8 



pretty little flesh-colored h;mds lay upon that fatal upper coil, it 

 did so look like the intercession of helpless suffering with pitiless 

 power ! This terrible constrictor, although the act was done in an 

 instant, had fully exhausted all her ingenuity in throwing up this 

 fearful engine of strangulation. It was not merely a series of 

 nest-like constricting coils, but one great coil went transversely 

 over all the others ; as when the hand squeezes a lemon, and the 

 other hand is made to help the compression. One could hear the 

 bones crack ! All this time the head of the serpent is underneath, 

 holding its little captive in place, while that spiral vise squeezes 

 out the brave little life that has so stoutly held its own against 

 such odds in a mortal combat of two long hours. Happily death 

 is almost instantaneous, for it is a literal crushing out of life. 



Eight minutes have elapsed, and that spiral coil is still wound 

 up, rigid and motionless as a rope of iron. How patient the crea- 

 ture is! So still, so quiet, one would hardly think it was alive. 



ni.-h- .' : ■ , . !' '.- :' ' ' - i ,\ 



retain , m i« t air. as thouU the reptile was conscious that the 

 thing was done. A change comes at last. The head is still aloft. 



rax swell with inspiration ; then comes that indescribable blowing. 

 It is evidently taking a good long breath after a tough job. There 

 may be in it a relief to its nervous excitement. Is the re in it any 



