ld, and silver, flashing
in the sun.

"Hi, doctor! I've got such a beauty!" he shouted, dragging at the stout
line, till with a rush he hoisted his fish on to the deck.

"Well, that's a rum 'un, sir," cried the sailor. "Why it's a young sea
sarpent."

"What have you got?" said the doctor eagerly, as the lad hurried
excitedly beneath the awning with his prize.

"I don't know, doctor," said the lad. "But look, Miss Linton--Miss
Sinclair, isn't it curious?"

The lad's cheeks flushed, and his eyes sparkled with delight, as he held
up by the line what seemed to be a good-sized fish, of five or six
pounds' weight, with a very long brilliantly-coloured eel twined tightly
round and round it, in a perfect spiral, several feet in length.

"Why, you've caught a fish, boy," said the doctor, examining the prize
through his glasses, "and it has been seized and constricted by a sea
snake. Dear me! bliss my soul! that's very curious. Look here, Captain
Smithers, and ladies. Gray, a fresh bucket of water. Most singular
thing!"

"I thought he got precious heavy all at once, doctor," said the lad,
looking from one to the other. "That chap darted at him then."

"Ye-es, I suppose so," said the doctor. "Lovely colouring, to be sure!
See how tightly it has constricted the fish, ladies. Just like a piece
of woodbine round a stick, only the coils are more close."

"It is very beautiful," said Miss Linton, approaching more closely, so
that she could feast her eyes on the vivid colouring of the water-snake,
which was about five feet in length, but whose coils seemed to grow more
close as the fish ceased to flap as it was held up by the middy.

"I'm glad you like it, Miss Linton," he said, darting a triumphant
glance at where Ensign Long was now fishing in vain. "He didn't catch
two at once," the boy muttered to himself.

"I wouldn't go too close, Miss Linton," said the doctor, "for some of
these sea snakes are reputed to be poisonous. Lovely thing, isn't it,
Smithers?"

"Very," said the young captain drily; "but pray take care, Miss Linton."

"I am not afraid," said the lady, looking up at him with a quiet air of
confidence, just as Private Gray bore in a fresh bucket of limpid sea
water, and set it down at her feet.

"Now then," said the doctor; "hold still, Roberts."

"All right, sir; but it's jolly heavy," said the boy.

"Then give the line a shake, and the snake will fall into the bucket.
Or stop; I will."

B