Kapitan von Riesser's mind was very active now. With a successful issue in sight he was not inclined to send such a valuable prize to the bottom. "Can you get the _Myra's_ engine-room and stokehold staff to work, Herr Klick?" asked the kapitan. "I can, sir," replied the unter-leutnant grimly; and he did, for by dint of threats he compelled the luckless men to undertake to carry on under his orders. "Very good," continued the kapitan of the _Pelikan_, receiving an affirmative reply. "Follow me at two cables' lengths astern. I'll slow down to enable you to keep station. Be prepared to abandon ship instantly should occasion arise." Later in the afternoon the _Pelikan_ and her prize arrived off Latham Island, under the lee of which von Riesser had decided to remain the night, since it was too hazardous to enter the harbour he had selected during the hours of darkness. Denbigh, who had been allowed on deck, recognized the island. He had served a commission on the flagship of the East Indies India Station when he was a midshipman, and was fairly well conversant with the African coast in the vicinity of Zanzibar and Dar-es-Salaam. Latham Island is a dangerous, low-lying patch of coral and sand, of oval form, being barely 350 yards in length and 180 yards broad. In no place does it rise more than 10 feet above the sea. Its surface is quite flat, having been made so by the constant treading of myriads of sea-fowl, that have consolidated the sand collected on the coral substratum into a soft sandstone, which shines very white in the sun, but is difficult to discern at night or in a bad light. When visited and surveyed by H.M.S. _Shearwater_ in 1873, a stone beacon was erected on the island, but owing to the absence of mortar used in its construction, it was blown down by the wind. Coco-nut trees were planted at the same time, but the result was unsatisfactory, as the birds destroyed them. Owing to the dangerous vicinity of the islands it was unlikely that any vessel would pass within several miles of it during the night, so the _Pelikan_ stood a chance of remaining at the anchorage without fear of detection. "We are not far from the Rufigi River, are we?" asked O'Hara. "Do you think that the _Pelikan_ is going to run for there?" "Hardly," replied Denbigh. "With the _Königsberg_ as a warning I think she'll give the Rufigi a wide berth. It's my opinion that she'll have a show at getting into the Mohoro River. It's fairly close, and once we can pass the bar there's deep water for nearly twenty miles. I'm curious to know what we are doing off Latham Island, however. I think I'll try the Stirling trick and have a prowl round on deck during the night." "Only don't leave me in the lurch, old man," protested the Irishman, with an assumed look of consternation. "I won't," replied Denbigh laughingly. "So don't lock me out."