Ostriches Again--A Hunt and a Capture--Acquisition
of Treasure--Euphorbia--Vanilla
At the break of day I was up, and awoke my sons; our labours were
almost done--our bears’ meat was smoked, our fat all run out into
bamboo vessels; and the rainy season, which was rapidly approaching,
warned us to return to our home in the grotto. Nevertheless, I wished
to make another excursion into the desert, to see whether a second
visit to the nest of ostrich eggs would not succeed better than
the first, and I likewise wanted to gather some of the gum of the
euphorbia.
As we wished to accomplish this excursion as rapidly as possible,
it was resolved to go on horseback. We took with us Turk and Billy,
and set off, following the direction of the Green Valley, tracing
over again all the places rendered illustrious by some remembrance
of our last excursion--the spot where we had encountered the bears,
the turtle-marsh, and, at last, the rock from which Fritz discovered
the ostriches. To this rock we gave the name of “Arab’s Tower,” in
allusion to the mistake he had made in thinking the ostriches to be
Arabs of the desert.
Jack and Francis galloped off at full speed, and, as the plain was
so level that they could not escape from my eye, I let them go on. I
retained Fritz by my side to aid me in gathering the euphorbia which
had congealed in the sun. I had provided myself with a vessel to put
it in, and I soon filled it with the little drops of hardened gum.
This gum is one of the most violent and subtle poisons, and my son
asked me why I took so much pains to collect it.
“I intend to use it,” said I, “to destroy the monkeys--a cruel means,
I will allow, but necessity drives us to adopt it. We can also employ
the euphorbia in preparing the skins of birds and other animals; it
will preserve them from corruption, and keep out all insects. To
whatever use, however, we may apply it, the greatest precaution must
be observed, as it is capable of producing the most dreadful results.”
During our work, the two cavaliers had almost disappeared in the
savanna, and it was with great difficulty that our eyes could follow
them, surrounded as they were by a cloud of dust. They had passed far
beyond the ostrich nest, to which we directed our course, wishing to
see whether the eggs had been abandoned or not.
We had scarcely come in sight of the nest when we saw four noble
ostriches rise from the sand and advance toward us. Fritz’s first
care was to prepare his eagle for the conflict; and, to prevent it
from renewing the former scene of carnage, he fastened its beak so
strongly that it was almost harmless. Our dogs were also muzzled,
and we stood still, in order that we might not frighten the birds.
On they came, with half-extended wings, gliding over the ground with
inconceivable rapidity. They seemed to think us inanimate objects,
for they came on directly for us until they had arrived within
pistol-shot; they were three females and a male--the last a little
in advance, with his beautiful tail-feathers floating behind him.
The moment of attack was come; I seized my string with balls, and,
calling up all my sleight-of-hand, I launched it against the male
ostrich. Unfortunately, however, instead of catching him around the
legs, as I intended, the balls of my string took a turn round his
body, and I only fastened his wings to his sides. It diminished his
speed somewhat, but the victory was not complete; and the frightened
bird turned round, and, using his long legs, endeavoured to escape:
away we dashed after him, I on the onagra, and Fritz on the colt.
But we were nearly exhausted, when, happily, Jack and Francis rode
up, and cut off his further retreat. Fritz then unhooded his eagle,
and, pointing out the ostrich to him, he immediately pounced upon his
prey; and now commenced an arduous chase. Jack and Francis on one
side, and Fritz and I on the other, tormented him, and harassed him
without ceasing; but the most useful combatant was the eagle. The
presence of this new enemy troubled the ostrich greatly; he felt him
on his head, and heard the flapping of his wings, while, on the other
hand, the eagle, furious at finding his beak strongly fastened by a
ligature of cotton, was so violent that, by a vigorous stroke of his
wings, the ostrich fairly tottered. Jack then threw his string and
balls so skilfully that the noble bird bit the sand of the desert.
A cry of joy burst from the huntsmen, the eagle was recalled and
hoodwinked, and we hastened to our prize in order to prevent his
breaking the bonds that confined him; for he was so very violent,
and struggled so vigorously, that I hardly dared to approach him. I
imagined that by depriving him of light I might reduce his fury, and
I threw my hunting-sack, my vest and handkerchief, over his head.
I had discovered the secret: no sooner were his eyes covered than
he became as quiet as a lamb. I approached, passed a large band of
seadog-skin around his body, two other bands were attached as reins
to each side, and his legs were fastened with strong cords, long
enough to allow him to walk, but which confined him sufficiently to
prevent his escape.
I then attached our two coursers before and behind the ostrich with
strong cords; and when all was ready, my two cavaliers jumped into
their saddles, and I pulled the covering from the head of the ostrich.
The bird remained some time immovable, as if astonished at the return
of light. It soon made a start; but the ropes pulled it roughly back,
and it fell down on its knees; again it made the attempt, and again
it was foiled. It tried to fly, but its wings were tightly fastened
by the band I had passed around them: its legs were also restrained:
it threw itself from side to side with the utmost violence, but the
patient buffaloes did not pay the least attention to the pulling and
hauling. At last the bird appeared convinced of the inutility of its
efforts, and, submitting to its two companions, set off with them at
full gallop. They dashed gallantly on for half an hour, until the
buffalo and the bull, less accustomed to the sands of the savanna
than the ostrich, forced it to abate its rapid pace, and adopt a
slower system of movement.
While the two young cavaliers were thus occupied, Fritz and I set
out in search of the ostrich nest. The cross of willows which we had
planted in the ground near it, at our last visit, still remained,
and, as we approached, a female bird rose up off the nest and fled
rapidly away into the desert. Her presence appeared to us a good
augury, as it assured us that the eggs still retained the principle
of life. I had taken care to bring with me a sack and a quantity
of cotton. I now took out six of the eggs, and, enveloping them as
carefully as possible in the cotton, placed them in the sack, leaving
the others in the nest, in hopes the mother would not discover the
theft.
We traversed the Green Valley without perceiving anything uncommon,
and soon arrived at the tent, where Ernest and his mother received us
with an astonishment they could not find words to express.
I fastened the ostrich securely between two trees, and the rest of
the day was devoted to preparations for our departure on the morrow.
We had a number of new riches to collect, and I wished to leave
nothing behind us.
The next day we set off early. The ostrich took his place between the
bull and the buffalo, as before; he was, at first, inclined to be
refractory, and threw himself from right to left, but all in vain:
his two conductors were like immovable masses, against which all
resistance was unavailing.
Fritz mounted the young colt Rapid, and I the onagra, while Ernest
directed the car, in the middle of which my wife sat in all her
majesty, among the provisions. Our march was slow, but it was very
picturesque, as may be imagined.
We halted at the entrance of the defile where my sons had suspended
the cord with the feathers attached, to keep back the antelopes and
gazelles. In the place of the cord, we erected a solid palisade of
bamboo, high enough to keep out all animals that do not climb. We
planted a row of thorn bushes on each side, and sprinkled a layer of
sand all around, so that we could discover what sort of animals might
frequent it. During the construction of this fence we made a new
discovery; it was that of the Vanilla bean, which I recognized by its
brown pods and balsamic odour.
Our labours at the defile detained us a long time, and it was
night when we arrived at the cabin of the Hermitage. We found
our smoking-hut the same as before, and our provision of peccary
untouched. We lighted a fire, and, after a frugal repast, extended
ourselves on our sacks of cotton, and courted balmy sleep.
The next day, we discovered a new treasure: our henhouse had received
an addition of twenty young chicks--the product of the eggs Jack had
brought home in his hat. My wife was enchanted at this discovery, and
caught several pairs to take home with her.
We were so anxious to return to our dear Felsenheim, and to resume
all our comforts and luxuries, that we resolved not to stop again
until we arrived there. It was long after noon when our weary journey
was finished. We were worn out with fatigue; the sun’s rays had been
pouring down on our heads all day, and our strength was so exhausted
we could scarcely give our animals their evening food.