ad happened was this. The deer had stood perfectly rigid for
perhaps half a minute, during which Earle had also suspended all
movement, under the impression that the quarry had caught a momentary
glimpse of something suspicious behind the screening bush. Then, while
the watchers waited tensely for the next development to occur,
something--for the moment it was impossible to say precisely what it
was--had flashed into view from out of the long grass, within a yard or
so of where the deer stood, and the next second the unfortunate creature
was enveloped in the coils of a huge python. As the watchers of the
unexpected tragedy sprang to their feet they distinctly heard the bones
of the deer crack as the serpent constricted its coils about its victim;
and then Earle, with an ejaculation of anger, sprang out from behind the
bush, and, with Dick at his elbow, started at a run towards the spot as
the deer sank with a groan into the long grass.

A few seconds sufficed the pair to reach their goal, or at least near
enough to it for them to see that the unfortunate deer was not yet quite
dead, for its hind legs, which were not involved in the coils of the
python, were kicking out feebly, while its eyes gazed up at them
pitifully with an expression that might easily have been interpreted
into a prayer for deliverance from its sufferings. As for the python,
it was already relaxing its awful grip upon the body of its victim, and
had thrown off one coil as the two friends came into view. Earle, who
seemed to know something of the nature of the creature, warned Dick to
stand back, as the reptile was loosening itself in readiness to make a
spring. But he himself evidently had no fear of the snake, for as it
reared its great head and gave vent to an angry hiss, he threw up his
rifle, and, standing his ground, fired a shot that went crashing through
its right eye and out at the back of the skull.

The next instant Dick received a blow across the chest that not only
knocked the breath out of him, but sent him to the ground with a crash,
while the threshing of the creature's body upon the earth, as it writhed
and twisted convulsively in its death agony, might have been heard from
one end of the glade to the other. Earle dashed forward and quickly
dragged Dick out of the way before assisting the lad to regain his feet,
and it was well that he did so, for the next moment the monster was
writhing and pounding upon the very spot from whi