habits of these people. This I could readily understand, for to me it
seemed as though they lived in opposition to nature itself.

We went out into the daylight, and then I saw a sight which filled me
with amazement. I saw a flock of birds larger than even the opkuks.
They were called "opmahera." They seemed as tall as giraffes, and
their long legs indicated great powers of running. Their wings were
very short, and not adapted for flight. They were very tractable, and
were harnessed for riding in a peculiar way; lines like reins were
fastened to the wings, and the driver, who sat close by the neck,
guided the bird in this way. Each bird carried two men, but for Almah
and me there was a bird apiece. An iron prod was also taken by each
driver as a spur. I did not find out until afterward how to drive. At
that time the prospect of so novel a ride was such an exciting one
that I forgot everything else. The birds seemed quiet and docile. I
took it for granted that mine was well trained, and would go with the
others of his own accord. We all mounted by means of a stone platform
which stood by the pyramid, and soon were on our way.

The speed was amazing; the fastest race-horse at home is slow compared
with this. It was as swift as an ordinary railway train, if not more
so. For some minutes the novelty of my situation took away all other
thoughts, and I held the reins in my hands without knowing how to use
them. But this mattered not, for the well-trained bird kept on after
the others, while Almah on her bird was close behind me. The pace, as
I said, was tremendous, yet no easier motion can be imagined. The bird
bounded along with immense leaps, with wings outstretched, but its
feet touched the ground so lightly that the motion seemed almost equal
to flying. We did not confine ourselves to the roads, for the birds
were capable of going over any kind of country in a straight line. On
this occasion we passed over wide fields and rocky mountain ridges
and deep swamps and sand wastes at the same speed, until at length
we reached a vast forest of dense tree-ferns, where the whole band
stopped for a short time, after which we took up a new direction,
moving on more slowly. The forest grew up out of a swamp, which
extended as far as the eye could reach from the sea to the mountains.
Along the edge of this forest we went for some time, until at length
there came a rushing, crackling sound, as of something moving there
among the trees