Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - The Ostrich
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
THE OSTRICH.
53
their pursuit, till at last, when we had got them
far off, we spread our wings and skimmed over
the sandy plain with such speed that the negroes
were soon lost to view. When we warily
approached our nest we found that our fears
had been only too well founded, for there stood
the two strange ostriches ; but one was just in
the act of divesting himself of his ostrich
disguise, and disclosed a Beduin, the vile
Hassan, who had resorted to this trick to be
able to approach our brave ostrich lord within
gunshot. And there lay our well-beloved one,
bathed in his own blood, which sought its way
down amongst its own brood, as if his heart’s
blood would nestle amongst his children to say
good-bye with expiring life to each and all of
his numerous offspring, which he already loved
so well. They had deprived him of his life
for the sake of his beautiful plumes, as if his
life to us and our little ones had not been of
more value than the feathers to be exposed at
the fair. But selfish man reckons otherwise.
Hassan had put his arm through the neck of
the ostrich disguise, thus better in the dim
night to imitate a harmless fellow-creature of
our own family. His black legs accorded well
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
