kinds quite unknown to the little party,
who, though seeking birds, could not help admiring the vast monarchs of
the primeval forest.

"This looks more hopeful," cried Bob, who so far had only heard the
occasional note of a bird which was invisible. Now he saw one or two
flit across the sunny glade in advance.

"Yes, there are birds here; but take care, there are serpents too."

Tom Long winced a little at this last announcement, for he had a honour
of the twining creatures; and as his memory ran back to the narrow
escape of Adam Gray, from the sea snake, he asked with some little
trepidation,--

"Poisonous?"

"Oh, yes, some of them! But you need not be alarmed, they hurry off as
soon as they hear our steps."

"But," said Tom, to Bob's very great delight, for he could see his
companion's alarm, "how about the boa-constrictors?"

"Pythons, your people call them," said Ali. "Yes, there are plenty of
them in the wet places."

"Dangerous?"

"No," said Ali, "I never knew them to be--only to the little pigs."

"But ain't they very large?"

"Oh, yes," was the reply, "big as my leg, and so long."

He made a mark on the soft earth with one foot, and then took seven
paces, where he made a fresh mark, indicating a length of about eighteen
feet.

"But they attack men sometimes, don't they?" said Tom, importantly.

"No, I never knew of such a thing," said Ali. "They steal the chickens,
and swallow them whole."

Tom felt somewhat reassured, but all the same he walked delicately over
the thick herbage and amongst the scrub, not knowing but that he might
plant his foot at any time upon some writhing creature, whose venomous
fangs would be inserted in his leg before he could leap aside; but no
such accident befell him, neither had one of the party had a single
shot, when Bob declared that he was too hungry to go farther, and going
on alone to where a huge prostrate tree stretched its great trunk for
many yards, he was about to sit down, when he stopped short, held out
one hand to indicate silence, and beckoned with the other.

Ali ran softly up, and on seeing at what his friend pointed, he
signalled to one of the Malays to come.

The man came up without a sound, caught sight of Bob's discovery--a
black snake about five feet long, and going gently up, he, to the lad's
horror, suddenly seized it by the tail, and with a rapid snatch drew the
reptile through the left hand up to the neck, which the Malay grasped
t