"Don't be rash, Bartlett," cried the captain. "We mustn't have any accidents. There, keep the end down in the water while Mr Meadows here gives it the other barrel."
"Fire at it again?" said Jack, who was full of excitement.
"Yes; give it him and finish him off," cried the doctor.
Jack raised the piece again, and it was none too soon, for the serpent was beginning to make its way along the pole toward the mate's hands, while it held on by tightening the folds of the lower part of its body.
The lad took aim at the knot twined round the hook, and then shivered as he saw the head of the dangerous beast gliding, or more correctly thrust along the ash handle, and changing the direction of the muzzle of the piece a little to the left, he once more fired, when the snake's head fell with a splash into the sea, the tight knot about the hook relaxed, the tail fell limply, and writhing with a feeble motion, the two ends hanging down together, prevented from falling by one twist round the gaff.
"Bravo! well done, Jack!" cried the doctor. "I say, my lad, if you begin by shooting like that you'll turn out a good shot. Now, Bartlett, let's have the beast on board and see what it's like."
The mate placed the gaff across the bows of the gig and thrust an oar over the stern, sculling the boat alongside, with the snake trailing in the water. Then taking hold of the gaff handle, climbed on board, and the prize was drawn on the deck, to lie writhing feebly and quite beyond the power of doing mischief, but it was scarcely disfigured, the small shot having done their work without much injuring the skin.
"Well, this is something to begin with," said Sir John, examining the beautifully mottled creature, as it lay in the sun, the dark, almost black ground of the skin showing up the ochre yellow markings, while in certain lights the black glistened with iridescent hues.
"A good eight feet long," said the captain; "but you'd better be careful. Cut his head off: he won't revive and show fight then."
"What, and spoil that beautiful skin!" cried the doctor. "No!"
"Get a length of stout fishing-line, Lenny," said the captain quietly; and the man trotted forward, his companions of the crew making way for him to pass, and then closing round again to examine the capture, which kept on raising its head a little and letting it fall back on the deck, after which a wave ran along the body right to the tail, which, instead of being round and tapering off, showed the creature's adaptability for an aqueous life by being flattened so that the end was something like the blade of a sword.
"We had better start a spirit tub at once," said the doctor; and he bent down over the head. "What sharp eyes!" he continued. "Malignant looking little beast."
"That's right," said the captain, as Lenny came up with the stout line.
"Now make a noose in it. No, no, not at the end: a couple of fathoms in. That's the way. Take hold, one of you others. Now together draw the loop over the thing's head."
"What are you going to do?" cried Jack excitedly.
"Take care that he doesn't do any mischief, my lad," cried the captain; and standing about a dozen feet apart, the two sailors carefully drew the noose along the deck, till the bottom touched the snake's head, but it would not pass under.
"Bring your gaff, Bartlett," cried the captain, "and raise the head a little."
Hardly had he uttered the words, when the snake lifted it of itself a few inches from the white deck, and its whole body was in motion.
"Look out," cried Jack; and several of the men started back, but the sailors who held the line stood fast, and drew the noose over the reptile's head, and with a quick snatch tightened the strong cord about its neck.
The effect seemed magical, and the shot to have done nothing more than stun the creature for a time. It was now apparently as strong as ever, twining itself into knots and then writhing free again, to beat the white deck with its tail.
But this did not last many minutes, and as the men kept the line tight across the deck the reptile gradually stretched itself out, till it hung perfectly limp and almost motionless by the neck. Then a small cask was brought on deck, a stone jar of prepared spirit poured in, and the snake drawn over the mouth and allowed to sink in. Then the head of the cask was held ready and the tightened fishing-line cut short off. There was a hollow splash, and the cask was covered and secured.
"That's specimen the first," said the doctor, with a smile of satisfaction. "We shall have to fill that pickle-tub up before we go back, Jack. There, go and put away the gun and let's have our fish."
"I'll take the gun, Mr Jack, sir," said Edward, who had been watching all the proceedings with the greatest interest. "I must clean it before it's put away."
Jack handed him the piece, and the man whispered quickly--
"Mr Jack, sir; do please tell me to come."
"What, with us? Impossible," said Jack hastily. "You heard my father say that there was not room for another."
"Yes, sir, of course, not room for another like him, but I'm nobody. I don't want any room; I can sit down in the bottom, or kneel down. And I should be so useful, sir. I could cut up bait, or put on hooks, or take 'em off, or anything."
"What, do you understand fishing?"
"Me, sir? yes: I used to go up our river when I was a boy. I've caught roach and chub many a time, not that they were very big. Do take me, sir."
Jack hesitated.
"Say you will, sir," cried the man eagerly. "I can clean the gun after we come back."
"I don't like to refuse you, Ned," said Jack.
"That's right, sir: keep on don't liking, and say I may come. You don't know how useful I'll be."
"Very well: come then."
"Hurray!" whispered the man, "who'd be without a good master? I'll be back directly, sir."
He ran below with the gun, laid it in his berth ready for cleaning, and was up again just as the mate and Doctor Instow approached the side.
"Hallo, sir, you coming?" cried the latter.
"Yes, sir."
"But we don't want you."
Edward's face became puckered with disappointment, and his eyes were full of misery, as he turned them piteously upon his young master.
"Yes, I want him," said Jack, in response to the appealing look, and the man's hopes rose.
"What for?" said the doctor, and Edward's aspirations went down to zero.
"I don't know," said Jack coolly; "to unhook the fish. I'm not going to soil my hands."
"Oh, very well," said the doctor; "I don't mind, but we had better catch the fish before you take them off the hook. Now then, in with you."
Lenny and the mate stepped down into the boat, Jack and the doctor followed, and then, looking flushed and excited as a boy, Edward jumped in, giving, his young master a grateful look as soon as the doctor was not looking.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
AN AWKWARD CUSTOMER.
There was no need to go far afield in search of sport, for before Lenny and the mate had rowed them a couple of hundred yards, with Jack and the doctor preparing their lines, they were passing close by a large shoal of fish, another being some distance astern.
These were leaping and playing about on the surface, making the water ripple and sparkle, and every now and then there was a flash as of a bar of silver darting into the sunny air, and falling back with a loud splash.