Year: 1877

cried Jack, pointing up to the mon
ster's head as he spoke.


7 pushed-pushed with all my
might-but to no effect. The boat
would not oudge an inch The bows
would swing around, but the stern
was tast.


Cant you push her OFF," asked
Jack.


"No," I replied. Something has
got her foul.


AS I spoke the serpent threw back
his head, and carried it to the oppo-
site side of the tree. What he meant
to do we did not then try to consd-
er. We only thought Of getting our
boat out Of his reach. Jack caught
an oar, and we both pushed together
but the thing would not bulge !
What could it be? We were not held
thus by the mud-that was impossi-
bIe-and yet we cnly had soft mud
to brace against when we pushed.


was growing crazy. There was a
monster, whose power might crush US
as though we had been worms, with
in an easy reaching distance, and yet
we could not move.


70 move the boat was impossible.
What held her I could not tell.


TO leap overheard wouli only be
sure death; for the water was not
over eighteen inches deep, AMI below
that was bed of soft mud.


Our pole which was twelve feet
long, could te run down nearly the
whole length, and that WAS one rea.
son why we could not move TIE boat,


Heavens what sight it was !
The huge body of the monster
cleaned with thousand varying
colors as it worked in the almost YER
teal rays Of the sun, and the broad
head was coming around from the op-
posite side of the tree.


| had pushed the pole into the mud,
straining every muscle. until | knew
| could do nothing thus.


The shore was too far off to be
reached by leap, ard there was no
tree within reach save the one the
anaconda occupied.


Suddenly | saw Jack fall over
backwards-a dark mass flashed be-
fore me, and then my eyes closed.


A horrid shrek from my compan.
ion aroused me. opened my eyes
and looked. There upon his back,
acr SIS two thwarts and the monster
serpent's head lay flat upon his
breast.


The serpent had placed his head
there, and the expression of his eyes
was indescribable. There was an ex-
preston the. e-such an expression as
pray Heaven | may never see again .,
As his head lay thus, those glittering
eyes of bis could look into his victim $
face. His body was loosening from
the tree he had made up his mind for Il
rare meal.


For single instant after | opened
my eyes, and saw the position of my
companion, | was utterly powerless.
But stilled groan from the poor fell
low quickly started my manhood in
to action.


" IIaHeT-S0rc me |


Never Gid three words operate up
on me as did those. They not only
touched my heart, but in an instant
all fear was gone, as if by miracle,
and every nerve was strung to action.


One Of the barrels of my gun was
loaded with a heavy charge Of buck.
shot.


caught it up, and cooked it. l
moved a step forward, and kneeled
down.-The side of the snakes head
vas exposed to me. | placed the
muzzel within twenty inches of it and
aimed at the broadest part-ju ust be-
hind and below the oye-and fired.


saw that same black mass sweep
upward, and in a moment more came
a thrashing and crashing that was
frightful to hear. The folds Of the
monsters body had tightened about
the tree, and his head, with some
twelve or fourteen feet Of neck and
trunk, was thrashing to and fro. upon
the ground and amid the branches
over head,


For a few moments | feared he
would smash our boat; but he had
neither sense nor sight, and as the po-