y had first heard
it.

"It must be a serpent," cried Guy. "Heaven grant that it doesn't
approach the island."

He hurriedly picked up the torch and ran with it to the shore. The
radius of light thus thrown over the water illumined a space twenty
yards ahead, and revealed a long, dark object moving in graceful
undulations over the surface. It was beyond doubt a huge serpent, and,
as though angered by the light, the monster suddenly changed its course,
and with a terrific splash headed directly for the shore. The huge head
was in plain view, and the eyes flashed back fire from the reflected
glare of the torch.

For an instant all seemed paralyzed with horror, and no one moved.

Chutney was the first to recover himself.

"We must kill him before he reaches the island," he cried, staggering
back a pace or two. "Get the guns. Quick! quick! or it will be too
late!"

He turned to flee across the island toward the canoe, but as he gained
the ridge a cry of horror broke from his lips, and as his companions
hurriedly reached the spot a single glance showed them what was the
matter.

The canoe was no longer on the shore. The swell caused by the approach
of the serpent had washed it from its slight support, and now it was
twenty yards distant, and drifting farther and farther away with every
second.

"The guns! The guns!" shrieked Chutney. "They are all in the boat. We
are left at the mercy of the serpent. Sir Arthur! Sir Arthur!" he
shouted with all his might, but no response came from the sleeping man,
and the canoe continued to recede into the gloom.

At this terrible moment it was Forbes who brought a ray of hope into
their despair.

Springing forward he snatched up an armful of the native weapons,
spears, and axes, and distributed them to his companions.

"We must fight the monster with these," he cried; "and while we are
keeping him off, you, Canaris, run to the shore and keep on shouting to
Sir Arthur. He may wake and get here in time to save us yet."

"He must be in a faint," exclaimed the colonel, "or the noise would
surely have wakened him. Come on, Chutney, the serpent is halfway to the
shore. We may keep him off with these arms."

The torch was hastily placed in the sand near the water's edge, and,
grasping their weapons firmly, they prepared to check the advance of the
monster. Fortunately the spears and axes were of hard iron and fitted
with strong handles which the long storage in the cavern seemed