o close to an
inexhaustible enthusiast, whose every step produced a rattling of the
bamboo floor, and whose unwearied energy enabled him to hunt during the
greater part of the night.

At length slumber descended on Nigel's spirit, and he lay for some time
in peaceful oblivion, when a rattling crash awoke him. Sitting up he
listened, and came to the conclusion that the professor had upset some
piece of furniture, for he could hear him distinctly moving about in a
stealthy manner, as if on tip-toe, giving vent to a grumble of
dissatisfaction every now and then.

"What _can_ he be up to now, I wonder?" murmured the disturbed youth,
sleepily.

The hermit, who slept through all noises with infantine simplicity, made
no answer, but a peculiar snort from the negro, who lay not far off on
his other side, told that he was struggling with a laugh.

"Hallo, Moses! are you awake?" asked Nigel, in a low voice.

"Ho yes, Massa Nadgel. I's bin wakin' a good while, larfin fit to bu'st
my sides. De purfesser's been agoin' on like a mad renoceros for more 'n
an hour. He's arter suthin, which he can't ketch. Listen! You hear 'im
goin' round an' round on his tip-toes. Dere goes anoder chair. I only
hope he won't smash de lamp an' set de house a-fire."

"Veil, veil; I've missed him zee tence time. Nevair mind. Have at you
vonce more, you aggravating leetle zing!"

Thus the unsuccessful man relieved his feelings, in a growling tone, as
he continued to move about on tip-toe, rattling the bamboo flooring in
spite of his careful efforts to move quietly.

"Why, Verkimier, what are you after?" cried Nigel at last, loud enough
to be heard through the partition.

"Ah! I am sorry to vake you," he replied, without, however, suspending
his hunt. "I have tried my best to make no noice, but zee bamboo floor
is--hah! I have 'im at last!"

"What is it?" asked Nigel, becoming interested.

"Von leetle bat. He come in vis a moss----"

"A what?"

"A moss--a big, beautiful moss."

"Oh! a moth--well?"

"Vell, I shut zee window, capture zee moss, ant zen I hunt zee bat vith
my bootterfly-net for an hour, but have only captured him zis moment.
Ant he is--sooch a--sooch a splendid specimen of a _very_ rar' species,
zee _Coelops frizii_--gootness! Zere goes zee lamp!"

The crash that followed told too eloquently of the catastrophe, and
broke the slumbers even of the hermit. The whole party sprang up, and
entered the naturalist's room with a lig