When hunger was somewhat appeased, Fritz once more cast his eyes over the expanse of plain before us, and after looking fixedly for a moment, exclaimed:
"Is it possible that I see a party of horsemen riding at full gallop toward us! Can they be wild Arabs of the desert?"
"Arabs, my boy! certainly not; but take the spyglass and make them out exactly. We shall have to be on our guard, whatever they are!"
"I cannot see distinctly enough to be sure," said he presently, "and imagination supplies the deficiency of sight in most strange fashion. I could fancy them wild cattle, loaded carts, wandering haycocks, in fact almost anything I like."
The spyglass passed from hand to hand; Jack and Ernest agreed in thinking the moving objects were men on horseback; but when it came to my turn to look, I at once pronounced them to be very large ostriches.
"This is fortunate, indeed!" I exclaimed; "we must try to secure one of these magnificent birds; the feathers alone are worth having."
"A live ostrich, father! that would be splendid. Why, we might ride upon him!"
As the ostriches approached, we began to consider in what way we should attempt a capture. I sent Fritz and Jack to recall the dogs, and placed myself with Ernest behind some shrubs which would conceal us from the birds as they came onward.
The boys did not rejoin us for some little time; they found Knips and the dogs at a pool of water formed by a small mountain stream, which the monkey's instinct had detected; his sudden departure was thus accounted for, and they availed themselves right gladly of his discovery, filling their flasks, and hastily bathing before their return.
The ostriches continued to come in our direction, varying their pace as though in sport, springing, trotting, galloping, and chasing each other round and round, so that their approach was by no means rapid.