Faix, ye's air a brither o' moine!" exclaimed Felix, grasping the hand of
the captain.

"Air ye's from the County Carhk?"

"Oi'm from the county and parish of Kilkenny; or mi mudther was, thou'
she's dead now, long loife to her! Wud I foind ary cobry in here?"

"All you'll want uv 'em; and pythons too."

"What is a poithon?" asked Felix.

"A big schnake; a boa, or loike him."

"Is it the bore that runs up the river to Calcutty?"

"Not the same boa," laughed the captain. "But you speak English, for I have
heard you do it; and I have about forgotten my native brogue."

"If the boa is a snake, he is the fellow I want to see," replied Felix.

"There's one of them now!" exclaimed Captain O'Flaherty, pointing to one
wreathed around a bush.

The young hunter brought his rifle to his shoulder, and fired before the
captain had time to say anything more. The python began to writhe and
wriggle in the bush, and Felix fired again. Then he dropped off into the
water. The rest of the company had been aft with the ladies, but they all
rushed forward at the report of the rifle. The captain stated what the
hunter had done, as he rang to stop and back the boat. They saw the bamboo
on which the serpent had been, but the game could not be seen. They
wondered what had become of him.

The rest of the hunters began to shoot ducks, herons, and other
water-fowls. As fast as a bird dropped into the bayou he disappeared, and
not one of them could be recovered. Captain Ringgold wondered what became
of them, and the Indian gentlemen only laughed at his perplexity.

"But what becomes of them, for they do not sink?" demanded the commander.

"You shall see," replied Sir Modava. "Don't shoot the adjutants; but there
is a long-legged heron. I will bring him down, for he waits very patiently
to be shot. Now watch the water when he comes down."

The bird dropped the moment he fired, and the instant he touched the water
a pair of jaws closed upon him, and drew him under water. The company were
astonished, and looked for an explanation.

"I never counted the crocodiles in this river; but I should guess there
were at least a million of them, and they steal your game as fast as you
bring it down," said Sir Modava.

The ladies were interested; and another bird was shot, to enable them to
see the operation of the saurians. The python was about ten feet long, and
he must have been a meal for one of them. The cranes, herons, and storks
were numer