"Yes, I see it now," said Frank. Then, telling the men in Malay to keep
the boat stationary, he turned to Murray: "Here's a shot for you, sir.
I couldn't see it at first. Their eyes are sharper than ours. Wait a
minute till the boat's right. That's it. Stop now, both of you look
right in through that opening among the leaves, and you'll see it on a
branch."

"What, some handsome bird?"

"No; something that's been up there after the birds or monkeys. Do you
see? Look where I'm pointing."

"I am looking there," said Ned, eagerly; "but I can only see a great
creeper all curled about and twisted in knots where it looks quite
dark."

"Well, that's it," said Frank, laughing; "that great creeper. See it,
Mr Murray?"

"Yes, I see it now. Wait till I change the cartridge for bigger shot."

"Yes; use your biggest for him," whispered Frank; and Ned looked on
wonderingly, refraining from asking questions, for he was met by an
imperious "Hush!"

"I can't see what he means, I suppose," thought Ned; and he watched
eagerly now as Murray suddenly took aim and fired.

Then for a few moments there was a violent rustling and breaking of
twigs, and something heavy fell with a great splash beyond the screen of
leaves formed by the lowermost drooping branches.

"You hit him!" cried Frank, excitedly, and he gave an order to the men,
who rowed in under the drooping boughs.

"Now quick, the other barrel!" cried the lad. "See him? Too late.
He's gone!"

"I couldn't get a good sight of him," said Murray.

"But what was it?"

"A great serpent. He glided out of the river in amongst those bushes."

"Could we follow if the boat were rowed right in?"

Frank shook his head.

"Impossible," he said; and the boat was pulled out and began once more
to ascend the stream.

"How big was it?" said Ned, as the incident was discussed.

"Impossible to say," replied Murray; "but I should say fifteen or
sixteen feet long, and as large round as your leg."

Another hour's steady pulling up against the stream brought them to
quite a change in the character of the river-banks. One side had the
jungle as before, but on the other the forest receded more and more,
till they gazed across a park-like plain dotted with clumps of huge
trees, and rising more and more till a range of hills towered up looking
wonderfully beautiful, wooded as they were to the summit.

This meant a tramp, and the boat was run up beneath some trees, to one