The man gave his head another rub, and then ejaculated in a strange long-drawn way the one word—
“Well!”
“I’ve read that in places like this they creep in under the flooring, and then make their way up the holes and into the thatch after the birds or rats upon which they live.”
“Do they now, sir?” said the man excitedly.
“Yes, and some of them are horribly poisonous; so you must take care how you deal with them.”
“Poisonous, sir?” continued Tom. “Them sort as if they bite a man it’s all over with him and the doctor arn’t able to save his life?”
“Yes, Tom,” continued Murray; “in one of these islands particularly the people call the serpent the fer de lance, a bite from which is very often fatal.”
“Kills a man, sir?”
“I believe so.”
“Then I arn’t surprised at them calling it so, sir. Nothing could be too bad for it. That’s it, sir, and now I arn’t a bit surprised at my feeling as I did, sir. I wondered what made me come so all-overish like and fancy there was something about as oughtn’t to be. I arn’t a chap as gets skeared about a bit o’ danger, sir; now, am I, sir?”