any nether garment entitled to the name of trowsers, had
simply tucked up the skirt of his cotton tunic, making it fast under his
girdle.

In this guise all three proceeded round the shore of the lake, to that
side where they would be nearest the bed of lilies. The water-hens,
seeing them make their approach, rose from their perch upon the leaves,
and fluttered off to seek a more secure shelter among the sedge.

The aquatic gleaners at once waded in; and commenced picking off the
pods, and shelling them into their rush baskets. They had been there
before, and knew there was no danger in the depth of the water.

They had nearly filled their respective sacks with the Pythagorean
beans, and were meditating a return to dry land, when a dark shadow
passing over the tranquil surface of the lake--closely followed by
another of similar size and shape--attracted their attention.

All three saw the shadows at the same instant of time; and all
simultaneously looked up to ascertain what sort of creatures were
casting them. In the sky above they beheld a spectacle, calculated to
inspire them with feelings of a strange interest.

Right above the lake, and also over their heads, a brace of large birds
was circling in the air. Each was borne up by a pair of huge wings full
five yards from tip to tip; while from the body, between, a neck of
enormous length was extended horizontally--prolonged into a
tapering-pointed beak, in shape like the seed-pistil of a pelargonium.

Their beaks might well have been compared to the pistil of a
pelargonium; or rather the latter should be assimilated to them; since
it is from this species of birds, the flower has derived its botanical
cognomen.

The birds were _storks_. Not the ordinary _Ciconia_, that makes its
home among the Hollanders--or finds a still more welcome hospitality on
the roof-tree of the Hungarian by the plains of the _Puszta_--but a
stork of far grander dimensions; in short, a stork that is the _tallest_
of his tribe--the _Adjutant_.

On looking up, Karl recognised the species; so did Caspar, and at a
glance. It required no lengthened scrutiny--no profound knowledge of
natural history, to identify the noted _adjutant_. It only needed to
have seen him before either in _propria persona_, or in a picture; but
both brothers had seen specimens of the bird, in full flesh and feather,
on the plains of India--in the environs of Calcutta itself.

As to the shikaree, was it like