“That was a good shot, Major,” said Alexander.

“Yes,” replied Swinton; “but take care how you go too near the bird; you have broken his thigh, and he may be dangerous.  They are very fierce.  As I thought, here is the nest.  Let Bremen kill the bird,—­he understands them, Major.  It is the male, and those which have escaped are all females.”

“What a quantity of eggs!” said Alexander.  “Is the nest a joint concern?”

“Yes,” replied Swinton.  “All those which are in the center of the nest with their points upward are the eggs for hatching.  There are, let me see, twenty-six of them, and you observe that there are as many more round about the nest.  Those are for the food of the young ostriches as soon as they are born.  However, we will save them that trouble.  Bremen must take the eggs outside the nest for us, and the others the people may have.  They are not very particular whether they are fresh or not.”

“This is a noble bird,” said the Major, “and has some beautiful feathers.  I suppose we may let Bremen take the feathers out and leave the body!”

“Yes; I do not want it; but Bremen will take the skin, I dare say.  It is worth something at the Cape.”

As soon as the Hottentots had secured the eggs, and Bremen had skinned the ostrich, which did not occupy many minutes, they rode on, and Swinton then said—­

“The male ostrich generally associates with from three to seven females, which all lay in the same nest.  He sits as well as the females, and generally at night, that he may defend the eggs from the attacks of the hyenas and other animals.”

“You do not mean to say that he can fight these animals!”

“And kill them also.  The ostrich has two powerful weapons; its wing, with which it has often been known to break a hunter’s leg, the blow from it is so violent; and what is more fatal, its foot, with the toe of which it strikes and kills both animals and men.  I once myself, in Namaqua-land, saw a Bushman who had been struck on the chest by the foot of the ostrich, and it had torn open his chest and stomach, so that his entrails were lying on the ground.  I hardly need say that the poor wretch was dead.”

“I could hardly have credited it,” observed Alexander.

“The Bushmen skin the ostrich, and spread the skin upon a frame of wicker-work; the head and neck are supported by a skin thrust through them.  The skin they fix on one of their sides, and carry the head and neck in one of their hands, while the other holds the bow and arrows.  In this disguise—­of course with the feathered side of him presented to the bird or beast he would get near to—­he walks along, pecking with the head at the bushes, and imitating the motions of the ostrich.  By this stratagem he very often is enabled to get within shot of the other ostriches, or the quaggas and gnoos which consort with these birds.”

“I should like to see that very much,” said the Major.