seems to have been very much in vain."

"Not in vain," answered the other, "our influence has been powerfully
felt, although the results are not obviously clear to every one who
casts a mere passing glance at us and our field of labour. But you
speak of persevering labour in hunting as being almost certain of
success, whereas we missionaries are _absolutely_ certain of it, because
the Word, which cannot err, tells us that our labour is not in vain in
the Lord, and, besides, even though we had no results at all to point
to, we have the command, from which, even if we would, we cannot escape,
`Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.'"

"Well, sir," said the major, with the air of a man who highly approves
of the philanthropic efforts of all men, so long as they do not
interfere with the even tenor of his own way, "I am sure that your
disinterested labours merit the gratitude of all good men, and I
heartily wish you success. In the course of your remarks to-night you
have happened to mention that peculiar bird the ostrich. May I ask if
you have seen many of late?"

The missionary smiled at this very obvious attempt to change the subject
of conversation, but readily fell in with the major's humour, and
replied--

"Oh yes, you will find plenty of them in the course of a few days, if
you hold on the course you are going."

"Is it true that he goes at the pace of a railway locomotive?" asked
Wilkins.

"It is not possible," replied the missionary, laughing, "to give a
direct answer to that question, inasmuch as the speed of the locomotive
varies."

"Well, say thirty miles an hour," said Wilkins.

"His pace is not far short of that," answered the other. "When walking,
his step is about twenty-six inches long, but when terrified and forced
to run, his stride is from twelve to fourteen feet in length. Once I
had a pretty fair opportunity of counting his rate of speed with a
stop-watch, and found that there were about thirty steps in ten seconds;
this, taking his average stride at twelve feet, gives a speed of
twenty-six miles an hour. Generally speaking, one's eye can no more
follow the legs than it can the spokes of a carriage wheel in rapid
motion."

"I do hope we may succeed in falling in with one," observed the major.

"If you do there is not much chance of your shooting it," said the
missionary.

"Why not?"

"Because he is so difficult to approach. Usually he feeds on some op