloes. I reminded them of the difference of the season; that the expedition had been made directly after the rains, when vegetation had clothed with transient beauty this region, which, possessing no source of moisture itself, had become scathed and bare during the blazing heat of summer.

Our march proceeded slowly, and many were the uncomplimentary remarks made on the "new country."

It was "Arabia Petrea," groaned one. "Desert of Sahara," sighed another.

"Fit abode for demons," muttered a third. "Subterranean volcanic fires are raging beneath our feet."

"Patience, my good fellows!" cried I; "you are too easily discouraged.

Look beyond the toilsome way to those grand mountains, whose spurs are already stretching forward to meet us. Who knows what pleasant surprises await us amid their steep declivities? I, for my part, expect to find water, fresh gra.s.s, trees, and a lovely resting-place."

We were all glad to repose beneath the shade of the first over-hanging rock we came to, although, by pressing further upward, we might have attained to a pleasanter spot.

Looking back toward the Gap, we marked the strange contrast of the smiling country bordering the river, and the dreary, monotonous plain we had traversed.

After gazing on the distant scene, we produced our store of provisions, and were busily engaged, when Knips (our constant companion) suddenly began to snuff and smell about in a very ridiculous way; finally, with a shriek which we knew was expressive of pleasure, he set off at full speed, followed by all the dogs, up a sort of glen behind us.

We left them to their own devices, being far too pleasantly engaged with our refreshments to care much what fancy the little rogue had got in his head.

When hunger was somewhat appeased, Fritz once more cast his eyes over the expanse of plain before us, and after looking fixedly for a moment, exclaimed:

"Is it possible that I see a party of hors.e.m.e.n riding at full gallop toward us! Can they be wild Arabs of the desert?"

"Arabs, my boy! certainly not; but take the spygla.s.s and make them out exactly. We shall have to be on our guard, whatever they are!"

"I cannot see distinctly enough to be sure," said he presently, "and imagination supplies the deficiency of sight in most strange fas.h.i.+on. I could fancy them wild cattle, loaded carts, wandering hayc.o.c.ks, in fact almost anything I like."

The spygla.s.s pa.s.sed from hand to hand; Jack and Ernest agreed in thinking the moving objects were men on horseback; but when it came to my turn to look, I at once p.r.o.nounced them to be very large ostriches.

"This is fortunate, indeed!" I exclaimed; "we must try to secure one of these magnificent birds; the feathers alone are worth having."

"A live ostrich, father! that would be splendid. Why, we might ride upon him!"

As the ostriches approached, we began to consider in what way we should attempt a capture. I sent Fritz and Jack to recall the dogs, and placed myself with Ernest behind some shrubs which would conceal us from the birds as they came onward.

The boys did not rejoin us for some little time; they found Knips and the dogs at a pool of water formed by a small mountain stream, which the monkey's instinct had detected; his sudden departure was thus accounted for, and they availed themselves right gladly of his discovery, filling their flasks, and hastily bathing before their return.

The ostriches continued to come in our direction, varying their pace as though in sport, springing, trotting, galloping, and chasing each other round and round, so that their approach was by no means rapid.

I could now perceive that of the five birds one only was a male, the white plumes of the wings and tail contrasting finely with the deep glossy black of the neck and body.

The color of the females being ashen brown, the effect of their white plumes was not so handsome.

"I do not believe we shall have a chance with these birds," said I, "except by sending Fritz's eagle in pursuit; and for that we must bide our time, and let them come as near as possible."

"In what way, then, are ostriches caught by the natives of the African deserts?" inquired Fritz.

"Sometimes by chase on horseback; but their speed is so very great, that even that must be conducted by stratagem.

"When these birds are pursued, they will run for hours in a wide circle; the hunter gallops after them, but describes a much smaller circle, and can therefore maintain the pace for a longer time, waiting to make the attack until the bird is fatigued.

"Among the Bushmen, the hunter sometimes envelopes himself in the skin of an ostrich, his legs doing duty for those of the bird, and his arm managing the head and neck so as to imitate the movements of the bird when feeding. The enterprising hunter is thus enabled to get among a flock of ostriches, and to shoot them with arrows one after another.

"When aware of an enemy they defend themselves desperately, using their powerful legs as weapons, always kicking forward, and inflicting dreadful injuries on dogs, and even on men, if attacked without due precaution. But let us take up our positions, and keep perfectly still, for the ostriches are at hand!"

We held the dogs concealed as much as possible; the stately birds suddenly perceiving us, paused, hesitated, and appeared uneasy. Yet as no movement was made, they drew a few steps nearer, with outstretched necks, examining curiously the unwonted spectacle before them.

The dogs became impatient, struggled from our grasp, and furiously rushed toward our astonished visitors. In an instant they turned and fled with the speed of the wind; their feet seemed not to touch the ground, their wings aiding the marvelously rapid progress.

In a few moments they would have been beyond our reach, but as they turned to fly the eagle was unhooded. Singling out the male bird the falcon made his fatal swoop, and piercing the skull, the magnificent creature was laid low. Before we could reach the spot the dogs had joined the bird of prey, and were fiercely tearing the flesh and bedabbling the splendid plumes with gore.

This sight grieved us.

"What a pity we could not capture this glorious bird alive!" exclaimed Fritz, as we took its beautiful feathers; "it must, I am sure, have stood more than six feet high, and two of us might have mounted him at once!"

"In the vast sandy deserts where nothing grows, what can flocks of these birds find to live upon?" inquired Ernest.

"That would indeed be hard to say, if the deserts were utterly barren and unfruitful," returned I; "but over these sandy wastes a beneficent Providence scatters plants of wild melons, which absorb and retain every drop of moisture, and which quench the thirst as well as satisfy the hunger of the ostriches and other inhabitants of the wilds. These melons, however, do not const.i.tute his entire diet; he feeds freely on gra.s.ses, dates, and hard grain, when he can obtain them."

"Does the ostrich utter any cry?"

"The voice of the ostrich is a deep, hollow, rumbling sound, so much resembling the roar of the lion as occasionally to be mistaken for it.

But what does Jack mean by waving his cap and beckoning in that excited fas.h.i.+on? What has the boy found, I wonder!"

He ran a little way toward us, shouting:

"Eggs, father! Ostriches' eggs! a huge nest full--do come quick!"

We all hastened to the spot, and in a slight hollow of the ground beheld more than twenty eggs, as large as an infant's head.

The idea of carrying more than two away with us was preposterous, although the boys, forgetting what the weight would be, seriously contemplated clearing the nest.

They were satisfied when a kind of landmark had been set up, so that if we returned we might easily find the nest.

As each egg weighed about three pounds, the boys soon found the burden considerable, even when tied into a handkerchief and carried like a basket. To relieve them, I cut a strong elastic heath stick, and suspending an egg in its sling at each end, laid the bent stick over Jack's shoulder, and like a Dutch dairy-maid with her milk pails, he stepped merrily along without inconvenience.

We presently reached a marshy place, surrounding a little pool evidently fed by the stream which Knips had discovered. The soft ground was trodden and marked by the footsteps of many different sorts of animals; we saw tracks of buffaloes, antelopes, onagas or quaggas, but no trace whatever of any kind of serpent; hitherto our journey in search of monster reptiles had been signalized by very satisfactory failure.

By this brook we sat down to rest and take some food; Fangs presently disappeared, and Jack calling to his pet discovered him gnawing at something which he had dug from the marsh. Taking it for a root of some sort, Jack brought it for my inspection. I dipped it in water to clear off the mud, and to my surprise found a queer little living creature, no bigger than half an apple, in my hand. It was a small tortoise.

"A tortoise, I declare!" cried Fritz. "What a long way from the sea. How came it here, I wonder?"

"Perhaps there has been a tortoise-shower," remarked Ernest. "One reads of frog-showers in the time of the ancient Romans."

"Hullo, Professor! you're out for once," said I. "This is nothing but a mud-tortoise, which lives in wet, marshy ground and fresh water. They are useful in gardens; for although they like a few lettuce leaves now and then, they will destroy numbers of snails, grubs, and worms."