pig, which, with its huge mouth wide open, it was preparing
to swallow. So eager was it that it did not observe us. We stood
transfixed with a feeling akin to horror, lest any movement might
disturb it. We knew that we should be much safer should it once get the
unfortunate pig within its jaws. Greatly to my relief, it now darted
down upon the pig, taking the head within its mouth, and gradually it
began to suck in the body. We watched it without moving or speaking.
In a short time, more than half the quadruped had disappeared, and I now
knew, from the formation of the animal's teeth, that no power could draw
it out again, and that thus, till it had entirely swallowed it, we were
safe. Now was the time, therefore, to beat our retreat, and we hurried
back to the fort with an account of what we had seen.

"We must prevent the creature from causing further mischief," said Mr
Hooker, seizing an axe. "When it has digested the pig, it may pay us a
visit, and may be a more awkward enemy to deal with than even the
pirates. Now, if we make haste, he is at our mercy."

Potto Jumbo begged that he might accompany us, and Oliver and he and I,
with the two gentlemen, each armed with an axe and a long bamboo spear,
hurried back to where we had seen the python. As we reached it the hind
legs of the pig were just disappearing within its jaws. "Now is the
time for the attack," cried Mr Sedgwick, rushing forward with his axe
and dealing the animal a blow behind the neck. It instantly uncoiled
its powerful tail and attempted to seize its enemy. It seemed as if it
could have crushed him with one blow against the tree, but he gave a
spring and just escaped it. At the same instant Potto Jumbo sprang in
and struck the tail, which instantly flew back and again encircled the
tree. The monster now tried to lift up his head to make a spring
towards us, but the pig prevented it from opening its jaws, though the
force with which it projected its enormous head was sufficient to have
knocked down the strongest man and killed him on the spot. Mr Hooker
was on the watch, and received it on the point of his spear, which
transfixed its throat, and must have gone through the pig's body at the
same time. Still his spine was uninjured, and there was great danger in
getting within the coils of its body. Potto Jumbo, however, kept
watching the tail, which was again unwound from the branch of the tree.
"You cut, cut at the back while I hold," h