From a chit of a girl!...

"Ill!" he roared.

"What the Devil does he want to be ill for now, here, to-day?
I never ..." Dam struggled to his feet with heroic efforts at self-mastery, and stood swaying, twitching, trembling in every limb, and obviously in an agony of terror.
"The Snake!" he said again.
"Ha!" barked General Stukeley.

"Been fighting forty boa-constrictors, what?
Just had a fearful struggle with five thousand fearful pythons, what?
There'll be another Victoria Cross in your family soon, if you're not careful." "You are an unjust and cruel old man," stormed Lucille, stamping her foot at the hitherto dread Grumper.

"He is ill, I tell you! You'll be ill yourself someday.