eginning to haul in fast, he soon had a
bright silvery fish of eight or ten pounds' weight splashing and darting
about at the top of the water.

"Dinner for one," said Drew.

"Good for half a dozen, I should say," cried the mate, laughing.
"That's right, sir, don't stop to play him. Haul him in quick."

"Murder!" cried Panton. "Look at that."

For as he was drawing in the fast tiring fish level with the surface,
there was a sudden gleam of gold, silver, and green, a rush and a check,
as a long twining creature suddenly seized the fish, and quick as
lightning, wrapped itself round and round it in a knot, doubling the
weight, and adding to the resistance by lashing round and round with a
flattened tail, whose effect was like that of a screw propeller
reversed.

"Eel! Snake! Whatever is it?" came from different voices, as Panton
ceased dragging on his fish.

"Go on! Have him out," cried the mate.

"No, no, steady," said Oliver. "I think it's a sea snake, and I believe
that some of these creatures are poisonous."

"But it wouldn't bite out of water," cried Drew.

"I wouldn't chance it," said Oliver. "Shake and jerk your line, and it
may let go."

Panton followed the advice, and after a few sharp snatches he shook off
the creature, but the fish was gone as well.

"Taken the hook?" asked the mate.

"No, that's all right."

"I've got one," cried Drew, and a fresh struggle began, while Panton was
busied in rebaiting. A few moments later, a bright golden-striped fish
was at the top of the water. "Look here, this is something like. I
mean to--Oh!"

For just as he had his captive about twenty feet from where he stood, a
great wide-jawed sharkish-looking creature sprang out of the water,
describing an arc, seized Drew's fish, and was gone.

"Oh, I say," he cried, "we shall never get a dinner like this."

"Follow my example," said Oliver quietly. "I have one now, a heavy one,
too. Nothing like the first I got hold of though," he continued as he
hauled away. "But it's a fine fellow."

"Haul in as quickly as you can," said the mate. "Don't lose this one."

"Just what I am doing," said Oliver between his teeth, as he hauled away
rapidly, and soon had the head of another of the silvery fishes above
water. "Now, Smith, be ready. Eh? Well, you, Mr Rimmer, with that
hook. Now then, gaff him."

"Gaffed," said the mate, for instantaneously there was another rush in
the water, a splash, and Oliver dr