"

"No, sir, but I might have seen it wi' a spy glass. This there sarpent
as I see it lying down stretched out straight was a good twenty-five
foot."

"Perhaps that may have been, Dick," said Bob Roberts, thoughtfully.

"Yes, sir, it were all that; and when it was alive it must have been
fifty foot at least."

"Why, Dick?"

"Cause they stretches out so, sir, just like worms in the garden at home
do."

"Gammon, Dick. Serpents don't stretch."

"Don't stretch, sir! Just you wait till you get a thirty-footer twissen
and twining round you, and see if they don't stretch."

"All right, Dick; and when he does, you come and pinch his tail, and
make him open his mouth; and when he does that you pop in a bit of your
nasty tobacco, and he'll leave off, and go like a shot."

The old sailor chuckled, and said something about Mister Bob Roberts
being a nice boy, while the party in question walked aft to see the
company of soldiers on deck put through half-an-hour's drill, making a
point of staring hard and derisively at the young ensign, who saw the
lad's looks, grew angry, from growing angry became confused, and
incurred the captain's anger by giving the wrong order to the men, some
of whom went right, knowing what he ought to have said, while others
went wrong, and got the company hopelessly confused.

The result was that Ensign Long, of her Majesty's somethingth foot, was
severely snubbed, just as Mr Linton the resident, and his daughter
Rachel Linton, were looking on.

"I wouldn't have cared if they had not been there," said Ensign Long to
himself; "but if I don't serve that little wretch of a middy out for
this, my name is not Long."

CHAPTER TWO.

INTRODUCES MORE FRIENDS; WITH A FEW WORDS ON THE RIVER PARANG.

The men were dismissed, and gladly got rid of coatee, rifle, and belt,
to have a lounge in the cool of the evening; the dinner was ready in the
captain's cabin, where lights already appeared; and, soon after, the
tropic night came on, as if with a bound. The sky was of a purple
black, studded with its myriads of stars, which were reflected with
dazzling lustre from the smooth surface of the sea. But not only were
the bright star shapes there to give splendour to the wave, for as far
down as eye could reach through the clear water it was peopled with tiny
phosphorescent atoms, moving slowly here and there, and lighting up the
depths of the sea with a wonderful effulgence that was glorious to
beho