ancet about the tiny marks made by
the serpent's teeth, and rubbed in the ammonia.

Captain Smithers meanwhile had not spoken, but stood watching Miss
Linton, with a strange look upon his countenance, shuddering, though,
once or twice, as he saw the ghastly face of the injured man, and his
fixed half-closed eyes.

"What can I do next, doctor?" said Miss Linton, in a quiet, eager voice.

"Nothing at present, my dear young lady," he said, looking at her
admiringly. "Why, what a brave-hearted girl you are!"

"Brave?" she said. "What, to do this for one who saved me perhaps from
death? But tell me, doctor, will he live?"

"I don't know; I hope so; it is impossible to say. It is such a rare
thing for a man to be bitten by one of these creatures. I never had
such a case before, and I ought to have known better; but I did not know
it was a dangerous species of snake."

He held the soldier's pulse as he spoke, and then frowned, and mixing
more ammonia and water, raised the poor fellow's head, and poured the
liquid between his half-clenched teeth.

"Try and swallow it, Gray, my good fellow."

The young man opened his eyes as if awakened from sleep, stared about
till they rested on Miss Linton, when they closed again, and he drank
the stimulant with difficulty.

"Stand back, please. Captain Smithers, keep every one away, and let us
have all the air we can."

Thus appealed to, the young officer motioned back those who pressed
forward, the news of the accident having spread through the ship, and
all who dared ascending to the quarter-deck.

"How provoking!" exclaimed Major Sandars. "One of my best men too,
doctor. Really, Bolter, I must put a stop to your natural history
researches."

"Confound it all, major!" cried the little doctor, angrily; "it was an
accident. That young dog caught the snake, and--no--no! it's all right,
Roberts. It was my fault; I ought to have foreseen what would happen."

Ensign Long had begun to congratulate himself on the fact that Bob
Roberts was about to have a good wigging, but found out that he was
wrong, and felt annoyed to see how important a part the lad played in
the proceedings to fight back the effects of the deadly poison.

"Take my coat off, Roberts," said the doctor. "Gently, boy, gently.
That's right. Now the ammonia; good. Raise his head a little. Poor
fellow, we mustn't let him slip through our fingers. That's it, Miss
Linton. Miss Sinclair, will you get a b