The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-11
A GLASS OSTRICH.

Ego YOU think you want TO hear that yarn,
- do you?" said my uncle.
10y AZ do, if it isn't too much due to
traces left By that brain fever you had in the In
dian JUNGLE l said. carelessly.
Uncle John testify dropped the stem OF the I'm.
mense hookah from which we were pulling the
blue life out of bunch of Turkish tobacco.
Look here. young man. he said, as he gave
his bristly gray mustacbe vicious twinge and
his flashing black eyes shot glance that made
me Jump, "Fye been In every country on earth
worth visiting, and can spin yarns enough to
give you material for ten more OF your books.
but this beats 'em all. If you want 10 hear 1t
you just keep on putting"
We were sitting In the pleasant room which lie
had unceremoniously claimed as his own since
The day he began his visit TO me In my New Eng
land home My wife never would enter IL, for
she said everything in ii frightened her; but II
was my fayurlte hduut.
up according 10 his own unique taste, and
stranger WHO might stumble into II unawares
would suspect himself Of the Jlm.IamS. Gro
tesque idol. stared forth from every niche In
which il was possible to put them The walls
were hung with all sorts OF weapons and armor,
ancient and modern, from suit OF CHAIN mall 10
an assagai, Zulu spears and shields, Arabian
guns, Chinese daggers, strange horse trappings,
even Mexican yaGuero's lafiat maue inc place
interesting, and my uncle always sat ready TO
attach a romantic or adventurous tale 10 any
article IN his possession.
Uncle john was nervous, utIy iidu even III
his old are, and when lie got fairly under way
with a story and mis- deep set eyes be gan 10 pilt-
ter knew that something lively was coming.
'Attention!" he commanded, as lie might nave
said il 10 his drill squad GU the plains years be-
fore the war. and L shook myself into my most
interested attitude
at was some years ago that made trip 10
Africa, to experiment with arteslan wells IN the
Desert OF Sahara.
II first went 10 Morocco and engaging there
caravan started at once for the desert
zone morning. While we were encamped al an
oasis for a few days, thought it would be
good time 10 secure some ostrich plumes-
"At that time. 1 confess now, knew mighty
little about ostreh.hunting bul, having hlinled
bears moose aud other large game In ire North
erD countries, believed IL wouio pe easy enough
II called an interpreter, told him to get another
man and come with me While shot an ostrich OF
Gle looked at me with his mouth open then
started 10 say something; but as never allowed
back-talk from my help, Hurried him OH 10 10
us told him.
~ have since learned how 10 hunt ostrich; but
them when my man returned l melioned TO MIN
| and his COMPANION TO follow he, and started out
| through the DESERT away from the oasis, al a
I'VE studied along hall an hour, when the sun
| got so hot that nearly dropped. stopped, and
my Two followers sqUatled down beside me. and
| II ] could read their Internal. stoiid. copper
| colored faces, they rather enjoyed the situation
! suddenly the Two men sprang TO their feet and
with look of fright pointed al something be-
hind me.
Startled. 1 glanced around. but could see
| nothing alarming; indeed, what / did see pleased
me. Far away on the horizon 1 first saw what
| looked like small cloud OF dust. W hat made IL
| / could not tell.
Then much nearer, not more than quarter
OF mile away, perceived large ostrich COM
| ing toward Us.
IL was puzzled by the actions of the great
bird. for he moved SLOWLY, with bis neck bent
| and bis head close 10 the ground, quite contrary
| 10 the Ideas had always had about the habits OF
ostrich.
"Roldng my gun ready TO shoot should the
bird continue 10 move toward us, turned 10 The
Interpreter TO ask the reason of The ostrichs
strange actions, when TO my establishment saw
him and his companion scratching and digging
IN the sand as II their lives depended on making
hole in it.
whats the matter? Are you afraid OF an
ostilch?" demanded OF the interpreter.
"'Shek see! Sand Storm comng Look
I II looked, and IN the distance, where had first
seen the ostrich, but much nearer, saw cloud
OF dust suddenly grown 10 enormous proportions,
whlrling, twisting, wrggling. aud rapidly rush.
ing toward us. Against his back ground 1 could
just perceive through the darkness which had
come over the earth, the ostrich. now quite near,
but still with its head down 10 the ground.
II am not easily frightened, but this time 1
was, aud lost my sell.controi, when the Inter.
prefer shouted: 'Sheipfooli Dig holes big as
man, cover self up, back TO wind, then all good
The Moors had already covered themselves,
and had only just time to make hole and
shelter my head and shoulders with sand when
the storm burst upon us in its awful fury.
Never nina my telling you about 1t; you have
read about II.
THE storm soon passing. we emerged from
our holes. Then remembered Ihe ostrich and
Its queer behaviour before the storm, and II came
10 my mind why it acted so strangely"
Here my uncle got up and solemnly crossed
himself before craven image with a face like
jack-'olantern struck by a baseball bat.
| "Of course" lie continued in a matter. of-fact
way, "an ostrich could not dig hole aud get
into it, ana 10 prevent the storm from carrying
him before 1t he had eaten a large quantity Of
The desert sand, 80 much, that its weight inside
him had acted as an anchor against tile force OF
the wind, and pressing him to the earth had held
him secure until the storm passed.
"NOw was my chance 10 get my plumes.
walked toward him, thinking 1t would be the
best way to shoot his head OIL and end him
quickly
II went up to my game, and putting the muz
at was all up with The ostrich IN an instant.
but was compelled to rush away from his body,
as The flash from my gun had sci fire to the dry,
| tinder-lke grass.
minutes with terrific heat and then the fire
gradually died down.
"Of course my ostrich plumes were destroyed.
but to my surprise there lay the form Of the
ostrich, where had expected TO see only heap
Of ashes.
"1t was hard as stone.
II examined 1t closely and f0und"-here my
uncle shot sharp glance az me, and, seeing l
was giving more attention to Tefling my pipe
OF lhe hand on the knee-"fOund glass ostrich.
You see, my boy the sand which the ostrich
bad eaten was melted by tile heat OF the burning
pushes aud had nodded inside the ostrich's skin.
IN glass, perfect model OF an African Ostrlch.'
Then the old traveller turned TO a copy Of tic
molly book OF Mahomet, which he had got in Per-
sIa, ana began industriously to con the moral
uuths contained therein.-A. Cid In Boston
Professor Dayidson,s Gsodesv.