“But for goodness’ sake make sure work of it, Frank.  What if you just wounded the monster?  He’d come whirling along at us like a hurricane.  And I’m sure he must be thirty feet long, if he’s a dozen.  Look at the thickness of his neck, would you?  Be mighty careful, for his head’s swinging a bit, you notice.  That was what made me get sight of him.  Say, Frank!”

“Well, hurry up.  He may take a notion to move off, and I’d lose my chance, Andy.”

“How’d it do for me to get some fire, and shoo him away?” suggested his cousin.

“Don’t know how it would work,” replied Frank, smiling a little, however, at the faith Andy seemed to have in a blazing brand, now that he could look back to his late experience with the jaguar.  “Never heard that snakes were afraid of fire.  And besides, there’s no need.  Now keep quiet, and watch.  You’ll see something worth while; but be ready to jump clear.”

He had already dropped down on one knee.  The Marlin stock rested against his cheek, and his eyes sighted along the barrel.  Andy fairly held his breath, his startled eyes glued on that swaying head of the monster.

Then came the sharp report as Frank pulled the trigger.  He instantly jumped back, and by a rapid motion of his hand sent another cartridge into the chamber, the clever mechanism of the gun proving that it was built so as never to fail in an emergency.

Andy had accompanied his chum in that backward movement; but never for an instant did he remove his eyes from the strange spectacle that was taking place there in front of them both.

Undoubtedly the well aimed bullet had crashed through the fearful head of the suspended anaconda.  Instantly it released its many coils above, and a tremendous length of writhing snake could be seen whipping over the ground.  Nothing in the way of small vegetation could stand in the path of those powerful springy coils, as they shot this way and that.

“Oh! my!” gasped the astounded Andy, as he moved farther back, so as to avoid any chance contact with the flying destructive force that was leveling everything in the glade for twenty feet around.  “Did you ever see anything to equal that?  Talk to me about your harvesting machines, here’s one that’s got ’em all beat to a frazzle.  Ain’t he ever going to give up the ghost, Frank?  Guess these anacondas must have the nine lives of a cat!”

“Well,” remarked Frank, “you must have forgotten that among boys it’s said that a snake won’t die till sundown.  I’ve seen one’s tail wiggle hours after we thought the thing was stone dead.  There, he’s moving off into the forest, and a good riddance.  While I’d like to measure the serpent just from curiosity, we’ve got no time to waste waiting for him to kick the bucket.”

“That’s right,” assented Andy.  “And as for going anywhere near such a whirlwind, you’d have to excuse me.”

They watched the dying anaconda gradually vanish in the depth of the forest; and both boys were glad that it had turned out that way, since they were anxious to depart from the place.