The captain looked over the side: "Who is that ?" "Jacques Clery and the English lad, captain." "You got tired of the noise on shore, I suppose ?" the captain said.
"Not exactly that, captain, for we have not been near the others at all.

We took a long walk through the woods up to the top of the hill in the middle of the island and we came back for two reasons.

The first because I have been so badly scared by a snake, who would have bit me had not this young fellow leaped on to its back just as he was about to strike me in the neck, that I would not have slept on the ground for anything; and, in the second place, we came to tell you that from the top of the hill we saw a large frigate--English, I should say, from the cut of her sails--five or six miles off on the other side of the island, and I thought you ought to know about her at once." "Thank you, Jacques; that is important.

I was going to sail in the morning, but we must not stir as long as she is in the neighborhood.
So this young fellow saved your life, did he ?" "That he did, captain; and it was the quickest thing you ever saw.

I was just lying down at full length when he caught sight of the snake.
There was no time to stop me; no time even to cry out.