flood was being churned up
in a curious way, which indicated that the struggle was going on beneath
the surface. Then a fold of the serpent rose for a moment or two,
disappeared, and was followed by the creature's tail. This latter
darted out for an instant, quivered in the air, and then was snatched
back, making the water hiss.

During the next five minutes the little party in the tree sat watching
the water where they had last seen it disturbed; but it had gradually
settled down again, and, for aught they could tell to the contrary,
their two enemies had died in each other's embrace.

But this was not so; for all at once Shaddy uttered an ejaculation, and
pointed along the edge of the submerged trees, to where something was
moving about in the bright morning's light.

It was right where the beams of the freshly risen sun gilded the
rippling water, sending forth such flashes of light that it was hard to
distinguish what it was. But directly after, there, before them,
swimming slowly and laboriously, in undulatory motion, was the serpent,
which they watched till it passed in among the branches of the submerged
trees and disappeared.

"Then the tiger was killed?" cried Rob, excitedly.

"Yes, sir; I thought it was all over with him when the snake made those
half hitches about his corpus and I heard his bones crack. Ah! it's
wonderful what power those long sarpentiny creatures have. Why, I've
known an eel at home, when I was a boy, twist itself up in a regular
knot that was as hard and close as could be, and that strong it was
astonishing."

"But surely that serpent can't live?" said Brazier.

"It's sartain, sir, that the tiger can't," replied the old sailor. "You
see, beside his having that nip, he was kept underneath long enough to
drown him and all his relations. As to the sarpent--oh yes, he may
live. It's wonderful what a good doctor Nature is. I've seen animals
so torn about that you'd think they must die, get well by giving
themselves a good lick now and then, and twisting up and going to sleep.
Savages, too, after being badly wounded, get well at a wonderful rate
out here without a doctor. But now let's see what the river's doing."

He bent down and examined the trunk of the tree, and came to the
conclusion that the flood was about stationary; and as all danger of its
rising seemed to be at an end, Shaddy set to work with his knife,
lopping off branches, and cutting boughs to act as poles to lay