DISCOVER A BOA CONSTRICTOR. 197 



not believe it to be a snake. Mr. Barrill pulled out his 

 pocket glass, and after a moment's attentive examination, 

 pronounced the object a large boa, distended by an 

 enormous meal, and, most probably, in a torpid state. 

 Without waiting for our decision, the Parsee, who had 

 first discovered the monster, rode slowly up towards it, 

 with his gun ready for a shot. A cold thrill ran through 

 my veins as I watched him with straining eyes. He had 

 got within twenty yards, when the serpent moved, and 

 reared its head, as if to observe who dared to molest its terri- 

 ble majesty. The Parsee checked his horse and fired at 

 the throat of the monster, taking care to put spurs to his 

 horse immediately afterwards, and hurry back to us. On 

 receiving the ball, the head of the serpent fell. But the 

 writhing of the body convinced us that it was still alive 

 and formidable. Once more the head was raised, and, with 

 the sure aim of a Rocky Mountain hunter, I fired the con- 

 tents of both barrels into it, mangling it terribly. Still 

 the twisting of the body continued, and one of the Parsees 

 then took a hatchet from one of the packs, and advanced 

 cautiously, but with wonderful intrepidity to the close as- 

 sault. He was within a few feet of the monster a sugg 

 sugg, sounded in our ears, and the brave fellow shouted 

 that we might approach without fear. 



We advanced and beheld the splendid horror of a huge 



boa constrictor's form. For a few minutes, Mr. Barrill 



17* 



