Afloat in the forest, or, A voyage among the tree-tops . o arrest the progress of such a power-ful monster as that, which, with only two thirds of its lengthdisplayed, extended full twenty feet along the log? Someone of the party must become a victim, and who was to bethe first? The young Paraense seemed determined to take prece-dence, and, with the generous design of protecting his friends,— perhaps only little Rosa was in his thoughts, — he hadthrown himself in front of the others, even the spearmanstanding behind him. It appeared that his time was had not confidence that it was not.
Afloat in the forest, or, A voyage among the tree-tops . o arrest the progress of such a power-ful monster as that, which, with only two thirds of its lengthdisplayed, extended full twenty feet along the log? Someone of the party must become a victim, and who was to bethe first? The young Paraense seemed determined to take prece-dence, and, with the generous design of protecting his friends,— perhaps only little Rosa was in his thoughts, — he hadthrown himself in front of the others, even the spearmanstanding behind him. It appeared that his time was had not confidence that it was not. What could he dowith a knife-blade against such an enemy ? He stood therebut to do his duty, and die. And both would quickly have been accomplished, — theduty and the death, — but that the Omnipotent Hand thathad preserved them through so many perils was still stretchedover them, and in its own way extricated them from this newdanger. To one unacquainted with the cause, it might havebeen a matter of surprise to see the reptile, hitherto deter-. HISTORY OF THE ANACONDA. 223 mined upon making an attack, all at once turn away from itsintended victims; and, without even showing its tail upon thelog, retreat precipitately into the water, and swim off over thelagoa, as if the ceiba was something to be shunned beyondeverything else that might be encountered in the Gapo ! CHAPTER LXXVII. HISTORY OF THE ANACONDA. THOUGH it may be a mystery to the reader why it hadretreated, it was none to our adventurers, who had seenit crawl over the scattered fagots ; they had heard the hiss-ing, sputtering sound, as the live coals came in contact withits wet skin ; they had witnessed its dismay and flight at aphenomenon so unexpected. They were therefore well awarethat it was the scorching hot cinders that had caused the su-curuju to forsake the dead-wood in such a sudden and appar-ently mysterious manner. It was some time before they were entirely relieved ottheir fears. Notwithstanding its
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