to
the steward, "I'll take a cup of coffee. Yes, the professor and I have
been out all night, although I don't think we really meant to stay so
long, but--"

"Well, but where is von Schalckenberg, then? Did he not come in with
you?" interrupted Sir Reginald.

"No," answered Mildmay; "I left him by the margin of the lake, mounting
guard over four unicorns, and--"

"Unicorns?" ejaculated Lethbridge; "you lucky sailor-man! Surely you do
not seriously mean to say that you have bagged any unicorns?"

"Four unicorns--two males and two females; one lion, and a python. Not
so bad for one night's work, is it? And I came in, Sir Reginald, at the
professor's request, to suggest that we should move the ship over to the
lake forthwith, to give you all a chance to see the beasts before we
start to flay them, and also to place them under the protection of the
ship, so to speak. For now that we have them, the professor is afraid
to take his eyes off them for a moment lest something should get at them
and spoil the pelts."

"I should say so," concurred Sir Reginald. "All right, Mildmay, you cut
away and get your bath. I will take the ship over at once. Whereabouts
shall I find von Schalckenberg?"

"Right at the southern end of the lake," said Mildmay. "You can't very
well miss him. Look for a gap in the reeds, and steer for that. You
will find him there."

And, as Mildmay retired to his cabin to prepare for a bath, the other
three men hurried off to the pilot-house, eager to get a sight of the
professor and his interesting "bag."

As the _Flying Fish_ rose into the air, the occupants of her pilot-house
levelled their powerful binoculars upon the margin of the lake, and
almost immediately Lethbridge cried out--

"I see him! There he is, away to the left, proudly mounting guard over
his spoils. Starboard your helm a trifle, Elphinstone. So; steady as
you go. Do you see him?"

"Ay," said Sir Reginald, "I see him now," as he again raised his glasses
to his eyes. "And, by Jove, he seems to be busy too. Surely he is
using his rifle, isn't he?"

"He seems to be," observed Sziszkinski. "Yes; he is down on one knee,
aiming at something. Ha! look at that! Lucky man! he is getting all
the sport. Surely that was a lion that sprang into the air and fell
back among the rushes!"

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

IN THE HEART OF THE GREAT AFRICAN FOREST.

As the _Flying Fish_ settled down quite close to the spot where the