Crack! came a second shot from Sam’s pistol.  But the serpent was moving around too rapidly for a good aim to be taken, and only the tip of the tail was struck.  Then, in a mad, blind fashion, the snake coiled itself upon Aleck’s foot, and began, with lightning-like rapidity, to encircle the colored man’s body.

“Help!” shrieked Aleck, trying to pull the snake off with his hands.  “Help! or Ise a dead man, shuah!”

“Catch him by the neck, Aleck!” ejaculated Tom, and brought out his own pistol.  Watching his chance, he pulled the trigger twice, sending both bullets straight through the reptile’s body.  Then Sam fired again, and the mangled head fell to the ground.

But dead or alive the body still encircled Aleck, and the contraction threatened to cave in the colored man’s ribs.

“Pull him off somehow!” he gasped.  “Pull him off!”

Crack! went Tom’s pistol once more, and now the snake had evidently had enough of it, for it uncoiled slowly and fell to the ground in a heap, where it slowly shifted from one spot to another until life was extinct.  But neither the boys nor the colored man waited to see if it was really dead.  Instead, they took to their heels and kept on running until the locality was left a considerable distance behind.

“That was a close shave,” said Tom, as he dropped on the ground and began to nurse his lame ankle once more.  “Ugh! but that snake was enough to give one the nightmare!”

“Don’t say a word,” groaned Aleck, who had actually turned pale.  “I vought shuah I was a goner, I did fo’ a fac’!  I don’t want to meet no mo’ snakes!”

The two boys reloaded their pistols with all rapidity, and this was scarcely accomplished when they heard Cujo calling to them.  Soon the native put in an appearance.  When told of what had happened he would not believe the tale until he had gone back to look at the dead snake.

“You werry lucky,” he said.  “Him big wonder um snake didn’t kill all of yo’!”

Cujo had made an important discovery.  He had located Captain Villaire’s party at the old fort, and said that several French brigands were on guard, by the trail leading from the swamp and at the cliff overlooking the river.

“I see white boy dare too,” he added.  “Same boy wot yo’ give money to in Boma.”

“Dan Baxter!” ejaculated Sam.  “Can it be possible that he is mixed up in this affair?”

“I can’t understand it at all,” returned Tom.  “But the question is, now we have tracked the rascals, what is to be done next?”

After a long talk it was resolved to get as close to the old fort as possible.  Cujo said they need not hurry, for it would be best to wait until nightfall before making any demonstration against their enemies.  The African was very angry to think that the other natives had deserted the party, but this anger availed them nothing.

Four o’clock in the afternoon found them on the edge of the swamp and not far from the bank of the Congo.  Beyond was the cliff, overgrown in every part with rank vegetation, and the ever-present vines, which hung down like so many ropes of green.