Martin Rattler (Paperback)

Excerpt: ... with a broad grin. "Suppose we give him a touch with the paddle in passing," suggested Martin. At this moment Barney started up, shaded his eyes with his hand, and, after gazing for a few seconds at some object ahead of the canoe, he gave utterance to an exclamation of mingled surprise and consternation. CHAPTER XV THE GREAT ANACONDA'S DINNER-BARNEY GETS A FRIGHT-TURTLES' EGGS, OMELETS AND ALLIGATORS' TAILS-SENHOR ANTONIO'S PLANTATION-PREPARATIONS FOR A GREAT HUNT The object which called forth the cry from our Irish friend, as related in the last chapter, was neither more nor less than a serpent of dimensions more enormous than Barney had ever before conceived of. It was upwards of sixteen feet long, and nearly as thick as a man's body; but about the neck it was three times that size. This serpent was not, indeed, of the largest size. In South America they grow to nearly forty feet in length. But it was fabulously gigantic in the eyes of our adventurers, who had never seen a serpent of any kind before. "Oh " cried Martin, eagerly, "that must be an anaconda. Is it not?" he inquired, turning to the old trader. "Yees; it dead," was the short reply. "So it is " cried Martin, who, on a nearer approach, observed that the brute's body was cut in two just below the swelling at the neck. "Now, did ye iver," cried Barney with increased surprise, "see a sarpint with a cow's horns growin' out at its mouth? Put ashore, old boy; we must have a Vestigation o' this remarkable cratur." The canoe was soon aground, and in another minute the three travellers busily engaged in turning over the carcass of the huge reptile, which they found, to the amazement of Martin and Barney, had actually swallowed an ox whole, with the exception of the horns, which protruded from its mouth After much questioning, in bad Portuguese, broken English, and remarkable signs, Martin succeeded in drawing from the old trader the information that anacondas of a large size are often in...