ho sprang to
their feet, Maco being the first to seize a lance and come to our
assistance. The bravest man might well have been excused for not facing
the hideous monster unarmed. The first impulse of everyone was to
spring to the afterpart of our craft, as far as possible from its huge
fangs. Our cries, and the row of bristling lances presented to the
anaconda, made it hesitate to spring on us. Indeed, it had not as yet,
I suspect, got firm hold of the log with its tail, which would have
enabled it to do so. While the rest of us were presenting our lances,
Maco seized a bow and sent an arrow directly down the creature's throat!
With a loud hiss of rage and pain it drew back, when we all rushed
forward, not without some risk of upsetting the log, which rocked
fearfully from side to side. Had we been thrown into the water, the
creature would have had us at its mercy; though, with an arrow in its
mouth, it would not have been able to swallow even Quacko. A second
arrow, sent from Maco's unerring bow, made it uncoil its huge body and
slip off into the water, when, to our infinite satisfaction, it
disappeared beneath the surface. Poor Quacko still trembled all over;
for his instinct told him how quickly the anaconda would have gobbled
him up. We speedily recovered our equanimity. "I wish he would come on
again," cried our undaunted skipper. "If he do, we shall quickly have
his head off, and cook some slices of his body for dinner." I don't
think he exactly meant what he said; at all events, I must have been
excessively hungry before I could have eaten any of the hideous
creature, though its flesh might possibly not be poisonous. I believe,
indeed, that even the natives, who eat nearly everything, would not have
been inclined to feed on its rank flesh.

As we had no wish to remain in the neighbourhood, we got out the oars
and rowed lustily forward; and a fresh breeze springing up at about
noon, we ran on at a good rate, though not even at the fastest did we
ever make more than four knots an hour. Our average was perhaps about
two, which gave twenty-four miles in the day. This, considering all
things, was not bad progress.

We sailed on till nightfall, in vain looking for a landing-place, while
between the trees we could distinguish nothing but water extending as
far as the eye could reach. As the wind was light, we did not attempt
to bring up, but continued on our course; a crescent moon enabling us to
see