Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (104 page)

             
The
Marine
Corporal
indicated
the
watchful
natives,
their
exotic
hair
styles
and
body
decorations
strange
to
behold.
"
I
'
ll
keep
m
'
squad
ready
jus
'
in
case
them
lot
tries
anything
whiles
we
'
m
loading,
sir.
"

             
"
Do
that,
Corporal,
"
the
lieutenant
replied.
As
far
as
he
was
aware
no
visiting
sailor
had
been
attacked
here,
but
he
was
mindful
of
Captain
Cook
'
s
fate
as
he
glanced
at
the
small
group
of
strangely
attired
and
decorated
natives
that
had
watched
them
since
their
arrival.

***

             
"
Push
us
off,
"
Mister
Rogers
ordered
and
the
seamen
heaved
the
boat
deeper.
Suddenly
one
of
the
men
let
out
a
yell
of
pain
and
fell
splashing
into
the
water.
A
second
man
went
to
help
him
and
screamed
as
he
made
contact
with
something
which
sent
excruciating
pain
through
his
limbs.

             
Several
men
in
the
boat
now
grabbed
those
in
the
water
and
dragged
them
aboard.
The
first
man
seemed
to
be
in
some
sort
of
rigour
and
the
Master
'
s
Mate
said
harshly,
"
Jim
'
s
'
avin
'
a
seizure,
sir.
"

             
The
second
man
lay
in
the
bottom
of
the
boat
whimpering
and
nursing
his
leg.
"
Jaysus,
"
he
gritted
through
clenched
teeth,
"
It
burns
worsen
a
powder
burn.
Some
stinging
beast,
a
sort
o
'
jelly
wi
'
long
stingers
sor.
"

             
With
the
boat
now
backing
water,
the
Lieutenant
peered
overside
and
saw
what
appeared
to
be
a
smallish
jellyfish
having.
The
creature
had
a
square
appearance,
but
its
trailing
appendages
seemed
much
longer
than
any
he
had
noted
before
this.
He
looked
down
at
the
man
first
attacked
and
frowned,
"
We
'
ll
have
to
get
him
to
the
surgeon
quickly,
"
he
said.
"
Put
your
backs
into
it
lads
–
lively
now!
"
Already
the
man
seemed
to
be
suffering
further
convulsions
and
his
face
was
suffused
with
blood,
yet
his
lips
had
a
bluish
tinge
to
them.
On
his
legs
the
trailing
tendrils
had
left
livid
welts
as
if
the
cat
had
been
applied
viciously.
He
looked
at
the
second
man,
now
showing
similar
symptoms,
"
What
about
you,
Martin?
"

             
"
It
be
worsen
t
'
sawbones
tekin
'
a
leg,
sor,
"
the
afflicted
man
gasped,
his
face
ashen.

             
One
of
the
men
helping
the
man,
Jim,
let
loose
an
oath
and
nursed
his
hand,
"
T
'
bugger
'
s
still
got
t
'
poison
on
'
im!
"

             
"
Strip
his
clothes
then.
"
Lieutenant
Rogers
was
thinking
fast.
"
But
take
care,
the
venom
comes
from
those
tendrils
–
take
care
not
to
touch
them.
"

             
Despite
the
warning
a
fourth
man
was
stung
before
they
managed
to
strip
the
clothes
from
the
victim.
In
falling
he
must
have
wrapped
several
of
the
tentacles
around
himself
for
his
body
showed
numerous
welts
where
the
venom
had
made
contact
with
his
flesh.
The
shadow
of
the
ship
fell
across
them
as
the
boat
drew
alongside
and
the
Lieutenant
scrambled
up
the
tumblehome
calling
for
the
Surgeon.

             
"
I
'
ve
not
seen
anything
like,
sir,
"
he
told
the
First
Lieutenant
as
Thomas
Bell
appeared
to
see
what
had
happened.
"
He
cried
out
then
fell
into
the
water.
When
Martin
went
to
his
aid,
he
too
was
stung
and
those
who
stripped
Jim
there
were
also
stung
though
the
animal
itself
was
long
departed.
"

             
The
surgeon
hauled
himself
to
his
feet
from
where
he
had
been
kneeling
to
examine
the
fallen
seaman.
"
Aye,
this
seems
to
be
the
result
of
contact
with
a
species
of
Cubozoa
–
jellyfish
–
of
a
particularly
venomous
type.
The
tendrils
may
have
become
detached
and
adhered
to
his
clothes.
Handling
them
will
account
for
these
others
with
their
hands
stung.
Take
them
to
the
sickberth
and
wash
the
wounds,
"
he
told
his
assistants.
"
Use
the
lye
soap
in
my
chest.
"
He
shook
his
head,
"
It
may
help.
I
was
warned
in
Port
Jackson
that
there
were
such
things
as
these
and
that
they
have
been
known
to
kill.
I
will
do
my
best.
"