“No, sahib—not hurry,” cried Kati; “pig gore you with his tusks—he only sham being so bad he can’t stand.” And with his sarong—which he had taken off and bound tightly round his left arm—and creese in hand, he ran towards the animal; but when within a couple of yards of it, he suddenly came to a dead halt, and there stood as if terror-stricken. But so were we, for we saw rise from amongst the tall grass to the height of a man, a huge liboya (a species of boa-constrictor common to Java); and there for a moment it remained, putting forth its forked tongue, and glaring at pig and man, as if undecided upon which to spring. A grunt or cry of terror, however, from the former settled the matter, for the reptile instantly fell upon the pig and began to twine itself around him, crushing his bones.
“There goes a month’s rations for the whole crew,” said Martin.
“Not if I can help it;” and, taking a good aim, I fired, but, missing the head, the bullet passed through its neck. The huge reptile now uncoiled itself from the pig, and began to strike his tail around with the rapidity and power of a scythe mowing grass by steam—sending the mud, sand, and dirt about in showers.
“Sahibs, go not near snake, but fire again; while I go and get rope from sampan.”
“What on earth does he want with the rope?” said Martin. But Kati had disappeared, and I was too much engaged to reply, for I was reloading my rifle. That being done, I again fired and hit the serpent. This shot, however, only excited its fury the more and caused it to raise such a whirlwind of dust and mud, that, to avoid being blinded, we were compelled to retreat some distance.
“Now,” said Martin, when the reptile had become quiet, and the dust allayed; “let us send a volley.”
This we did, and effectively, for both bullets passed through its head.
“Bravo, Claud! we have saved our bacon—or pork; the snake is dead,” cried Martin, advancing towards the carcass of the pig.
“Not so—if you value your life, remain where you are,” I replied; for I saw that the reptile, notwithstanding its mortal wounds, was writhing and twisting about in such a manner as to be dangerous for any person to approach it. Kati, however, who now came running up to us, carrying a rope with a noose at one end, had no such fears. Going within a few yards, and handling it as dextrously as an American of the prairies would a lasso, he by one throw sent it over the head.
“Now, sahibs, pull tight—choke snake, and we draw him to sampan.”