dience to von Schalckenberg's order, warned the
latter to be on his guard; but the professor was not the man to be taken
unawares in the prosecution of such an adventure as he had now
undertaken, and no doubt Vasilovich saw it, for he led the way so
circumspectly as to show plainly that he fully appreciated the imminent
peril of his situation. Fortunately for both, perhaps, no one was
encountered, either in the house or in the courtyard, as the pair made
their way toward the park; and a whispered reminder from von
Schalckenberg proved sufficiently effectual to carry them safely past
the gate-keeper's room. Once clear of this point, the rest was easy,
and a few minutes later, as the pair passed a clump of laurels, Mildmay
stepped forward from his place of concealment and stationed himself on
the other side of the prisoner remarking cheerfully--

"So you have captured your man, eh, Professor? Had you any trouble with
him? I was beginning to feel a trifle anxious about you."

Thereupon the professor proceeded to relate briefly his experiences at
the chateau, thus beguiling the way until the curiously assorted trio
reached the _Flying Fish_, at the vast bulk of which Vasilovich stared
in stupefied amazement. His captors, however, afforded him but scant
time for indulgence in surprise or conjecture, conveying him forthwith
to the tank chamber, wherein they securely locked him, taking the
additional precaution of placing his hands and feet in fetters and
attaching him thereby to a ring-bolt, thus rendering it absolutely
impossible for him to do the slightest mischief. Having made everything
secure, they hastily changed their attire and joined the rest of the
party in the drawing-room, preparatory to sitting down to dinner.

The chief topic of conversation at the dinner-table that night had,
naturally, more or less direct reference to the professor's capture of
the tyrant, Vasilovich, and everybody was keenly anxious to learn from
von Schalckenberg the full details of the feat. There was nothing for
it, therefore, but for the hero of the adventure to describe the
incident _in extenso_. When the relation came to an end Colonel
Lethbridge remarked--

"Well, all I can say, Professor, is that it was an exceedingly plucky
thing to attempt, and you appear to have carried it through with the
most admirable nerve and _sangfroid_. Were you not afraid that the
fellow would raise an alarm and bring all his retainers about you