emed to be clean and polish
for no purpose, but I told them they ought to feel very glad to have had
the yacht in such a state. I trust, Sir John, that you will never have
cause to regret this day's work."

"I have no fear," said that gentleman. "I shall be glad, though, as
soon as you receive notice of the transfer to me, if you will do
everything possible toward getting ready for sea."

"Getting ready for sea, sir? She is ready for sea. Fresh water on
board, coal-bunkers full. Nothing wanted but the provisions--salt,
preserved, and fresh--to be seen to, and that would take very little
time. As soon as you have done your business with the owner, send me my
orders, and there'll be no time lost, I promise you."

Jack bent over his plate, and was very silent, but he revived and became
attentive when the doctor changed the subject, and began to question the
captain about some of his experiences, many of which he related in a
simple, modest way which spoke for its truth.

"I suppose," said Sir John merrily, after glancing at his son, "you have
never come across the sea serpent?"

The captain looked at him sharply, then at the mate, and ended by
raising his eyebrows and frowning at his plate.

"That's a sore point for a ship captain, sir," he said at last, "one
which makes him a bit put out, for no man likes to be laughed at. You
see, we've all been so bantered about that sea serpent, that when a
mariner says he has seen it, people set him down for a regular Baron
Munchausen, so now-a-days we people have got into the habit of holding
our tongues."

"Why, you don't mean to say that you have ever seen it, captain?" cried
the doctor.

"Well, sir, I've seen something more than once that answered its
description pretty closely."

"I always thought it was a fable," said Sir John.

"No, sir, I don't think it is," said the captain quickly. "As I tell
you, I've seen a great reptile sort of creature going along through the
sea just after the fashion of those water-fowl that are shot in some of
the South American rivers."

"The darters," said Sir John; "_Plotius_."

"Those are the fellows, sir; they swim with nearly the whole of their
body under the surface, and look so much like little serpents that
people call them snake birds. Well, sir, twice over I've seen such a
creature--not a bird but a reptile."

"And they are wonderfully alike in some cases," said the doctor quietly.

"So I've heard, sir, from peopl