It seemed as though some great
body was threshing about in the jungle, lashing
the trees, bushes and leaves about, and when
the two young men, followed by Mr. Damon,
reached the scene they saw that, in a measure,
this really accounted for what they heard.
Something like a great whip was beating about
close to two trees that grew near together. And
then, when the storm of twigs, leaves and dirt,
caused by the leaping, threshing thing ceased for
a moment, the onlookers saw something that
filled them with terror.
Between the two trees, and seemingly bound
to them by a great coiled rope, spotted and banded,
was the body of Professor Bumper. His arms
were pinioned to his sides and there was horror
and terror on his face, that looked imploringly
at the youths from above the topmost coil of
those encircling him.
"What is it?" cried Mr. Damon, as he ran
pantingly up. "What has caught him? Is it the
giant iguana?"
"It's a snake--a great boa!" gasped Tom. "It
has him in its coils. But it is wound around
the trees, too. That alone prevents it from
crushing the professor to death.
"Ned, be ready with your rifle. Put in the
heaviest charge, and watch your chance to fire!"
The great, ugly head of the boa reared itself
up from the coils which it had, with the quickness
of thought, thrown about the man between
the two trees. This species of snake is not
poisonous, and kills its prey by crushing it to
death, making it into a pulpy mass, with scarcely
a bone left unbroken, after which it swallows
its meal.
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