"Don't you sell the eggs, sir?" asked Tom.
"As other farmers sell hens' eggs? No. The eggs are worth five dollars apiece. We hatch a good many of them by artificial means. These birds are careless of their eggs, and leave them lying around, so that it is part of our business to collect them. In other parts of Africa the natives eat the eggs, however, roasting them in the shell, and stirring the meat with a stick. They also use the thick hard shells for drinking-cups."
The party reached their journey's end, and after eating luncheon at Mr. Van Zeilin's comfortable house, started off to explore.
"Good gracious!" cried Tom; "what's that?" In the next breath he recognized the strange object before him as an ostrich, but just at first he was thoroughly amazed. It was hard to realize that any mere bird could be so big. It was as tall—well, its head would be on a level with the top of an ordinary-sized wardrobe. Its legs alone were four or five feet long. Bird, indeed! it looked more like a young camel than anything else; only it had but two legs. Tom stared and stared. He had expected to see something like a prize turkey, and now this! Meanwhile Mr. Van Zeilin had halted. He began cutting off branches from the tree beneath which they were standing.
OSTRICHES.
"I wish to show you a nest," he said; "but we shall have to be wary. We may meet with a warm reception. Tom, you are a traveller. What do you propose doing if the ostrich shows fight?"
"I'll fight back," said Tom, valorously. "He's only a bird. I guess I can whip him."
"Not so fast," said Mr. Van Zeilin, continuing to trim his branches, which he forked at one end. "Ostriches are very strong. Their strength is in their legs, and they fight with them. An ostrich has been known to knock down a lion with one well-aimed blow; so I fancy an angry bird would make short work of you, my plucky little fellow. No, I wouldn't advise you to fight."
"He who fights and runs away may live to fight another day," laughed Tom's father. "What do you say to taking to your heels, my boy?"