The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-04-21
TIE ELISAND INIELLIGENCER,
BEL AIR Mo. APRIL 81. 1899.
RACED FOR HIS LIFE.
AN EXCITING ADVENT URE WITH A
WILD OSTRICH.

aACI D FUN ii ~ lIE L 10
AN EXCITING ADVENTURE WITH A
WILD OSTRICH.
A Thrilling Chase nm African
VeIdt That Was interrupted by
Kafiir. Who was Then Kicked to
Death by the Infrrinted Bird.
The open vcldt lay before lis bathcd in
the dew and tho lingering shades of carly
morning as we mounted our horses for
ride across country. Before we had gone
far, however, my companion was sum
moncd back, and l continued my ride
alone. As / advanced mile by mile the
scenery grew wilder, and the great rocks,
Just Hinged with the purple of the sunrise,
rose majestically on either side. When
the road divided my Basuto pony turned
off into bride path which led through
wild gorge and eventually lost itself among
tho rocks at the foot of ii hill. The sure
footed little creature started up the side OF
the mountain and eventually landed me at
the top. Here l dismountcd and left HIM
to Craze We had been out some hours.
Rcmounting, VIC followed half beaten
track on the opposite side from which we
had come, and in II short time we were at
the foot of the hill and on the level vcldt
once more Going forward into the main
road which wound round the base of the
mountain, / started off ut quick canter
toward home.
For some time we went along ut good
pace, when suddenly l was startled by the
sight, not far ahead, of Il cock ostrich rush
ing wildly backward and forward, with its
black and white wings Tapping and quiv-
cring with rage. pulled up with Il jerk,
for at first thought the bird was loose on
| the veldt but on closer inspection found
that wire fence was between us. Just
ut this moment 1 saw on the other side of
the camp q hen sitting on her nest, and,
knowing only too well the danger was
in, paused to consider what l should do.
A short distance in front tho road ran
close to the fence and knew it would be
impossible to pass that way. There was
nothing for it but to retrace my steps and
follow the road back round the mountain
till it joined the one by which had come.
was not afraid, for it was by no means
an uncommon position in which to find
| oneself in the center of an ostrich farm
ing country, and, besides, felt sure of
getting away Accordingly L turned the
ponys head in the opposite direction and
walked quietly back, hoping to escape no.
tice. A few moments passed, and began
| to think we were safe, when suddenly Il
strange sound made me look around. To
my horror l saw that in one of his wild
charges the enormous bird had caught
sight of us and was making frantic dashes
along the fence, which was unusually low,
and was not of barb wire. In few Sec
onds he would be over, and then it meant
| IL race for dear life. My pony, knew,
was one of the quickest i'll the country,
and, as we had q good start, possibly for II
short time we should keep ahead, but in
the end knew the ostrich must easily
catch us.
As if by instinct my faithful friend
scented danger, and after one whispered
word in his ear he was off like the wind.
| There was suddenly n crash behind Us,
| followed by 81 measured heating which al
| most made the ground ribratc and set my
heart humping. If you have never heard
| the tramp of an Infatuated ostrich no
words will adequately describe 1T. The
nearest aTprCauh TO it that l can think of
| is the sound of the regular ''thud, thud"'
Of soldiers Oh the march. There was no
| mistake. We We're being pursued by a
| furious cock ostrich-;I formidable fec in
deed! Now il was only IL question Of time.
The pony'S feet seemed scarcely to touch
| the ground, and l bent forward, urging
him on fcvcrishly as had never done be-
| fore Nearer and nearer came the beating,
the distance between us and our strange
pursucr growing less and less every sec
ond was poweri2ss to do anything but
| hold on to my flying horse. We We're
miles away from any farm in the dircc-
| ton We were going, and those behind
knew nothing of the terrible danger | YVES
in. Could there be no help? Alone on the
boundlcss vcldt, l looked vaguely up into
the blue sky.
There was u distant shout, ana ! was
dimly conscious that Il short, heavy kc:rie
whizZcd past nc. l dared not stop, for
the ostrich was now but few yards be
hind, and could almost feel the vibration
of its great wings rs it skinned, half fly
ing, half racing, over the earth. Present
| ly another kcrric came whining past, and
this time it must have intcrfcrCd i'll some
way with the progress of the great bird,
for l could tell it had stopped short, and
| rs the chase was not resumed l vcnturcd
to look back. My heart seemed siiddcnly
to stand still. My head swan, and l had
the greatest difficulty to keep my seat in
the saddle. The infatuated ostrich had
turned and was charging at Il kailir who
was coming up from the camp in pursuit.
The man saw his danger ard cXcit1;liy
threw kcrric after kcrric, which passed
wide of the mark. Vague ideas flashed
through my mind OF going to his help
m absurd idea, of course. and now imp@S
Shlr, for the pony had become Thoroughly
frightened and WAS bcltiDr us hard rs he
could go. There was more shouting now,
and l hoped that others had come to the
rescue; hut, glancing back again, l saw it
was too late. Ostrich and man had met!
The katlir made IL tremendous spring ut
the long neck OF the bird, but he was too
slow, and an awful kick sent thG poor
wretch upon the earth. Before he had
time to rccovcr-if indeed he ever COULD
the bird was literally dancing upon him,
and shut my eyes to hide the ghassly
sight. BY this time several kalirs and a
Dutchman had come up, and with IL long
l;!SSO they caught the sensitive part of the
birds neck and str;!nglcd it, dragging it
oil the PROSTATE kGtlir at the same time.
never knew how | reached home THAI
lay. For days and nights that CHASTITY
fight haunted me, and | was troubled by
the thought that the man had practically
given his life for mine, while had done
nothing even to attempt to save him. His
master, Il hard, mcrccnary Bocr, was more
filled with annoyance ut the loss of the
valuable ostrich than with pity for the
man The unfortunate kaffir had only
lived till he reached the farm, and then
he succumbod to his terrible injuries
Vida World Magazine.