The hen uttered a strangely soft clucking kind of noise, as if in reply, and there was a peculiar look of satisfaction about the huge tame creature as she covered the gigantic clutch. "So they are," said Dyke--"something like eggs, aren't they?--I say, look at the others," he continued, as they stalked off to go apparently to discuss the new arrivals with the cock bird over at the other side of the enclosure. "There," said Emson, "you can have these addled eggs cleaned out, Dyke, and we'll make chunking cups of them. When shall we fetch the other lot? This evening?" "If you like." "No; we'll leave it till to-morrow, and give the nags a rest." CHAPTER SIX. LIONS AT HOME. Fortune smiled her brightest upon Joseph Emson when they first came up the country, travelling for months in their wagon, till Kopfontein, with its never-failing spring in the granite chasm, was settled upon as being a capital place to carry out the idea of the ostrich-farm. Then the rough house was run up, and in course of time pens and other enclosures made, and by very slow degrees stocked with the gigantic birds, principally by help of Kaffir servants; Jack showing himself to be very clever in finding nests of eggs, but afterwards proving lazy and indifferent, excusing himself on the plea that "Baas got all eggs. No more. All gone." It seemed to be a capital idea, and promised plenty of success, for at first the feathers they obtained from the Kaffirs sold well, making capital prices when sent down to Cape Town. Then the supply from the native hunters began to fail; and when at last the young farmers had plumes to sell of their own raising, prices had gone down terribly, and Emson saw plainly enough that he was losing by his venture. Then he began to lose his birds by accident, by the destructive propensities of the goblin and a vicious old hen or two; and lastly, some kind of epidemic, which they dubbed ostrich chicken-pox, carried the young birds off wholesale. Then Dyke began to be damped, and grew dull, and soon his brother became low-spirited too, and for a whole year matters had gone on from bad to worse; Emson often asking himself whether it was not time to make a fresh start, but always coming to the same frame of mind that it was too soon to be beaten yet, and keeping a firm upper lip in the presence of his brother. The morning after the finding of the ostrich's nest, they started again, taking the net, and keeping a keen lookout in the hope of discovering another. "There's no reason why we should not," said Emson. "I've been too easy with Jack; he has not disturbed the birds around for months." "I think we can find the nest again," said Dyke. "Why not? We'll find it by the footmarks, if we cannot any other way. But I think I can ride straight to it."