laimed Frank, starting up in
great excitement. "I never saw an ostrich. I want to see one beyond
anything! Couldn't we shoot one, Charles? Are they quite out of shot?"

"Much too far to make it worth while trying," said Lavie. "But we might
bring one or two down by a stratagem, perhaps. If you four spread
yourselves in all directions to the right yonder, and drive them this
way, I could hide behind the rock there and bring one down as they went
past. Couldn't that be managed, Omatoko?"

"One, two, three, four drive ostrich this way. Omatoko kill one, two--
with bow and arrow. Omatoko no miss."

"What, do you think your bow and arrow better than Charles's rifle?"
exclaimed Nick; "well, that is coming it strong, anyhow."

"I tell you what," said Warley, "this will be a famous opportunity for
you to have the match out for which you were so anxious the other day.
You and Charles shall both hide behind the rock there, and Frank, Nick,
and myself will fetch a compass and drive the ostriches past you. Then
we shall see which will take the longest and truest shot. What do you
say, Charles?"

"I have no objection, I am sure," said Lavie, laughing; "only I hope the
trial won't go against me. It would be most ignominious to be beaten by
a bow and arrows. I should never hear the last of it, I expect!"

"Don't be afraid, Charles, there's no fear of that," returned Warley,
reciprocating the laugh. "Well, now let us be off. If you'll take the
right side, Nick, and you, Frank, the left, I'll take the middle, and
we'll come upon them all together. Lion had better stay here."

The three lads set out accordingly, creeping noiselessly through the
cover of the scrub, at a distance too far for even the quick-eared
ostriches to perceive them, until they had all attained their appointed
places. Then they advanced on the birds, shouting and hallooing, and
waving sticks over their heads.

The ostriches instantly took to flight after their fashion, skimming
along with expanded wings, and covering twelve or fourteen feet at every
stride. They passed the rock behind which the two marksmen were
concealed, at a speed which would have far outstripped the swiftest
racehorse at Newmarket. But as they darted by, there came the crack of
the doctor's rifle, and at the same moment Omatoko's arrow leaped from
his bow. Both missiles hit their mark, but with a different result.
Charles's bullet struck the bird he aimed at just under