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THE OSTRICH. 65
65
smooth over the mark, so that we might not
discover his footprints, and the theft; for he
feared that then we should destroy all the eggs,
and, indeed, the whole nest, and seek a safer
retreat, which we generally do when worried.
" One moonlight night, when the heavens
were attired in their starry splendour, to the
eternal beauty of which we and all the children
of the desert look up every night with
adoration, gratefully enjoying the cool air of the
evening breeze which is permitted to breathe
upon the heated sands and palm-tree groves of
the plain, we five lady ostriches dispersed in
various directions to seek the springs and
quench our thirst The nest was taken
possession of by our lord ostrich, which he was wont
to do every night during the six weeks that
incubation calls for constant warmth and care,
particularly during the dread hours when the
beasts of prey prowl about for spoil. Our
gallant mate was strong enough to kill a man or a
jackal with a single blow of either of his feet if
he hit them on the breast As I walked away
with my companions, I looked back more than
once to see our noble spouse proudly seated on
the eggs, his future large family, which we all
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