g's intense disgust--that the
carcase of the red buffalo had been so mauled and torn as to render the
hide utterly useless. But they had compensation a little later, for
during that night they secured no fewer than five handsome leopards that
had evidently come down to feast upon the flesh. Nor was this all.
Before the night was over, the professor had the satisfaction of
shooting a very fine and handsome black-and-white monkey of a hitherto
unknown species; while Lethbridge was made happy by the addition to his
"bag" of a magnificent white rhinoceros--a creature so rare that many
distinguished naturalists had pronounced it extinct. But, to their keen
disappointment, no okapi made its appearance at the drinking-place that
night. Yet they persevered, lying out night after night, and resting
during the day; and at length, on the ninth night after their adventure
in pursuit of the original animal, their patience was splendidly
rewarded, a pair of okapi making their appearance at the drinking-pool,
very late, after all the other animals had come and gone again. There
was an exciting and tantalising ten minutes while these animals stood in
the full light of the moon and drank, one of them being immediately
behind the other, so that it was impossible to shoot both. Then the
male, having drunk his fill before his mate had quite finished, wheeled
and moved a yard or two. As he did so, the hammers of Lethbridge's and
the professor's rifles clicked simultaneously, and a great cheer rang
out from the ambushed party as the two animals dropped and lay
motionless. Then the four men rose to their feet, and--regardless of
the possibility that they might thus be scaring away other desirable
specimens--scrambled over the boulders and other obstacles until they
stood beside their prey. Then, having admired, to their hearts'
content, the singular creatures as they lay, the eager hunters drew
their knives, and proceeded to take the skins forthwith, determined to
leave nothing to chance and the morning.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

AMONG THE RUINS OF ANCIENT OPHIR.

The next few days were devoted by the men of the party to the arduous
and somewhat unpleasant task of completing the preparation for packing
the skins which they had taken; and then, after a rather late breakfast
on a certain morning, the _Flying Fish_ again rose into the air, and,
winging her way leisurely a hundred feet or so above the tops of the
forest trees, headed to