ional jealousy that even to this day lingers in a more or less
modified form between the navy and the army; and if the occasion
happened to be peculiarly favourable, they sometimes exchanged a
chaffing remark or two at each other's expense. But the sparring was
always perfectly good-natured, and absolutely devoid of all trace of
ill-feeling, for, first of all, both were gentlemen in the highest sense
of the term; and, in the next place, the friendship that subsisted
between them was far too thorough and whole-hearted for either ever
willingly to wound, though ever so slightly, the susceptibilities of the
other.

It now became necessary again to bring the ship to earth, in order to
secure the skins of the lion and lioness; and, the ground being
favourable, this was done quite close to the spot where the two carcases
lay. A few minutes later the men were once more busily engaged on the
task of removing the pelts, both of which were exceedingly valuable of
their kind, the animals being exceptionally fine specimens, and in
perfect condition. The lion, indeed, was unanimously pronounced to be
the finest that any of them had ever seen, being quite a young beast,
but full-grown, with a magnificently thick, black mane, and a truly
formidable set of perfect teeth and claws. Colonel Sziszkinski was in
high feather at having been so fortunate as to secure so splendid a
specimen, and expressed a very keen desire to secure the skull as well
as the skin, if possible. At this von Schalckenberg remarked that
nothing could be easier, provided that Sir Reginald was willing to
remain in the neighbourhood of the rocks for the night; for there was a
huge ants' nest close at hand, and all that was necessary was to place
the skinned head alongside the nest, and he would guarantee that the
insects would clean the skull bare of every vestige of flesh by the
following morning. Of course, Sir Reginald, who was the very
personification of courtesy, readily agreed to this, and the _Flying
Fish_ was berthed for the night on the sand, a mile or two to windward
of the rocks--that their slumbers might not be disturbed by the
quarrelsome cries of the vultures over the carcases; and when, after
breakfast next morning, they returned to ascertain the result of the
experiment, it was found to be as the professor had said. The skull was
picked so clean of absolutely every particle of flesh that it could
safely be stowed away without the least risk of