The ostrich didnt care. When I came back I was carrying a good stout six-foot stick, and I was prepared to use it. And sure enough, there he was on the trail in front of me, doing his thing. When he started moving toward me I went on the offensive, taking a good hard swipe at him.
I missed. He wasnt there. He was in the air, and a split second later he was on his way down again, with that big toe of his, larger than my size-thirteen shoe, extended toward my stomach. He made contactIm sure there was never any question he wouldntand frankly, I got off lightly. All he did was break my two lower ribs and rip my stomach open down to my belt, If the belt hadnt been good and strong, with a solid belt buckle, hed have spilled my guts exactly the way he meant to. As it was, he knocked me over onto my back and I broke three more ribs on a rockbut I had sense enough to keep swinging the stick, so he didnt get to finish me. I scored a good hit on one of his legs, and he ran off.