Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1925-12-11
HEADING
THE
OSTRICH
BY J. o. PAGAN
DO BY Short Story PUB. co..

~ OK wagons, containing more
n than thousand women and
girls, together with mixed
assemblage of two or three thousand
Boer horsemen, were gathered together
near Jansen's Mex, in the Komatl dis
trict Of Transvaal, to witness re-
markable contest between RED" Dirk
Uys Of Wakkerstrom and Crooked"
Dirk Breydenbach of Komati, rivals
for the hand of the acknowledged
beauty Of the Boer republic.
At a monster church meeting, held
a few days before at Middleburg, the
exciting diversion of voting for the
prettiest girl in the country had damp
ened the usual fervor Of the religious
services to a marked degree, and final
ly, when It was announced that little
Rosie Van Wyk had been elected by
handsome majority, the jubllation Of
the contingent from her district was
simply boundless.
But, when later, according to Gus
tom, the maiden nominated husband
and named CROOKED" Dirk Breyden-
bach as her choice, much dissatisfac-
ton was expressed by number of
disappointed rivals. Privileged by the
rules of the competition, one of these
ambitious young fellows, Dirk Uys Of
Wakkerstrom, surnamed the RED" on
account Of his fiery disposition, imme-
diately challenged the fortunate win
ner and called upon him to uphold his
lat nvaI ~ I'D
Craftsmanship by competing In the cele-
brated contest known all over the
country as Heading the Ostrich"
But IL the dlsgruntled and hot-headed
youngster had any idea that little Dirk
Breydenbach would tamely surrender
his beautiful bride he was much mis-
taken.
Dirk, It is true, was small and had
q bad figure, but nevertheless, he was
one Of the most popular young Beers
in the Komati, and for very good rea-
sons, too. When a mere boy he had
made for himself a glorious record by
successfully defending party of
women and children during q night
raid by an impl of murderous Kaffirs
and his deformlty was the result of
wound received on that occasion. He
was not only brave but amlable, quiet
and unobtrusive, and universally be
loved for his cheerful disposition.
From childhood his name had been
coupled with that Of Rosie Van Wyk
and as the boy grew up his sweetheart
30 thInIy Of htg 1afarp1tt,
and more and more Of his sterling
character and of his renOwn as the
cleverest hOrseman and hunter in ~
the wide, game-covered country east
of the river Vaal. Consequently, when
It became known that his right to
marry the girl who had chosen hin
had been challenged by an upstart
from another district, universal inter
est and much indignation were arouse
and the Beers Of the KOmatl wer
outspoken in behalf of their favorlte.
A well-known ostrich hunter was
kept busy for nearly a week arrangin"
the details of the contest Fortunate
ly, he found an ostrich nest In a splen
did situation The next morning he
galloped suddenly upon the scene.
whereupon the male bird, which was
acting as sentinel, rushed at top speed
away from the nest, hoping in this
way to deceive the hunter and draw
him away from the group Of females
crouching In the grass among the eggs.
The Boer chased the bird vigorously
fnr distance and than ratiraH
from the pursuit as IL beaten. On
three successive mornings the hunter
played the same trick, and the ostrich,
satisfied with the success Of his tao
tics, took exactly the same course.
almost stride for stride, on each sub
sequent occasion.
Having made certain Of the bird,
exact course, the old hunter sent u
notice far and wide that on the fol.
lowing Saturday morning magnifi
cent male Ostrlch--a terrific runner"
he wrote-wOuld be started from the
northwest corner Of Hans BOtha's
farm. The bird, the bulletin said
would run to the edge Of the plateau.
then down through Jansen's Mex and
out over Prinsloo's flats as far as
Bushman's sprult, where, baking al
the running water and afraid TO cross
It, as the ostrich invariably u.s. he
would swerve suddenly and sharply t.
the right, and take course a.
straight as an arrow to the westward
The eventful morning came. All
horsemen and wagoners were warned
TO keep well to one side and leave the
course to the rival horsemen. The
rules for the contest Itself were very
simple. The rivals were permitted to
take up any position they chose ahead
OF the bird, and await its approach
but were required to keep at least
FIVE hundred yards to the right Of the
expected route, to give the bird plenty
OF room to dodge, and themselves Op
portunity to maneuver. The man who
could head of the ostrich and knock
him over with blow Of the sjambok
would be the winner.
And 80 hundreds Of Beers, with their
families, were on hand from Walker
strom, Utrecht, and the south coun
try, as friends and relatives of Red
Dirk, while farmers from Mlddleburg
and the Komati, Of course, present In
great number to cheer the efforts Of
their favorite little crOokback. when
suddenly the big ostrich was sighted
sailing down through Jansen's Mex
following the exact course fOreiOld by
the hunter Along the route the spec
IL. n LII oh Mitch