pted to introduce its flat and lance-like head into the open mouth
of the unfortunate man, and stung his lips and tongue; but this last
assault finished the sailor.

The serpent, having satisfied his rage, withdrew his horrible fangs and
took to flight. The colonel felt a damp, icy body touch his cheek; he
remained motionless. The serpent glided rapidly along the side of the
subterranean passage and escaped.

The danger past, the colonel remained some moments petrified with
terror; he heard the last struggle of John; his agony was short. Rutler
heard him make several convulsive shudders and that was all. His
companion was dead. Then Rutler advanced and seized the sailor's leg.
The leg was already cold and stiff; for the venom of the serpent works
rapidly.

A new cause for fear assailed the colonel. The serpent, not finding an
egress in the cavern, might return the same way it had gone. Rutler
seemed already to hear a slight noise behind him. He could not proceed
in advance, because the body of the sailor completely blocked the
passage; flight by the rear was only to expose himself to an encounter
with the serpent. In his terror the colonel seized the corpse by the two
legs, to the end that he might drag it to the entrance of the
subterranean passage and thus clear the only outlet to the cavern. His
efforts were in vain. Whether his strength was paralyzed, he being in
such a cramped position, or whether the poison had already distended the
body, Rutler could not extricate it.

Not wishing to think that this only and last chance for salvation was
taken from him, he found a means of detaching his belt and of fastening
it to the feet of the dead man; he took it between his teeth, and,
aiding himself by his two hands, pulled with all the energy of despair.
He could scarcely cause even the slightest movement of the corpse. His
terror increased; he sought his knife, in the mad idea of cutting up the
body of the sailor. He saw soon the uselessness of this attempt.

The pistols and ammunition of the colonel were in the sack of skin swung
over the shoulders of the dead man. He set himself to work to remove the
sack from his companion; he did so after great difficulty. He then set
himself anew to retreat to the entrance of the passage.

Once again in the cavern he felt faint, but the air revived him; he
plunged his head into the cold water and seated himself on the sand. He
had almost forgotten the serpent. A long hiss cause