s. We had proceeded some way when we caught
sight of several, but they were all feeding too far off to give us any
hope of shooting them without showing ourselves. Had we been mounted we
might have been able to run down two or three, but being on foot, our
best chance was to wait in ambush until some unwary bird got within
range of our arrows. My idea was that, if we could shoot one, the
others, from curiosity, would come to see what was the matter.

We accordingly agreed to wait patiently until we were certain of hitting
our "quarry." Toby set us a good example by taking post behind a bush,
where he stood looking like a bronze statue well blackened by London
smoke.

Had two or three emus come near enough, I do not think that Hector and I
could have resisted the temptation to use our rifles. Not a sound was
heard, except when an emu uttered its hollow, booming note, as if
carrying on a conversation with its mate. At length one of the noble
birds came stalking up directly towards where we lay hid. It was fully
seven feet in height, with powerful, stout legs, while its wings were so
small that they could not be distinguished from its lightish brown and
grey plumage. It got up to within twenty yards, when Oliver and Ralph,
unable longer to restrain their eagerness, leapt to their feet, and sent
a couple of shafts into its body. The emu, seeing them, turned tail,
and off it went at a rapid rate. Influenced by a natural impulse, they
started off in chase, instead of getting under cover and watching for
the chance of another bird coming up to it. Toby also sprang out from
behind a tree, and Hector and I followed, trusting that the arrows had
struck deep enough, if not mortally to wound the emu, at all events, to
prevent its keeping up the pace at which it was going. Our plucky young
companions were fixing fresh arrows to their strings as they ran on,
while Toby, bounding over the ground, promised soon to come up with the
wounded bird. What had become of the other emus, I could not see; and I
had to look where I was stepping, for fear of toppling down on my nose.
I do not think I ever ran faster in my life. The emu kept on, but still
it did not gain upon us sufficiently fast to make us abandon the hope of
coming up with it. At length its pace became slower, and Oliver, who
was leading, sent another arrow into its body. It went off again on
feeling the pain, faster than ever; but before long, once more slackened