quite flat。 In this position it cannot strike you with its bludgeon…like foot； nor is its beak adapted to pecking； though it can and does dance and roll upon you and sit upon your head as though it were an egg which it wished to hatch。
These birds； so ferocious with human beings； are terribly afraid of dogs。 I think that we lost two of ours through the visitation of wandering hounds at night that set them running furiously till they broke their necks in the wire fences。 Its own voracity brought another to its end： for they will pick up pocket…knives or anything that attracts them。 This fowl managed to swallow a huge sharp…pointed bone which fixed itself across the gullet in such a position that it would go neither up nor down。 There was only one thing to be done — operate。 So we operated； with a razor and without an anaesthetic。 I only hope that such another job may never fall to my lot； for that ostrich was unmonly strong and resented our surgical aid。 However； we got the bone out and the creature recovered。 Imagine our horror when； a few weeks later； it appeared with another bone immovably planted in exactly the same place！ This time we left it to fate； by which it was speedily overtaken。
Besides the ostriches we had a number of draught oxen and some waggons。 Out of these we did very well； as we hired them to Government for transport purposes； though from these trips they returned dreadfully footsore and poor。 But cattle also had their risks。 Thus I remember