t, he went on
till the gathering mists of the coming night warned him to return.

He had hardly turned to make for the waggon when he saw something that
completely enchained his attention, for looming up through the mist, and
appearing of almost gigantic size, he saw what appeared to be three
large ostriches; but while he gazed they seemed to fade away into the
evening darkness, and were gone.

He had not gone far on his way back before he heard voices, and luckily
came upon the boys and the General, Chicory having been left behind to
attend to his brother.

"I think I have seen ostriches this evening," said Mr Rogers. "Are
there many here, general?"

The Zulu said No, but that there might be a few. If there were any he
thought they might get a shot at them for the sake of their glorious
plumes; and promising to be on the look out for their footprints, they
went on chatting about them till the waggon was reached, to find that a
couple more waggons, the property of an ivory-trader travelling south,
had been out-spanned close by, so that there would be company for the
night.

The ivory-trader proved to be an intelligent man, and he said that there
were plenty of elephants in the neighbourhood, but warned them to beware
of the rhinoceros and crocodile, while he declared that one or two of
the tribes farther north were worse than either.

Lions were heard in the distance, but the fires kept up proved
sufficient to warn them off, and a very good night was spent; but just
as breakfast was being got ready Peter gave the alarm, Chicory echoed
it; there was a rush for rifles and guns, and a general state of
excitement, for five ostriches had suddenly made their appearance, right
up close to the camp, their tall necks with their flat stupid-looking
heads undulating like snakes above the long grass.

For a few moments they had appeared to be perfectly astounded at the
sight of the various strange objects, the waggons and their
accompaniments. Then the shouts alarmed them, and as the guns were
handed out of the waggons and the huntsmen prepared to fire, the
ostriches were getting up speed, running faster and faster, till, as
Dick said, their legs seemed to twinkle; and the shots that were sent
after them, though they might have whistled past, had not the good
fortune to bring them down.

"Well," exclaimed Dinny who was standing by the fire. "Of all the
things I ever did see run, them there do beat, and no mistake."