they saw. It was a serpent at least ten yards in length--a serpent showing
many bright colors, a thick, elongated head, a body at least ten inches in
diameter, and a blunt tail. As it moved down the column of the tree it
launched its head out level in the air as if anticipating a feast of Boy
Scout. The shining head, the small, vicious eyes, drew nearer to the faces
of the watchers, and it seemed as if the serpent was about to leap across
the pool.

Directly, however, the reptile threw its head and the upper part of its
body over a limb on a tree nearer to the boys and drew its whole squirming
body across.

"It is coming over here, all right," whispered Peter. "Can you hit it? A
bullet landed in that flat head might help some."

"Of course I can hit it."

Jimmie would not have admitted fright, but his voice was a trifle shaky.
It is no light thing for a boy reared on the pavements of New York to face
a serpent in the midst of a tropical forest at night.

"You shoot, then," Peter said. "I'll hold my fire until we see what
happens."

Jimmie drew his revolver and waited for a moment, as the head of the snake
was now in the shadow of the tree. When it came out again, still creeping
nearer to the boys, swaying, reaching out for another tree which would
have brought it within striking distance, the boy took careful aim and
fired.

There was a puff of smoke, the smell of burning powder, a great switching
in the branches of the tree. Peter seized Jimmie by the arm and drew him
back.

"If you didn't hit him he'll jump," the boy said.

When the smoke which had discolored the heavy air drifted away, they saw
the serpent still hanging from the limb, pushing his head out this way and
that and flashing a scarlet tongue at its enemies.

"You hit him, all right," Peter said. "Try again."

After the third shot the body of the serpent hung down from the tree with
only a stir of life. It was evident that at least one of the bullets had
found the brain.

"It will hang there until it decays," Peter said. "That tail will never
let go. Come on away. It makes me sick."

"There's always two where there's one," Jimmie said, "and we must move
cautiously, for there would be no release from the coils of a snake like
that."

"I thought I heard something moving in there a moment ago," Peter said,
pointing away from the pool. "I'll go in and see."

"Don't you stir," advised Jimmie. "There's some one in there. I heard
voices. We hav