something worth having one of these days, besides picking up a lot
of knowledge. I'd put that piece of old iron the ostrich swallowed
along with the rest."

"Would you?"

"Yes; but now let's have all eyes, and no tongues, old chap. We are
getting near where that bird got up off the nest."

"If there was one."

"If there was one," assented Emson. "Now then: think you're mushrooming
out in the old field at home, and see if you can't find the nest. Move
off now a couple of hundred yards, and keep your eyes open."

Dyke followed out his brother's advice, and for the next hour they rode
over the ground here and there, to and fro, and across and across,
scanning the sandy depressions, till Emson suddenly drew rein, and
shouted to Dyke, who was a quarter of a mile away.

Dyke sent his cob off at a gallop and joined him.

"Found it?" he cried excitedly.

"No, old fellow. It's a failure this time. Man wants sharp eyes to get
the better of an ostrich. I made sure we should get it, but we're done.
We've been over the ground times enough, and it's of no use."

"What! give up?" cried Dyke merrily. "Didn't say we'd find it the first
time, but I mean to have that nest, if I try till to-morrow morning."

"Well done, little un," shouted Emson, laughing. "That's the right
spirit, and I should like to have had the eggs; it would have started us
on again. But I'm afraid we shall be wasting time, for we've lost count
now of the position where I saw the bird rise, and in this great waste
we may wander farther and farther away."

"But we can tell by the hoof-marks where we've been."

"Yes; and we've pretty well examined the ground. I tell you what, we'll
bring the glass this evening, and lie down watching till dark. We may
see a bird come to the nest, and then we'll mark down the place, and one
shall stop back, while the other rides forward, and number one can
telegraph which way to go with his arms."

"I am disappointed," said Dyke, looking round about him over the level
plain.

"So am I, old chap, but we won't be damped. It's only putting it off.--
What are you looking at?"

"That," said Dyke; and, kicking his nag's sides, he went off at a canter
for a couple of hundred yards, and then sent up a joyous shout.

"Why, he has found it!" cried Emson; and galloping up, there sat Dyke,
flushed and happy, beside a depression in the sand, evidently scraped
out, and with the sand banked round to keep the eggs in thei