ad we moved
but slowly--when we caught sight of Jose in the distance, running
rapidly among the trees of the forest. At the same moment an object
appeared directly in front of Jose sufficient to fill us with horror.
It was a huge snake. Jose apparently had not seen it; for the next
instant the creature seized him, and began to wind its folds around his
body. He uttered a dreadful shriek of terror, not knowing that anyone
was near. Tim and I rushed forward; he with his axe in his hand, I with
a stick I had picked up--for I was afraid, should I fire, of killing the
man. Jose had never been a favourite with Tim; indeed, he had suspected
him from the first; and the man's appearance at that spot showed pretty
clearly that Tim was right in his opinion. He now, however, dashed up
to the huge snake in the most gallant way, and struck it a violent blow
on the tail, almost severing the end. Still the monster kept firm hold
of the terrified Jose, whose fearful shrieks were each instant becoming
fainter as the creature pressed his body tighter and tighter in its
encircling folds.

"Do you, Master Guy, batter away at its tail, while I take its head,"
cried Tim; and springing towards the neck of the monster, just as it was
on the point of seizing Jose's head in its mouth, he struck it a blow
with his axe which well-nigh cut it through. Still it kept hold of the
wretched man; till Tim repeating his blow, it rolled over to the ground
with its victim, who, covered with its blood, presented a horrible
spectacle as he lay gasping for breath. The blows had paralysed the
serpent; and now, seizing Jose by the shoulders, we dragged him out from
between its relaxed folds. We had expected to find every bone in his
body broken, but, except that his breath had nearly been squeezed out of
him, he did not appear to have suffered much. The anaconda, however, we
saw from the movements of its body, still retained sufficient vitality
to be mischievous.

"We must finish off this gentleman before we attend to Master Jose,"
cried Tim. "If he comes to life again, he will be after taking us all
three down his ugly mouth, like so many pills, at a gulp."

"I suspect the gash you gave him must have somewhat spoiled his
digestion, though, Tim," I observed.

"Arrah, then, I will be after giving him another, to make sure,"
exclaimed my companion, severing the snake's head at a blow. "There!
now I've done for him!" he cried, triumphantly holding u