They rushed away at lightning speed, some along the smooth sand beach, while others rose right up into the air, and on loud whirring wings flew off into the forest.
"Now!" said Saloo, with joy gleaming in his dark, Oriental eyes.

"Now we getee pay for patient waitee--we hab egg--better than dulion--belly bess solt of egg malee." As there was no need for further concealment or caution, all started to their feet and hastened out to the spot where the departed fowls had been at work.

There was no longer any signs of a hollow, but a level surface corresponding with that around, and but for the fresh look of the recently disturbed sand, and the scoring that told of claws having disturbed it, no one could have thought that a flock of birds resembling barn-door fowl had just made such a large cavity in the ground, and then filled it up again.
Saloo and Murtagh ran down to the pinnace, and each brought back an oar.
With these used as shovels, the loose sand was once more removed, and nearly three dozen large eggs of a reddish or brick colour were exposed to view, lying in a sort of irregular stratification.

They were of the usual ovoid form, smaller at one end than the other, though but slightly elongated.

What was most notable was their immense size, considering the bulk of the birds that voided them; for while the latter were not larger than common hens, the eggs were as big as those of a goose.