f lions."

"Yes, I agree with you it will be the safest place, although not the
most comfortable, and we must remember to carry our guns with us, or we
may chance to be besieged there as I once was," answered Denis, coming
along with a bundle of sticks. "We'll light our fire first, and cook an
egg. If that is the tree you propose, let us pitch our camp beneath
it;" and he threw down the sticks, while Percy hastened to bring those
he had collected and left at a little distance.

"Holloa! I saw one of the branches move in a curious fashion," he
exclaimed, looking up at the tree in which they proposed to form their
resting-place for the night.

"A branch! why that's a boa or snake of some sort, big enough to eat us
both up, if so disposed," cried Denis.

They had fortunately not gone sufficiently close to enable the creature
to spring down upon them, or the consequences might have been serious.

"We must dislodge that fellow, if we are to get up the tree," said
Denis, raising his rifle. "I can see his head." And he fired.

The huge snake gave some convulsive struggles, trying to coil itself
round and round the branch, but its folds speedily relaxed, and its head
hung down towards the ground, still it clung on by its tail, the folds
of its huge body twisting and writhing in a manner truly terrific as
seen in the dim light beneath the deep foliage of the tree.

"We must put a stop to that fellow's performances, or he may be doing us
some mischief still," cried Percy; and raising his rifle he fired. In a
few seconds down fell the big snake to the ground; its tail, however,
still kept moving, and Denis, who had reloaded his rifle with small
shot, stepping forward, discharged it at the tail end of the body. The
effect was instantaneous--its struggles ceased--the huge snake lay dead.

"I only hope there may not be more up the tree. You see we might have
been in as much danger among the branches as on the ground," said Denis.

They both looked up, going round and round the tree, but could discover
nothing moving, so they came to the conclusion that the boa had been its
only occupant.

"It won't be pleasant to have this fellow close under us, as the hyenas
and jackals will to a certainty collect to feast off him before long,"
said Denis. "We must drag him off as far as we can. To be sure, if we
hadn't found the ostrich eggs, we should have been thankful to get some
steaks off him; as it is, we may as well cut a