“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 thong of a whip round a stick.
The resident’s daughter was brave and strong minded, but as she felt the contact of the creature’s cold scales upon her bare arm she could not forbear from shrieking aloud; but even as she uttered the cry, the young soldier, Gray, had caught the snake round the neck, causing it to loosen its hold, but only to coil round his own bare arm, round which it twisted, and twice seized the wrist with its little mouth.