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Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland by Olive Schreiner
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two beasts were; and I saw it settle down upon a great white stone; and it
waited. And I saw more specks to the northward, and more and more came
onward to join him who sat upon the stone. And some hovered over the
beasts, and some sharpened their beaks on the stones; and some walked in
and out between the beasts' legs. And I saw that they were waiting for
something.

"'Then he who first came flew from one of the beasts to the other, and sat
upon their necks, and put his beak within their ears. And he flew from one
to the other and flapped his wings in their faces till the beasts were
blinded, and each believed it was his fellow who attacked him. And they
fell to, and fought; they gored one another's sides till the field was red
with blood and the ground shook beneath them. The birds sat by and
watched; and when the blood flowed they walked round and round. And when
the strength of the two beasts was exhausted they fell to earth. Then the
birds settled down upon them, and feasted; till their maws were full, and
their long bare necks were wet; and they stood with their beaks deep in the
entrails of the two dead beasts; and looked out with their keen bright eyes
from above them. And he who was king of all plucked out the eyes, and fed
on the hearts of the dead beasts. And when his maw was full, so that he
could eat no more, he sat on his stone hard by and flapped his great
wings.'

"Peter Simon Halket, cry to the white men and women of South Africa: 'You
have a goodly land; you and your children's children shall scarce fill it;
though you should stretch out your arms to welcome each stranger who comes
to live and labour with you. You are the twin branches of one tree; you
are the sons of one mother. Is this goodly land not wide enough for you,
that you should rend each other's flesh at the bidding of those who will
wet their beaks within both your vitals?--Look up, see, they circle in the
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