CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
THE FENNEC AND THE OSTRICH-EGGS.
Before retiring to rest, the young yagers had resolved upon a pleasantperformance for the morrow--that was, a "surround" of the ostriches.They had planned it that Hendrik and Groot Willem should go first, andride a large circuit around, so as to get far beyond the nest. Arendand Hans would start shortly after taking different sides, while Klaasand Jan should cover the direction towards the camp. In this way thesix, widely separated from each other, would enclose the birds in acircle; and when the latter became alarmed and started to run, they wereto be "headed" by whoever was nearest, and turned back to the oppositeside. This is the mode practised by the South African hunters, and isthe only way by which the ostrich can be tired out and run down, for onsuch occasions, if the "surround" be well managed, the bird becomesconfused, runs from one side to the other, and at length suffers itselfto be captured or shot. It is a dangerous matter, however, to approachtoo near the game even when "blown" or wounded. A wounded ostrich hasbeen known to send the hunter sprawling, and break a leg or an arm, or apair of ribs, by one fling of its muscular limb! Hans, in his usualprudent way, had cautioned his companions to beware of this danger.
They all went to rest with feelings of pleasant anticipation for themorrow. They had high hopes they would either kill or capture the oldcock, and pluck his snow-white plumes to add to their "trophies."
The only drawback upon their plans appeared to be their number. Theyhad doubts whether six could surround the ostriches, so as to head andturn them--especially as of the six two were little boys mounted onsmall ponies, for the chargers ridden by Klaas and Jan were of thischaracter.
It was resolved, however, that Congo and Swartboy should help to formthe circle. They had no horses, but both were active afoot, and eithercould run quite as fast as the ponies. The one armed with his assegais,and the other with his tiny bow and poisoned arrows, they would be wellworth a place in the ring; and the ostriches would thus have eight,instead of six, points in the compass closed up against them. Add tothis, that there were the six buck-dogs to assist them, and it will beacknowledged that their prospect of capturing the ostriches was not sobad.
Sad to say, their hopes of a brilliant day's sport ended in completedisappointment. All their fine plans were frustrated by a singularoccurrence.
A hyena during the night had stolen into camp, and had eaten up thegirth and part of the flaps of Hendriks saddle; and before the damagecould be repaired the ostriches had gone off from the nest.
They were still around it when the hunters arose, but the delay inmending the saddle was fatal to the plan of a "surround." The morningwas a hot sultry one, and the birds leaving their business to the sun,went early away. Just as the boys were mounting, they saw them move offin long strides towards the opposite side of the plain.
They were soon out of sight of the naked eye; but Hans followed themwith his glass, until that also failed to keep them in view.
It was a great disappointment to everybody, just as it would be to afield of fox-hunters, who, after getting into the saddle, had foundthemselves driven back to their stables by frost and snow. Hendrik wasparticularly out of temper, on account of the ill luck that had befallenhis saddle; and if a hyena had shown itself at that moment, it wouldhave stood a fair chance of getting a bullet into its body. All theothers, though in a less degree, shared Hendrik's uncomfortablereflections.
All six sat chafing in their saddles, not knowing what to do.
"Let us ride out to the nest," proposed Arend. "At all events, the eggshave not `stole away.' We'll get them, and, by the way, I shouldn'tobject to an omelette for breakfast," (they had not yet breakfasted:)"I'm tired enough of venison and dry biltong. What say you?"
"By all means," rejoined Groot Willem; "let us bring in the eggs, andbreakfast on them--that is, if they're not too far gone. I should likean egg for breakfast myself. Come on then!"
"Stop!" cried Hans; "stop a moment, yagers! Perhaps we'll not bedisappointed--we may have a chase yet."
Hans had the glass to his eye as he spoke.
"What!" inquired several; "are they coming back?"
Hans made no reply for a moment. He could not be looking after theostriches. His telescope was pointed in the direction of the nest. Thebirds were not there!
"It is it!--it is! the very creature itself!" exclaimed Hans, in ahalf-soliloquy.
"What is it? what creature?" demanded the boys.
"The fox!" replied Hans.
"What fox!"
"Why, the fennec--the same I saw last night--yonder it is, though youcan't see it with the naked eye. I can barely make it out with theglass. It is up close by the nest of the ostriches, and appears busyabout something."
"The eggs, I warrant," suggested Groot Willem.
"A fox-chase! a fox-chase!" exclaimed Hendrik, partially recoveringtemper.
"A fox-chase!" echoed Klaas and Jan.
"A fox-chase be it then," assented Hans; and all six set their horses inmotion, whistling to the buck-dogs to follow.
They headed directly for the ostriches' nest. They were not going tomake a circuit for such an insignificant creature as the little fennec.They knew that it could only escape them by getting to a hole, as theyhad dogs that could trail and run it down go where it would. It wasprobable that its burrow was not very near. It had evidently strayedaway from home, and "dogged" the ostriches to their nest, so as to getat their eggs. Swartboy alleged that such was its habit--that it wasfonder of eggs than any other food--and that the eggs of the great birdwere its particular favourites. That it was constantly roving about insearch of ostrich-nests; and as these are very difficult, even for a foxto find, the fennec, when it suspects that the ostriches are laying,will follow them for miles to discover the nest--just as Hans had seenthis one do.
Swartboy had given all this information on the preceding night, which,of course, explained the mystery of such a small creature running uponthe trail of the great ostriches. It was not _them_, but _their eggs_,it wanted.
Now there was still a mystery Swartboy had not explained; and that was,how this animal, when it found the eggs, was able to _get at theircontents_? The shell of the ostrich-egg is thick and strong. Itrequires a considerable blow with some hard weapon to break it, and howa puny creature, like the little fennec, could effect a breach was amystery to all, but especially to the naturalist Hans. The fennec wasno stranger to him. He had seen many of them in captivity. He knewsomething of their anatomy. He knew that their skulls were destitute ofthe ridge in which the temporal muscles are inserted, and thatconsequently they were weak-jawed animals--much more so than the commonfox. It was not possible for them to have broken the shell of anostrich-egg with their jaws. He knew that it was equally impossible forthem to effect that purpose with the claws of their feet--the soles ofwhich are covered with soft wool, as in the Arctic fox--a peculiarityconsidering that the fennec is an inhabitant of the hottest climes, andone quite unexplained by naturalists!
From the strength and structure of the animal, Hans believed it could nomore have got at the contents of an ostrich-egg than it could have eatenits way into the heart of a bomb-shell.
Swartboy was here at fault. He only knew that it _did_ get at thecontents, white and yolk; but _how_ he had never observed. He could nottell. He could not solve the mystery.
They had not long to wait in doubt about this matter. In less than tenminutes after, the fennec himself presented the solution before theastonished eyes of the young yagers.
When they had ridden up within some three hundred yards of the nest thelittle animal came under the view of all, and they pulled up to watchhis manoeuvres. He was so busy about his own affairs, that he had notperceived their approach. The ground was covered with soft sand, sothat the hoofs made no noise, and with all his keen sense of hearing--for he possesses that in proportion to his large ears--he had not caughta sound. He was hard at work, and never looked towards the
m. In fact,he was seen to raise his head at intervals, and look towards the pointwhither the ostriches had gone, and all his gazing was in thatdirection. The party had, therefore, a good view of the animal withoutbeing observed by him; and they watched his manoeuvres with interest.
Swartboy and the Kaffir held the dogs in their leashes, and all remainedsilent as statues.
Now what was the little fennec doing?
At first the spectators were puzzled to make out, but presently all wasexplained.
When they first saw him he was at a distance of several yards from thenest, and going farther from it, on the opposite side to that where thehunters had halted. His tail was towards them, and the fore-part of hisbody appeared to be raised as if his paws rested upon something. Thissomething was seen to be an ostrich's egg. He was pushing it before himalong the ground, using his feet alternately, and forcing the _egg_ toturn. This action was similar to that of some unfortunate fellow on thetread-mill, except that it was voluntary on the part of the fennec.
Now why was he rolling the _egg_? Did he mean to transport it in thatway to his burrow? It would have been an arduous task, as it was notlikely his subterranean dwelling was anywhere in that neighbourhood.
But he had no such design. His intention was to eat his breakfast onthat very spot, or at all events very near it; and the spectators soonsaw where his table was to be spread, for some of them now remembered anodd story they had heard of the caama, and already suspected his design.
About three or four yards from his snout lay a stone. It was a boulderof small dimensions, some twelve inches in height, but quite largeenough for the fennec's purpose. It was evident that he had a purposewith this stone, for he was rolling the egg directly towards it. Thosewho had guessed his design were not disappointed. When his snout waswithin about three feet of the stone, the fennec made a sudden rushforward, carrying the egg along by a rapid motion of his feet, until thehard shell came in contact with the harder rock.
A "crash" reached the ears of the hunters, and, looking attentively,they saw that the egg was broken into "smithereens!"
The breakfast of the fennec was now before him, and he at once set abouteating it, but the hunters were hungry too, their patience could holdout no longer, and spurring their horses and letting slip the dogs, theygalloped forward.
It was a short run for a fox to give. The creature had hardly made gooda couple of hundred yards, before the buck-dogs threw him; and it wasjust as much as Swartboy could do, aided by his jambok ofhippopotamus-hide, to save his beautiful skin from their jaws.
The eggs were soon collected. Those in the nest had "gone too far," asGroot Willem had feared: some contained chicks, and others were addled.But of the ones scattered about several turned out quite fresh, so thatthe hunters had omelette for breakfast, as they had wished.
Swartboy showed them how to cook the eggs to perfection. This mode wasto set one end in the ashes, break a hole in the other, and then with alittle stick keep stirring the contents until they were sufficientlybroiled. That is an omelette of ostrich-eggs.