e gangway,
down the ladder, and so into his boat, which a few minutes later was
once more dangling at the davits of the convict-ship, while Count
Vasilovich was being inducted into his new quarters among his fellow
convicts.

CHAPTER NINE.

COLONEL SZISZKINSKI JOINS THE PARTY.

Meanwhile, during the progress of the foregoing scene, Colonel
Sziszkinski, so full of amazement at what was transpiring that he found
it difficult to persuade himself that he was not the victim of some
fantastic hallucination, stood silent and watchful where he had first
halted upon the deck of the _Flying Fish_. He had, of course, upon the
instant of his arrival, recognised among the strangers who, for some
mysterious reason, were thus interfering with his affairs, the somewhat
remarkable personality of his old friend von Schalckenberg, and he was
also aware, from the exclamation of the professor, that the latter had
recognised him. But the colonel had recently, in the course of his
prison experience, undergone a course of hard discipline that had
speedily impressed upon him the wisdom of keeping his eyes wide open and
his mouth close shut until he was absolutely sure of all the details of
any situation in which he might find himself. Moreover, he had observed
that, although von Schalckenberg had unquestionably recognised him, the
professor had vouchsafed no sign indicative of the existence of such a
sentiment as friendship for him. So, believing that there was doubtless
good reason for this, he remained an impassive but none the less
profoundly interested spectator of what was happening. But no sooner
were Captain Popovski and his satellites fairly clear of the _Flying
Fish_ than von Schalckenberg darted forward and, seizing the colonel by
both hands, while his eyes beamed ardent friendship through the lenses
of his gold-rimmed spectacles, exclaimed--

"Ach! mein friend, now that that prying Russian has gone we may act and
speak freely! Welcome, thrice welcome, my dear Boris; and all hearty
congratulations on your escape from a fate that, to a high-spirited
fellow like yourself, would have been far worse than death. But come
and let me present you to my friends. This,"--indicating the baronet,
who, seeing that he was no longer needed behind the Maxim, came
sauntering up--"is Sir Reginald Elphinstone, an Englishman, and the
owner of this good ship, the _Flying Fish_. You have to thank your
daughter first, and Sir Reginald next