Middy and Ensign | Page 9

recognised as the sentry of the previous night, kept replenishing with fresh water dipped from the sea.
"He isn't a bad-looking chap," said the young midshipman, as he sat on the bulwarks in a very insecure position. "I wish I was filling the buckets and holding up the fish for the ladies to see."
He glanced once at his trailing line, and saw the bait flash in the water, then he glanced back at the party beneath the awning.
"How black Captain Smithers looks," he said. "That soldier must have splashed him, or something, for he looks as if he was going to have him tried by court-martial. Here I think I shall drop it. Hang it all! if that fellow Long hasn't caught another. What did she say?" he cried, drawing in his breath with a hiss. "`You are ever so much more fortunate than Mr Roberts.' Oh, I'd give something to have her say that to me, and--murder! I've got him this time--"
He made a convulsive grasp at a rope, and just saved himself from falling overboard, for a vigorous snatch made by a large fish at his bait had been quite sufficient to disturb his equilibrium, his activity alone saving him from a terrible ducking, if not from being drowned.
He recovered himself though, and thought no more of his escape in the excitement of finding that he had hooked a heavyish fish, and which took a good deal of playing; for just as it seemed exhausted, there was a fierce, furious snatch at the line, and the captive appeared to have grown heavier.
"He's almost too heavy to lift out, Dick," he cried to the old sailor who came up.
"Ease him then, sir, and take it easy," said Dick; "tire him quite out, and then haul in quickly."
Bob Roberts obeyed, and to his intense delight, gradually hauled his fish to the surface, where he could not make out what it was by its shape, only that it was a blaze of blue, and gold, 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."
But he was too late, for the lad had already given the line a quick shake, with the result that the snake uncoiled like lightning, and darted at the nearest object, that object being Miss Linton's arm, round which it coiled with the rapidity of the