New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-12
CHASED BIZ A WILD OSTRICH
THRILLING ADVENTURE OK AN AFRrcy
VELDT-A KAFFIR KICKED
TO DEATH
TO DEATH.
From INC Md World MagazIno.


as we mounted our horses for ride acros,
country. Before We had gone far. however nv
companion was summoned back by the news =
the illness Of "A horse, and continued ms rds
alone. As ! advanced mile by mile The gcenery
grew wilder. and great rocks just tinged viii
the purple If the sunrise. rose maiestiCally G,
either side. When the road divided my Basg;5
pony turned of into a bride path which le9
through a wild gorge and eventually lost Itself
among the rocks at the foot or Il hlll The sure
footed little creature started up thc side Of the
mountain ard eventually landed Doe al the ton
Here | dismounted and left him 20 graZe ",
had been out some hours. Kemounung We h.
lowed a half beaten track on the opposite sd,
from which We had come. and in "a shor, tine
We were at the foot Of the hin and on the Level
veldt once more. Going forward into the main
road (such as it was, which wound round tie
base Of the mountain, ! started Of az quick
canter toward home.
AN AWKWARD PREDICAMENT.
For some time We went along a; a good pace
when suddenly ] was startled by the sight nd
far ahead. Of a cock ostrich rushing wildly back
ward and forward with ITS black-and white
wings Tapping and quiyering with rage pulled
up with jerk. for at first | thought the bid
was loose on the Yeldt. but on closer inspection
| found that a wire fence was between Us. Just
at this moment | saw on the other side 81 the
camp a hen sitting on her nest. and knowing
only too well the danger | was in paused 10
consider what should do. short distance 10
front the road ran close TO the fence. and knew
il would be impossible to pass that way. There
was nothing for 10 but 20 retrace MY steps and
follow the road back round the mountain I'll
joined the one by which had come. was nos
afraid. for IL was hl no means an hn'' ilmM
position in which 90 md ones Self m the ''nir
of an ostrich farming country, and. besides
felt sure Of getting away. Accordingly. ! turned
the pony'S head i'm the opposite direction and
walked quietly back. hoping 10 escape notice
few moments passed. and | began o. ihink We
g.. nh.
me look around. To my horror | saw that
one Of his wild charges the enormous bird had
caught sight of US. and was making franic
dashes along the fence. which was unusually
low and was not Of barbed wire. IN a few Sec
onds he would be over. and then IT meant race
for dear life. My pony | knew. was one q me
quickest in the country, and a. we nad coca
start possibly for IA short time We should Keep
ahead, but in the end knew the ostrich must
easily catch us.
AS II by instinct my faithful friend scented
danger. and after one whispered word 10 ms
ear he was off like the wind. There was sue.
denly 4 crash behind US followed by a measured
beating which almost made the ground vihrais
and set my heart humping. II You have never
heard the tramp of an Infatuated ostrl,h 10
words will adequately describe ii, the ~
approach 10 il that | can think Of j. the %
of the regular "thud, thud," Of soldiers on ths
march. There was no mistake. We were beng
pursued by a furious cock Osirich-a iormdaos
foe indeed Now il was only question OF Time
Inc pony : tctt seemed scarcely TO t'u'h "'
ground and | bent forward urging him on
feverishly as | had never done before Nearer
and nearer came the heating. the distance ue'
tween us and our strangr pursu"r growing iess
and less every second. was poNei'sS L" "
anything but hold on 20 my flying morse we
were miles away from any farm ln me n'r"c
ton We were going and those brhlnd knew
nothing Of the terrible danger was in 'oILa
there be no help? Alone ON the pouHdI'7s '''""
looked vaguely up into the blu" Sky
mn ~ .rl.-
There was a distant shout and was dimy
conscious that a short heavy k'rN' WIZ.
past me. | dared not stop. for the "SNleh wa
now but a few yards behind and could Almost
feel the vibration Of IT'S great wings a. j
skinned. haf-hyiug. halt-ra'ne over 'D.
earth. Presently another kern. came WIZ -
Iast and this tim. 10 must haN' lnteri'ied u
some way with the progress of the great ny,
for / could tell il had stopped shDi ara a. lI'
chase was not resumed Nenturei i' i"'h N''h
My heart seemed suddenly to stand SUI III!
head swan and / had the greatest difficulty
keep my seat bon The s3diic. The f'uraicl ~
trich had turned and was chalg.ne ar ID ha''
who was coming un from the camp DID, IIif''-
The man saw his danger and DN.itediy my
kcrrie after krrrie. which passed wide oi I'd,
going 10 his help-an absurd Idea. az '"l.,T
and now impossible for The pony bad pee
thoroughly frightened and was boiling a. "a.
as he could -. There was more shouting IT,
and hoped that others had come tD me res..|
but CHANGING back again. SAYS Do was 100 i~''
ostrich and man had met -,
The Kafir made "A tremendous Sirng al ".
long neck Of the bird. but he Nae ''o sio" a..
an awful kick sent the poor Wr.t .h INTO me ..
and dropped him with thul upon me ear,
Before ne had time 10 recover IT, indeed, -
ever could-the bird was literally dancing up9s
him and | shut my eyes to hide me sh@sT
sight BY this time several kaiir- and p1,.-
man had come up. and with long laSsy ~
caught the sensitive part of the bird neck AZ.
strangled il. dragging il on the PROSTATE hS sJ
at the same time I never knew how reSm,.,
home that day For days and nights tnat s'rs
ly fight haunted me. and was tfousied y! 81.
thought that the man had practically gwen y" =,
life for mine. while had done nothing even y
attempt to save him. His master. haru - a,
cenary Boer was more filled with annoyan~ otr
the loss OF the valuable ostrich than WIN -
for the man The unfortunate Ksiiir hao ~ IT,
lived till ne reached the farm and then ne Wv
,p,,l,oJ 20 hi tfrrfflp n iurf.g