here he was hidden on the other
side of the clump.

It was evidently intended to mean, "Look out, doctor," for the boys
caught sight for a moment of his raised spear, which disappeared
directly, and it was patent to all that it was being plunged again and
again in among the tangled growth.

The next moment the blows were resumed, as the serpent began to flog the
bushes. There was another report from the doctor's piece; the bushes
all about were in motion for a minute or two, and then the noise of the
reptile's writhing ceased.

"Killed him, doctor?" cried Mark.

"Can't say, my boy," was the reply, "but I am afraid I have completely
spoiled my specimen."

"Never mind, sir," said Dean; "it will be all right for the soup. But
do you think it's safe to go near? I want to see what the monster's
like."

"So do I," cried Mark; "but we will soon have him out. Here, Buck, step
in, lay hold and haul him out into the open."

"Where's that, Mark?" said his father, smiling.

"Well, where it's most open, dad. Now then, you Buck, look alive!"

"No, thank you, sir," said the man, grinning. "I don't want to see
him."

"Bah!" cried Mark. "You are afraid."

"That's right, sir; I am--'orrid. You tell Dan, sir. He'll go in with
his sharp spade and cut him up in chunks and shovel them out a bit at a
time. Snakes is nasty things to touch. Here, go on, messmate. Don't
you hear as the young gents wants to see it?"

"You go on! They didn't ask me to do it," said the sailor; "and he
arn't dead yet."

"Yah! What a fellow you are! Who's a-going to wait till it's dark and
the thing's made up its mind to die? Go on in."

"There arn't room to get a good sight of it," said Dan. "Cut his head
off, then. One good chop would do it."

"Not me! I know all about these things. They gets tight hold and
twissens theirselves round till they have squeezed all the wind out of
you. Here, I say, Mak; you understand these insecks; get hold of him
and pull him out."

The black looked at him laughingly and went forward, spear in hand, but
at that moment there was a rustling and crackling amongst the thick
growth, and everyone but the doctor, who stood firm ready for another
shot, began to retreat, but stopped as they realised the fact that the
pigmy had stuck his spear upright through one of the bushes, and had
seized hold of the serpent, to begin trying to haul it out.

There was a faint suggestion of writhing, a grunting ej