"That must be it, Tom, and you have hit the mark. There, slip up the
stairs quietly and see if he is in one of the hammocks."

The sailor's face crinkled up till it resembled the shell of a walnut;
then he twisted his shoulders first to the left, then to the right, and
followed up that movement by hitching up his trousers, staring hard at
his young officer the while.

"Well, Tom, look sharp!" cried the latter.

"Ay, ay, sir!" replied the sailor.

"Why don't you go?" cried Murray severely. "What are you thinking of?"

"Snakes, sir," said the man laconically.

"Bah!"

"And I was a-thinking, sir, that p'raps you'd do it easier than me."

"Why, Tom," cried Murray angrily, "that is disobeying your officer's
orders."

"Disobeying, sir?" said the man sharply. "Nay, sir; not me. Only you
see, sir, you was a-telling me about the way in which them snakes
pricked a man with their tails."

"Tails! Nonsense, man! Teeth."

"I didn't 'member for sartin, sir, which end it was; but you said they
did it so sharp, sir, that it killed a man out-and-out before the doctor
could 'stract the sting."

"Yes, I did tell you something of the kind, Tom."

"Nay, sir, not something of the kind," cried the sailor reproachfully;
"that's what it was azackly. And then you see, sir, I don't want to
brag, but you telled me yourself another time that I was a werry useful
man."

"That must have been a mistake, Tom, for you are not proving it now,"
said Murray, speaking sternly but feeling amused by the man's evasions
all the while. "Why, Tom, I thought you were not afraid of anything
that was solid."

"No, sir, but you can't call them squirmy tie-theirselves-up-in-a-knot
things solid; now, can you?"

"Tom May, you're a sham, sir," said Murray sternly. "There, I am
deceived in you. I'll go myself;" and he made for the screen quickly.

But the man was quicker, and sprang before him.

"Nay, you don't, sir! I am mortal skeared of snakes and sarpints, but I
arn't going to let my officer think me a coward and call me a sham.
Case I do get it badly, sir, would you mind 'membering to tell Dr
Reston, sir, as they say whiskey's the best cure for bites? And as
there's no whiskey as I knows on aboard, p'raps he wouldn't mind trying
rum."

"I'm sure the doctor wouldn't like me meddling with his prescribing,
Tom," said Murray shortly. "Now then, up with you!"

"Ay, ay, sir!" cried the man, in tones which sounded like gasps; and