ched.

I would gladly have closed my eyes, but I could not, any more than I
could afford help. And now, unwilling witness that I was, I saw that
the moment of extreme horror was approaching, for the serpent had drawn
its folds on to a portion of the branch free from foliage; the coils
were bent as if ready for a spring, the head was drawn back, the jaws
distended; and at last I gave utterance to a hoarse cry and sprang
forward, the spell that had held me was broken, and the next instant
Lilla was in my arms, just as I heard a rustle; then there was a rush,
and I was dashed violently to the ground.

But there were no coils round either of us, lashing us in a horrible
embrace--no fangs were fixed in my shoulder; but lashing, darting, and
whipping itself, as it were, in every direction, beating down tall grass
and bushy growth, its horrible eyes flashing with pain and rage, the
serpent was close at hand, while the next instant its coils were wrapt
round a large jaguar, whose teeth and claws were fixed in the thickest
part of the reptile, the creature holding on with all its might, at the
same time that, cat-like in its every act, it tore and ripped away at
its enemy's body with the great talons of its hinder paws.

There was a fierce, savage, worrying growl, the snapping and rustling of
tree and shrub, the lashing about of the serpent's body, as, now coiled
round its assailant, now forced by agony to unwind, the two terrors of
the South American forest continued their struggle. Now they were
half-hidden by the undergrowth, whose disturbance only showed the
changes in the savage warfare; now they struggled into sight, and it was
very evident that the serpent was being worsted in the encounter, the
jaguar having in the first strokes of its powerfully-armed hind paws
inflicted terrible wounds, which incapacitated the reptile from using
its potent weapon--the crushing power of its folds.

For a few minutes I could hardly believe in our escape from so horrible
a peril; but, so far, we were undoubtedly safe, the tide of war now
beginning, indeed, to roll away, it being evident that the jaguar was
thoroughly worsting its enemy. At last I saw the huge tail of the
serpent rise above the long grass, to vibrate and quiver in the air,
twisting as if the horrible beast were in extreme agony; then it
disappeared, and I prepared to try and bear Lilla away, for it was plain
that the long-continued struggle was bringing the combatant