rds me. Should I miss, I might be bitten as well as my friend.
There was not a moment even for thought; with all my might I aimed a
blow at the serpent's head. My axe, providentially, had been lately
sharpened, and with one stroke I cut off the creature's head, which
fell, in the act of uttering a hiss, close to my friend's side. The
body still held him fast, and I had to exert some force to unwind it;
after which I helped him to get on his feet.

Many a person would have fainted under such circumstances; Mudge merely
shook himself to ascertain that no bones were broken; then, having
picked up his axe, he said,--"Most heartily I thank you, Godfrey; you
have, I verily believe, by your courage and presence of mind, saved my
life, for in another instant that creature's fangs would have been into
me. I only hope there are not many more in the neighbourhood, or we
shall find it unpleasant."

When Doyle and the boys came near, they would scarcely credit what had
occurred, till they had seen the body of the serpent with its head cut
off.

Before again setting to work, we hunted about in all directions to
ascertain that there were no more serpents of the same description near
at hand. We could find no traces of any other; and I had afterwards
reason to believe that the one I had killed was unusually large: indeed,
I never saw one of the same size in the country,--although there are
numerous snakes, many of them of an exceedingly venomous description,
while there are others of large size perfectly harmless.

Satisfied at length that we might continue our work on the spot without
molestation, we once more began cutting down the trees, which our
companions carried to the encampment as fast as we could fell them. We
warned them not to tell my mother and Edith what had occurred, lest they
should take alarm, under the belief that the country was infested with
snakes. As we improved by experience as woodsmen, we gained upon the
carriers, and by the evening had cut down a good many more trees than
they were able to convey to the encampment.

When we arrived there we found some of the seamen assisting my father
and Burton, who were engaged in shaping and putting up the timbers; but
the rest were taking it easy, and enjoying themselves, as they called
it. Had my father allowed it, they would have got possession of the rum
and wine, and would probably have been quickly drunk; but, knowing the
evil consequences which would hav