But he could not abandon beauty in distress, so, finding it impossible to control his horse, he slipped off it, and with the _sjambock_ or hide-whip in his hand valiantly faced the enemy.

For a moment or two the great bird stood still, blinking its lustrous round eyes at him and gently swaying its graceful neck to and fro.
Then all of a sudden it spread out its wings and came for him like a thunderbolt.

John sprang to one side, and was aware of a rustle of rushing feathers, and of a vision of a thick leg striking downwards past his head.

Fortunately it missed him, and the ostrich sped on like a flash.

Before he could turn, however, it was back and had landed the full weight of one of its awful forward kicks on the broad of his shoulders, and away he went head-over-heels like a shot rabbit.