The crushing power of one of these
boas, some of which reach a length of thirty
feet, with a body as large around as that of a
full-grown man, is enormous.
"I'm going to fire!" suddenly cried Tom. He
had seen his chance and he took it. There was
the faint report--the crack of the electric rifle--
and the folds of the serpent seemed to relax.
"I see a good chance now," added Ned, who
had taken the small charge from his weapon,
replacing it with a heavier one.
His rifle was also discharged in the direction
of the snake, and Tom saw that the hit was a
good one, right through the ugly head of the reptile.
"One other will be enough to make him loosen
his coils!" cried Tom, as he fired again, and such
was the killing power of the electric bullets that
the snake, though an immense one, and one that
short of decapitation could have received many
injuries without losing power, seemed to shrivel up.
Its folds relaxed, and the coils of the great
body fell in a heap at the roots of the two trees,
between which the scientist had been standing.
Professor Bumper seemed to fall backward as
the grip of the serpent relaxed, but Tom, dropping
his rifle, and calling to Ned to keep an eye
on the snake, leaped forward and caught his friend.
"Are you hurt?" asked Tom, carrying the limp
form over to a grassy place. There was no
answer, the savant's eyes were closed and he
breathed but faintly.
Ned Newton fired two more electric bullets
into the still writhing body of the boa.
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