re was another phase of horror, for one fold of
the many convolutions seemed to be tightened about the man's arm, and he
was evidently about to be dragged into the fire too, and, as he had
before imagined, it was to be death for both.

But no; the serpent snatched itself away from the impending danger and
tightened itself about the man, who was the next instant bound by the
great living thong about and about his heaving body, and the struggle
was resumed upon equal terms.

Was it never going to finish?

The end was at hand in a way that the watcher had never for a moment
anticipated, for all at once, when the silence, save for the humming
noise of the fire, was at its greatest depth, there arose the sudden
hollow trumpet-like blast of a great conch shell, followed by a savage
fiendish yell, and for one brief moment Murray saw the huge black,
golden red in the fire's glow, standing wiping, as it were so to speak,
the folds of the great serpent from off his arms, then from his neck,
and again from his breast, about which it heaved and twined, before it
was gone, as it were, twisted up by the great knotted arms of the huge
negro, and thrown into the long coffin-shaped chest, whose lid was
slammed down with a noise like the report of a gun; and this was
followed by a noise as of a great wind passing over the amphitheatre,
and Murray looked to see the fire swept away and growing extinct before
the force of what sounded like a storm.

But the fire blazed still, and dominating the rushing wind a voice arose
from close at hand with the familiar cry of--

"_Seafowls_ ahoy!"

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

A NIGHT IN THE WOODS.

The summons given in hearty English was responded to by a ragged volley
of so many muskets, whose flashes came faintly from the edge of the
amphitheatre, and wondering what it meant, Murray, as he looked round,
was just in time to see the big black giant of a negro spring high in
the air, come down with a crash upon the coffin-shaped chest, roll over,
and writhe for a few moments before lying perfectly still.

As the big negro was seen to fall, the crowd of blacks who were hurrying
here and there as if in dismay, uttered a series of shrieks and yells,
and began to run in confusion towards the end of the woody amphitheatre
farthest from the fire, but only to encounter another ragged volley of
musketry which checked them and drove them back, leaving several of
their number to fall struggling upon the