The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1900-06-02
HE Rev: John Ingram, chap
lain in her majesty's army,
writes from Bloemfontein the
details of a remarkable fight
n.od astrioI 1zhich


tx details of a remarkable fight
~ with an enraged ostrich. which
was as dangerous and exciting
as any battle waged by Britons and
Beers on that blood-stained yeldt. Here
is his story:
'My friend, the Rev. Mr.. Crewdson, of
the Soldiers Christian association, and
determined to visit some soldiers
graves eight or nine miles distant. It
was a terrible tramp across the hot, siz-
zling, sandy veldt-a lonely, trying walk,
and a sad sight at the end of it. The last
rough resting place of score of brave
fellows was marked only by a few big
stones piled upon the muddy upturned
earth where they had been hurriedly
buried. .E.E Z.
.'Soon after noon we saw a big ostrich
a male bird, stalking rapidly toward us
It had evidently seen us from its nest,
where it was sitting, and probably
thought We We're going to interfere with
its eggs, or it may have been with its
brood of hedglings. AS it sailed along it
was not difficult to see that the big bird
was in a frenzy of rage. It sped like
the wind, leaving a cloud Of dust in its
wake, and within three minutes it was
close upon us. -r ..-..
eve stood as it approached silent and
amazed, not knowing what to do, and ]
noticed that its body lowered high above
my head. r. z.....<sgI ~5=s. Ill -"
when ths-ostrich reached point. a
dozen pacea from US it stopped and
whirled around, Tapping its huge wings.
Crewdson quietly produced his pocket
knife and opened the largest blade as the
horrible thing went circling around us,
getting nearer and nearer each moment
. Credwson's voice seemed hoarse and
strange as he whispered that If it came
to close quarters our only chance would
be to spring up and attack it In the neck.
I was wondering. how I should do this,
for all I held in my hands was pair OF
field glasses butt replied, All right,
only let us keep together r. -s. 4.
ct don't know if Crewdson heard me,
but it is certain that at that moment ne
turned and walked a few PAGES away.
l felt that to separate or to take our eyes
off the brute meant to be attacked SO L
commenced to walk backward, but the
bird no sooner saw that l was yard or
two nearer than my comrade than II
dashed at me like whirlwdnd.
For q second was transfixed with nor
rer. Death seemed certain, and though,
as 1t were, mentally said .a.dieu to life,
instinct impelled me to drop my field
glasses and without waiting for it to
reach me, in which case it would have
pecked my eyes out and struck me with
it's gigantic claws, probably tearing my
chest open, sprang to meet it. We met
RI
the breath out of me, but with both
hands had grasped its neck oe1ore IL
could lift t2nt 20 strike, and togethef
we rolled over in the sand.
:'For time I was sensible only OF
fierce struggle as with demon, and great
crashing blows which seemed likely to
break the bones to splinters were ralneo
upon my legs. Still, with the strength or
desperation I chung on with both hands
to the sinewy neck and gazed fascinated
at the horny head which I expected each
moment to shoot forward and bury its
bill in my face. r' w r..
ut seemed an age, though 1t was In
reality perhaps less than two minutes
before I found that had wriggled onto
IFS back SO that it kicked into the air
away from me, and I only got snort arm
tlows-bruises instead of wounds. Mr..
CreWdson, who had rushed back, not
knowing whether I was dead or awe,
when he saw the situation, tried to cut
The birds gullet with his knife, WINE
vas gripping it's throat with both hands
III an elfort to strange it and rolling
about endeavoring to avoid its terr1ole
kicks and scratches. .i.sl
.tCrewdson was nervous and could not
get near enough or feared to enter t'se
zone Of the cyclonic struggle, out
reached out with my left hand, still holo-
ing the birds neck with my right. and
grabbing the knife with all my strength
thrust the blade under the birds uplift-
ed wing. It took effect and the wing
seemed to lose power, but the blade of the
knife was broken off.
II threw the knife away and Crewdson
eoaned another blade, and as again
held the ostrich by both hands he con-
trived to cut a cash in its g,lllet. The
blood flowed in showers in all directions
as the bird gave a last awful struggle,
and feared that l should be kicked to
death even then, but I put forth a last
effort to overcome the monster and grad
ually his struggles became more feeble.
The blood was streaming over me in tor
rents. but 1t was the life blood of the
bird, and gradually I was able to loosen
my grip and climb out Of danger
Even when we thought the bird was
dead it made a wild attempt to rise and
kick SO that one blow would probably
have fractured a Kaffirs skull. Then
all was over. fell back on the vcldt
and lay for many minutes in dead faint.
Covered with dirt and blood we plucked
q few feathers from our fallen enemy as
souvenirs of the battle, thanked God for
our lives and .tramped back to Arundel,
where we were told that in ninety-nine
eases out of a hundred man attacked
by male ostrich would not have lived
to tell the tale. =