the camels and servants
have crept into the shadow of some rocks and lain down in the sand.
The beautiful black horse is in the tent with his master; he is
treated like a child, petted and fed by all the family, caressed and
kissed by the children. Here they rest until the heat of the day is
past; but before sunset they have eaten their dates and bread, loaded
again the camels, and are moving, with the beautiful black horse and
his rider at the head.

They ride until the stars are out, and after, but stop for a few
hours' rest in the night, to begin the next day as they began this.
Gemila still rides upon the camel, and I can easily understand that
she prays to Allah with a full heart under the shining stars so clear
and far, and that at the call to prayer in the early dawn her pretty
little veiled head is bent in true love and worship. But I must tell
you what she sees soon after sunrise on this second morning. Across
the sand, a long way before them, something with very long legs is
running, almost flying. She knows well what it is, for she has often
seen them before, and she calls to one of the servants, "See, there is
the ostrich!" and she claps her hands with delight.

The ostrich is a great bird, with very long legs and small wings; and
as legs are to run with, and wings to fly with, of course he can run
better than he can fly. But he spreads his short wings while running,
and they are like little sails, and help him along quite wonderfully,
so that he runs much faster than any horse can.

Although he runs so swiftly, he is sometimes caught in a very odd way.
I will tell you how.

He is a large bird, but he is a very silly one, and, when he is tired
of running, he will hide his head in the sand, thinking that because
he can see no one he can't be seen himself. Then the swift-footed Arab
horses can overtake him, and the men can get his beautiful feathers,
which you must have often seen, for ladies wear them in their bonnets.

All this about the ostrich. Don't forget it, my little girl: some time
you may see one, and will be glad that you know what kind of a fellow
he is.

The ostrich which Gemila sees is too far away to be caught; besides,
it will not be best to turn aside from the track which is leading
them to a new spring. But one of the men trots forward on his camel,
looking to this side and to that as he rides; and at last our little
girl, who is watching, sees his camel kneel, and sees him jump off
a