ich!" exclaimed Hendrik. "No,"
replied Swartboy; "um ar da pauw."

"Yes," said Von Bloom, confirming Swartboy's statement, "it is the
pauw."

Now a "pauw" in the Dutch language is a "peacock." But there are no
peacocks in Africa. The peacock in its wild state inhabits only
Southern Asia and the islands of the Indian Archipelago. The bird they
saw, then, could not be a peacock.

Neither was it one. And yet it bore some resemblance to a peacock, with
its long heavy tail and wings speckled and ocellated in a very striking
manner, and something like the "marbled" feathers that adorn the
peacock's back. It had none of the brilliant colours, however, of that
proudest of birds, though it was quite as stately, and much larger and
taller. In fact, its great height and erect attitude was why Hendrik at
first glance had taken it for an ostrich. It was neither peacock nor
ostrich, but belonging to a different genus from either--to the genus
_Otis_ or bustard. It was the great bustard of South Africa--the _Otis
kori_--called "pauw" by the Dutch colonists, on account of its ocellated
plumage and other points of resemblance to the Indian peacock.

Now Swartboy, as well as Von Bloom, knew that the pauw was one of the
most delicious of fowls for the table. But they knew at the same time
that it was one of the shyest of birds,--so shy that it is very
difficult to get even a long shot at one. How, then, was it to be
approached within range of the Bushman's arrow? That was the point to
be considered.

Where it stood, it was full two hundred yards from them; and had it
perceived them, it would soon have widened that distance, by running off
two hundred more. I say _running_ off, for birds of the bustard family
rarely take to wing, but use their long legs to escape from an enemy.
On this account they are often hunted by dogs, and caught after a severe
chase. Although but poor flyers, they are splendid runners,--swift
almost as the ostrich itself.

The pauw, however, had not observed the hunters as yet. They had caught
a glimpse of it, before appearing out of the bushes, and had halted as
soon as they saw it.

How was Swartboy to approach it? It was two hundred yards from any
cover, and the ground was as clean as a new-raked meadow. True, the
plain was not a large one. Indeed, Swartboy was rather surprised to see
a pauw upon so small a one, for these birds frequent only the wide open
karoos, where they can sight the