When the German looked up next there was a look of supreme satisfaction in
the little mouth and the beautiful eyes.
"What dost see, chicken?" he asked.
The child said nothing, and an agonizing shriek was borne on the afternoon
breeze.
"Oh, God! my God! I am killed!" cried the voice of Bonaparte, as he, with
wide open mouth and shaking flesh, fell into the room, followed by a half-
grown ostrich, who put its head in at the door, opened its beak at him, and
went away.
"Shut the door! shut the door! As you value my life, shut the door!" cried
Bonaparte, sinking into a chair, his face blue and white, with a
greenishness about the mouth. "Ah, my friend," he said tremulously,
"eternity has looked me in the face! My life's thread hung upon a cord!
The valley of the shadow of death!" said Bonaparte, seizing the German's
arm.
"Dear, dear, dear!" said the German, who had closed the lower half of the
door, and stood much concerned beside the stranger, "you have had a fright.
I never knew so young a bird to chase before; but they will take dislikes
to certain people. I sent a boy away once because a bird would chase him.
Ah, dear, dear!"
"When I looked round," said Bonaparte, "the red and yawning cavity was
above me, and the reprehensible paw raised to strike me. My nerves," said
Bonaparte, suddenly growing faint, "always delicate--highly strung--are
broken--broken! You could not give a little wine, a little brandy my
friend?"
The old German hurried away to the bookshelf, and took from behind the
books a small bottle, half of whose contents he poured into a cup.
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