ent of the creature's
enormous coils, and then followed the deep bellowing cries of the
tortured whale, and the crunching sound of its crushing bones.

During the minute or two which had passed since our helm was put down,
the _Lily_ had been lying to on the starboard tack; our head-sheets
still remaining fast on the starboard side.

The seizure of the whale awoke me, as from a horrible nightmare, to the
fearful peril to which we still remained exposed; and I jammed the helm
hard up, and wore the craft sharp round on her heel until dead before
the wind, when I eased off the main-sheet, and we hurried as fast as the
wind would take us away from the spot.

As soon as we had got the _Water Lily_ round, and were fairly running
away from our dangerous neighbour, we both, with one accord, turned a
look astern, to ascertain the condition of things in that quarter.

The serpent and the whale had both disappeared. Doubtless the former
had sunk with his prey to those profound depths which form his usual
habitat, there to enjoy his meal undisturbed.

"Well," at last exclaimed Bob, "I've been knocking about at sea now nigh
on thirty year, and many's the strange sight these good-looking eyes of
mine have looked upon in that time; but this here sarpent beats all.
_I_ never seed the likes of the thing afore, and I don't care if I never
sees it ag'in. I've heern tell of such things bein' fallen in with,
sartaintly; but I never could meet with a man as had act'ally seed the
beast with his own eyes; and I put it all down as a yarn for the
marines. But seein' is believin'; and we've had a good look at him, and
no mistake. I'm quite satisfied; I don't want to see no more to make me
a believer in sich things."

"No," replied I; "it was impossible to make any mistake, with such a
view as we obtained of the creature; and I shall henceforward be far
more ready than I have hitherto been to give credit to the accounts
which are occasionally published of such appearances. I do not at all
expect that _we_ shall be believed when we make known our adventure, any
more than others have been; but that will not alter the facts of the
case. The almost universal scepticism with which announcements of such
creatures' appearances are treated is, after all, not very difficult to
account for. They doubtless inhabit only the extreme depths of the
ocean, and are probably endowed with the means of sustaining life whilst
sunk for long periods--if not