The effect was that the snake was dislodged, and a panic set in as the creature, which was fully six feet long and thick in proportion, began to travel about over the surface of the rock with a rapid serpentine motion, everyone giving way till it reached the side and glided into the water once more.
“Why didn’t yer get hold of his tail, Billy?” cried Smith. “Yer might ha’ stopped it. Dessay them sort’s as good eating as heels.”
“I should, Tommy, only I thought you wanted to have a mate. But I never see no fishing like this afore.”
“Look here, Mr Rimmer,” cried Oliver, just then, and he pointed to the large handsome fish he had taken, showing that a half-moon shaped piece had been bitten clean out of its back by the sea snake. “Do you think this will be good now.”
“I should not like to venture upon it,” replied the mate, and, after the bitten piece had been cut thoroughly out, the rest was utilised for making attractive bait, with which they had more or less sport—enough though to enable them to take back full sixty pounds of good fish to the brig, but not until the boat had been run ashore and carefully secured and hidden in the cocoa-nut grove.
Chapter Twenty One.
Seeking Black Shadows.
That evening and the next day were devoted to careful investigation of the shores, three parties being formed and sent out well armed, to see whether the crew of the canoe had landed farther to the south, or round on the western coast. The orders were that if the enemy was discovered, the search parties were not to show themselves if they could avoid it, but to fall back at once to the ship and report what they had seen.