“Back for your lives,” he cried, and as they darted up the island the monster uttered a fearful sound, part hiss, part bellow, and flung half his length in contortions on the sand.
Guy sprang forward and launched another spear that entered the slimy body near the center, but neither wound was mortal and the great serpent came on unchecked.
In one respect they had the advantage of him, as Guy accidentally discovered, for the wicked eyes blinked in the torchlight and the monster’s actions showed that his powers of sight were limited to darkness.
He was wonderfully quick and agile, however, for a sudden convulsive leap carried him almost to the feet of his antagonists, and again they scattered in alarm.
The serpent’s whole body was now on shore, with the exception of the tail, which was lashing the water to a milky foam.
Seizing another spear Guy circled to one side, and boldly approaching the trembling coils, with one terrific blow he planted his weapon into the serpent’s body so deeply that the spear pinned the monster firmly to the ground.
A cry of horror burst from his companions as the huge head swung round with awful quickness, but it missed Guy by barely an inch as he sprang aside.
The serpent’s contortions were now frightful to see, as he squirmed and twisted to tear loose from the weapon. “Now let him have it,” cried Guy; and in an instant the remaining spears, half a dozen in number, were driven deeply into the venomous coils.
The struggle was now at its crisis. With axes in hand they were dodging about the writhing monster, seeking a chance to reach the head, when an awful shriek echoed through the cavern, apparently from some distance out on the lake, and then the Greek’s voice was raised in a loud and urgent appeal for help. What new disaster threatened?