"Yes," returned the Queen. "The girl is named Mayre and the man
Cap'n Bill."

While the sea serpent looked at the visitors, they ventured to look
at him. He certainly was a queer creature, yet Trot decided he was
not at all frightful. His head was round as a ball, but his ears
were sharp-pointed and had tassels at the ends of them. His nose was
flat, and his mouth very wide indeed, but his eyes were blue and
gentle in expression. The white, stubby hairs that surrounded his
face were not thick like a beard, but scattered and scraggly. From
the head, the long, brown body of the sea serpent extended to the
hole in the coral wall, which was just big enough to admit it; and
how much more of the body remained outside the child could not tell.
On the back of the body were several fins, which made the creature
look more like an eel than a serpent.

"The girl is young and the man is old," said King Anko in a soft
voice. "But I'm quite sure Cap'n Bill isn't as old as I am."

"How old are you?" asked the sailor.

"I can't say exactly. I can remember several thousands of years
back, but beyond that my memory fails me. How's your memory, Cap'n
Bill?"

"You've got me beat," was the reply. "I'll give in that you're older
than I am."

This seemed to please the sea serpent. "Are you well?" he asked.