the attention of those
on the fork was divided between the rising of the water and the uneasy
movements of the great occupant of the next tree.

"I suppose we may confess to being afraid of a reptile like that," said
Brazier, measuring the distance between the trees with his eyes and
looking up to see if the branches of either approached near enough to
enable the reptile to make its way across.

"No fear, sir!" said Shaddy, with a smile, as he read his companion's
thoughts. "We've only the water to trouble us now."

"But it will never get up so high as this?" cried Rob in alarm, as he
thought of the trees which he had seen swept down the river, forest
chiefs, some of them, which had been washed out by floods.

"I hope not, sir; but we have to be ready for everything in this
country, as you've found out already."

This set Rob thinking as he watched the waves coming down the river,
each sweeping before it a mass of verdure, pieces at times taking the
form of floating islands, with the low growth upon them keeping its
position just as the patches had broken away from undermined banks.

"Don't you wonder where it all goes, Mr Rob?" said Shaddy suddenly.

"Yes; does it get swept out to sea?"

"Not it, sir. Gets dammed up together in bends and corners of the
river, and makes it cut itself a fresh bed to right or left. This
country gets flooded sometimes for hundreds upon hundreds of miles, so
that you can row about among the trees just where you like. Ah! it
would be a fine time for Mr Brazier when the flood's at its height, for
we could row about just where we liked--if we had a boat," he added
after a pause.

Just then the puma gave a savage growl.

"Here, what's the matter with you?" cried the guide sharply.

The puma snarled again and showed its teeth, but they saw that it was
staring away from the tree.

"He can see the serpent," said Rob eagerly; and they now saw the reason,
for, evidently aware of their proximity, and from a desire to escape,
the great reptile was all in motion, its fore-part beginning slowly to
descend the tree, the head and neck clinging wonderfully to the
inequalities of the bark for a part of the way, and then the creature
fitted itself in the deep groove between two of the buttress-like
portions, which ran down right away from the main trunk.

They all watched the reptile with curiosity, for its actions were
singular, and it was exciting to see the way in which the whole lengt