Swiss Family Robinson Read Online Free Page A

ourselves in a desert. We stopped to eat beneath the shade of an overhanging rock.
    While we were eating, Fritz cast his eyes over the plain before us.
    “Is it possible that I see horsemen?” he said.
    We passed the spyglass around. Jack andErnest agreed that they looked like men on horseback. But when I looked, I saw that they were very large ostriches.
    “They would be difficult to catch,” I said. “Ostriches are very fast.”
    We thought no more about the ostriches and made our way to a shady valley. Ernest and one of the dogs were ahead. Suddenly we heard a cry of terror.

    We rushed forward.
    Ernest met us. “A bear, Father!” he shouted. “He is coming after me!”
    To my alarm,
two
huge bears appeared!
    Fritz and I both fired. The bullets hit the monsters, but merely wounded them. The bears roared in rage! The dogs rushed at them. We dared not fire in case we hit one of the hounds. Instead, we advanced with loaded pistols. When we were just a few paces away, we fired. One was shot through the head. The other was rearing back, about to spring on Fritz! The bullet found his heart. They both fell dead.
    “Thank Heaven!” I cried.
    Jack raised a shout of victory.
    “We shall have a couple of splendid bearskin rugs,” said Fritz.
    It was getting late. So we dragged the huge beasts into their den to wait until we could skin them. Then we headed to camp for the night.
    In the morning, we returned to the denand went to work. We smoked the meat on the spot and stored the fat. We saved the paws to cook later.
    I woke the boys at dawn. Fritz, Jack, Franz, and I, with two of the dogs, galloped off. We were going to try to capture one of the ostriches we’d seen earlier.
    We soon came to the spot where Fritz had seen them. Jack and Franz rode ahead. They were some distance from us when four ostriches rose from where they were sitting. With a shout, Jack and Franz drove them toward us. Fritz threw his eagle up in the air. The eagle swooped down on the head of one of the birds. The ostrich was so confused that he slowed down. Jack hurled his lasso and snared the giant bird. We looped a cord around his legs so that he could not run off.
    “I am going to make a saddle for him and ride him,” said Jack.
    His brothers wanted the interesting creature for themselves and raised a cry at Jack’s plan. “Come, come,” I said. “I think that Jack has a right to the ostrich, seeing as he was the one who brought it down.”
    We headed homeward at dawn. The ostrich trotted between Storm and Grumble. He was livelier than they were, but the two beasts kept him in check.
    We were soon once more settled at Rockburg
    We tied the ostrich between two bamboo posts out front. After a month of training, the ostrich would trot, gallop, and obey our commands.
    At length, we all learned to ride Master Hurricane. He was so fast we could travelbetween Rockburg and Falconhurst in almost no time!
    In this way, time passed, and another winter arrived, with great black clouds and terrific storms. We gave up our daily trips. The time inside dragged. And our spirits were low.
    “Let’s make a kayak,” suggested Fritz. “Something swifter than what we have, that will skim over the water.”
    Everyone was delighted with the idea. We built the boat’s skeleton of whalebone. We used bamboo to strengthen the sides and to make the deck. We left a little square hole for us to sit in.
    By the time the kayak was done, the rain had passed and the sun again shone.
    The day came when Fritz was ready to make his trial trip. He boldly ventured intothe strong current of Jackal River. From there, he was rapidly carried out to sea! This was more than I had bargained for!
    Ernest, Jack, and I gave chase in our boat. After some time, we soon heard Fritz’s cheery halloo. The kayak darted from behind a point of land. “Come to this beach,” cried Fritz. “I have something to show you!”
    With amazement, we saw a young walrus. It had been killed by a