Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/245

 MISGIVINGS. 217 " Certainly not," crîed Harris ; " they were not gîraffes, they were ostrîches whîch you saw ! " " Ostriches with four legs ! that will never do ! what do you say, Mrs. Weldon ? " Mrs. Weldon replied that she had certaînly taken the animais for quadrupeds, and ail the negroes were under the same impression. Laughing heartily, Harrîs saîd ît was far from an un- common thing for an inexperienced eye to mistake a large ostrich fora small gîraffe ; the shape of both was so similar, that ît often quite escaped observation as to whether the long necks terminated in a beak or a muzzle ; besides, what need of discussion could there be when the fact was establîshed that gîraffes are unknown in the New World ? The reasoning was plausible enough, and Mrs Weldon and the negroes were soon ccnvinced. But Dick was far from satisfied. " I did not know that there was an American ostrich ! " he again objected. " Oh, yes," replied Harris promptly, " there is a specîes called the nandu, whîch is very well known hère ; we shall probably see some more of them." The statement was correct ; the nandu is common in the plains of South America, and is distinguishcd from the African ostrich by having three tocs, ail furnished with claws. It is a fine bird, sometimes excecding six feet in heîght ; ît has a short beak, and its wings are furnished with blue-grey plumes. Harris appcared well acquainted with the bird, and proceeded to give a very précise account of its habits. In concluding his remarks, he again pressed upon Dick his most urgent request that he should abstain from firing upon any animal whatever. It was of the ut- most conséquence. Dick made no reply. He was silent and thoughtful. Grave doubts had arisen in his mind, and he could ncither explain nor dispel tliem. When the march was resumed on the followîng day, Harris asserted his conviction that another four-and-twenty hours would bring them to the hacienda.