114 THE SEA-SERPENT. 



of honor and worth was lie ; a liigli-toned man, 

 whose only quarrel with life was, that his military 

 aspirations had never been gratified : that his 

 misgoverned country had never indulged in the 

 luxury of war, nor afforded him the opportunity for 

 that distinction, for which his soul pined ! " Here 

 is a chance after all," said the captain, rubbing his 

 hands. "It is not war, but something almost as 

 good !" Then there was Captain G. P. E., whilom 

 captain of this same artillery. He was to com- 

 mand the squadron. Confident was he of making 

 minced-meat of the sea-monster ! " Had he not 

 driven bayonets and pikes and harpoons innumer- 

 able into devil-fish ? Was he to be daunted now ? 

 No, not he ! He would draw the serpent's teeth, 

 and leave them in pawn with his friend who swore 

 so terribiy ! He would give his flesh to the sharks 



his skeleton to Dr. , in exchange for a 



unicorn, or to his friend the colonel, in exchange for 

 his favorite mermaid! His skin he would present- 

 to the museum at Salem, to be exhibited gratis to the 

 enterprising people of Gloucester, and in exchange, 

 if they could find one, for the skin of a witch." 



They launched a flat, which, in consideration, 

 doubtless, of his known antipathy to serpents, they 

 dubbed " Saint Patrick," and in it embarked Cap- 

 tain B. with his six-pounder, well supplied with 



