“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 light, for the danger from fire was great.  Fortunately the lamp had been extinguished in its fall, so that, beyond an overpowering smell of petroleum and the destruction of a good many specimens, no serious results ensued.

After securing the Coelops frithii, removing the shattered glass, wiping up the oil, and putting chairs and tables on their legs, the professor was urged to go to bed,—­advice which, in his excitement, he refused to take until it was suggested that, if he did not, he would be totally unfit for exploring the forest next day.

“Vy, it is next day already!” he exclaimed, consulting his watch.

“Just so.  Now do turn in.”

“I vill.”

And he did.

CHAPTER XVIII.

A TRYING ORDEAL—­DANGER THREATENS AND FLIGHT AGAIN RESOLVED ON.

When the early birds are singing, and the early mists are scattering, and the early sun is rising to gladden, as with the smile of God, all things with life in earth and sea and sky—­then it is that early-rising man goes forth to reap the blessings which his lazy fellow-man fails to appreciate or enjoy.

Among the early risers that morning was our friend Moses.  Gifted with an inquiring mind, the negro had proceeded to gratify his propensities by making inquiries of a general nature, and thus had acquired, among other things, the particular information that the river on the banks of which the village stood was full of fish.  Now, Moses was an ardent angler.