CHAPTER VIII.

POMP’S THRILLING EXPERIENCE.

But before the famous inventor could reach him, Barney was upon his feet.

“Begorra, that’s something that ivery man can’t say!” he exclaimed, with twinkling eyes. “I went out to get one leopard and was the cause av baggin’ four av thim. Shure, I’ll have wan av thim skins tanned and sind it to the Pope, so I will.”

‪“You are a pretty good decoy for leopards,” laughed young Buckden. “By Jove, Barney, you’re a valuable man.”

‪“Have yez jist discovered that?” retorted the quick-witted Irishman.

It required but a short time for Barney and Pomp to take off the leopards’ skins.

There was a skin for each of them, and they were carefully stowed away in the wagon.

Once more the Steam Man went on down the broad avenue.

There were many other streets diverging from this one, but they were more narrow and had not the appearance of this one.

It was deemed best to keep to the main thoroughfare.

At intervals a halt was called before some wonderful building of curious architecture and time was spent in studying it.

‪“Look here, Buckden!” said Frank, finally, ‪“how is this? What of that temple you wrote me about, which was so abundantly stocked with anacondas?”

‪“Oh, that is a good ways from here,” replied Buckden. ‪“This street I believe extends for a distance of twenty miles. Half way to the other end is a public square and there we will find the temple. At least, so I was informed by the native, Metlo.”

‪“Very good! then we shall be on the lookout for the anacondas.”

The words were not out of Frank’s mouth when a warning cry came from Barney who was at the forward end of the wagon.

‪“Luk out fer yesilf, Misther Frank!” he cried; “there’s a big log acrost the road an’ if yez don’t luk out we’ll be overturned by it.”

Frank quickly closed the throttle and applied the brake.

Right across the Steam Man’s path was what looked like a log of palm, and it stretched from a clump of palms to a thicket which grew out of the paving stones full thirty feet away.

But quick as he had been Frank was not in time to prevent the Steam Man from stumbling against it.

The result was terrifying.

The log was instantly an animated creature. Quick as a flash it bounded in air and ran up in huge coils, while the savage head of a huge anaconda emerged from the palm clump.

Before Frank could make a move to retreat, the big snake had thrown its giant coils around the wagon and over the cage.

The huge head was thrust against the steel netting, seeking an opening.

“Tare an’ ’ounds!” yelled Barney in terror. “Av it ain’t another wan ov the snakes! Be me sowl, he’s puttin’ his head in at the windy!”

This was a terrifying fact.

The anaconda’s head suddenly was thrust through one of the port-holes.

This chanced to be one of large circumference and the snake’s whole body began to slide into the cage.

Frank Reade, Jr., seized a hatchet and made a blow at the snake.

But the reptile’s head struck him in the breast and knocked him over.

Its keen fangs tore his shirt and lacerated his flesh. When he picked himself up he was alone in the wagon with the snake.

The anaconda’s body was sliding rapidly in through the port-hole. Barney and Pomp and Buckden had fled from the wagon through the rear door.

“Come, Frank, for God’s sake!” cried Buckden, reaching in and pulling Frank toward the door. “Don’t stay there, or you will be killed.”

Frank saw the snake making ready to dive at him again.

He knew that it was folly to risk his life in such a manner.

So accepting discretion as the better part of valor, the young inventor dashed from the wagon.

The huge snake’s body was rapidly sliding into the wagon.

The explorers dumbfounded and irresolute stood outside and watched the proceeding with curious sensations.

‪“Well, upon me sowl,” cried Barney, “howiver will we get the omadhoun out av’ that? Bad cess to his ugly shape, say I.”

‪“By Jove, that is a stickler,” declared Buckden. ‪“How will we ever get him out of the cage?”

‪“At present he is master of the situation,” declared Frank.

“I jus’ fink dat ole snake am gwine fo’ to gib us some trubble,” declared Pomp.

‪“It looks like it.”

‪“Begorra, why not give him a bit av cold lead?”

But the words were not off Barney’s lips when an appalling thing happened.

The snake’s body was now all in the cage. The huge reptile was squirming and thrashing about like mad.

Suddenly the door of the cage shut with a snap.

Then, to add to the horror and discomfort of the situation, the Steam Man started away at full speed.

The snake’s movements had in some way pulled open the throttle.

A fearful groan escaped Frank’s lips.

‪“My God! we are lost!”

Cries of dismay escaped the others.

‪“Catch him!”

‪“Shut the valve!”

But they might as well have tried to catch the wind.

The Steam Man was off like a flash. Down the avenue he went with clanking tread.

After him with despairing souls ran the explorers, vainly trying to overtake him.

In the cage, unable to extricate himself, the huge anaconda was taking an enforced ride.

What more strange or thrilling predicament could be imagined?

Down the avenue went the strange procession. The Steam Man went on and was soon out of sight through a vista of trees and overhanging vines.

The seriousness of the affair to our adventurers could not be estimated at the moment.

Left in that terrible wilderness to find their way on foot back to Campeachy was not a pleasant thing to contemplate.

There did not seem to remain any doubt but that the Steam Man would keep on until it should come in disastrous collision with some object.

The result would almost surely be to smash the machinery, and in that out of the way part of the world it would be by no means easy to repair it.

All these misgivings and fears assailed the explorers.

Frank Reade, Jr., was usually possessed of iron nerves.

But if ever there was a time in his life when those nerves were sorely tried, it was now.

It did not seem to him possible that the Steam Man could escape unharmed.

‪“My soul!” he gasped, as he staggered on. ‪“We are lost!”

Indeed, it seemed true.

Yet the explorers ran on, hoping at every turn to see the Steam Man all safe and sound.

But they seemed doomed to disappointment.

Suddenly a terrible cry went up from Barney.

‪“Howly Mither! Luk out!” he yelled. ‪“Phwativer is that ahead of us?”

Every one came to a halt.

Just ahead of them lay what looked again like a prostrate palm trunk, but the experienced gaze of our adventurers now proved its true character.

It was another huge anaconda which was stretching itself across the roadway.

The long, sinuous horrid body, in its immense proportions, was truly a terrifying thing to look at.

For a moment our adventurers stood looking at it with dismay.

It had extended itself across the street, no doubt just after the Steam Man had passed else the Man would have cut it to pieces.

“Glory fo’ goodness!” cried Pomp, ‪“whatebber will dis yer chile do? Ugh! I nebber did like snakes!”

‪“Nor I, Pomp!” cried Tony Buckden, with a shiver. ‪“What shall we do about it, Frank?”

“Discretion is valor’s better part,” said Frank. ‪“We will not try to cut our way through the foe this time, but rather go around it.”

‪“Good!” cried Tony. ‪“But can we do it?”

The avenue was fully one hundred feet wide here.

It seemed easy enough to go the other side of the line of palms, and the explorers made a move to do so.

But they had barely reached the other side of the avenue when a thrilling thing occurred.

The space between the palms and the buildings was hardly ten feet.

Suddenly, as they were passing through this narrow space, there was a rustling sound above, and a long, sinuous body shot down from a window of one of the buildings.

The next moment Pomp was encircled by the folds of a huge anaconda.

A startled yell went up from the astonished darky.

The others recoiled in amazement and horror.

Then, before any of them had time to act, Pomp was drawn up like a puppet and through the window above.

He went out of sight like a flash.

But a tremendous uproar was heard in the building, and the pounding and thumping of heavy bodies was heard.

Pomp’s cries for help were agonizing.

For a few moments our adventurers were so overcome with horror that they hardly knew how to act or what to say.

‪“My God!” cried Frank Reade, Jr., ‪“Pomp is being killed. Why do we stand here inactive? We must save him!”

‪“Right!” cried Tony Buckden. ‪“Come on, friends! Lively, now!”

No second bidding was needed.

Into the building they rushed.

Some long stairs were encountered. Up these they sprung.

This brought them to a landing above, and into a large chamber.

Up through this and through the fallen roof there grew a high palm tree.

Partly wound around the trunk of this were a part of the snake’s coils.

The other part of the snake’s body was wound about Pomp, and the darky was seen to be unconscious, and for aught his agonized friends knew, dead.

The monster anaconda’s head was erect, and its forked tongue was darting from its mouth as it faced the new-comers angrily.

Frank Reade, Jr., saw that if Pomp was to be saved, quick work must be made.

With a long drawn breath the young inventor sprang forward, crying:

‪“Aim at his head, friends. Work quickly, for I fear Pomp is dead.”

But no further adjuration was needed.

The others did work quickly.

Barney raised his rifle and took aim at the monster’s head.

It was an uncertain aim, as the snake’s head kept gyrating and moving about in a lively manner.

But by great good luck the bullet struck the monster’s lower jaw.

It was instantly broken and hung limply. The snake gave almost a shriek of agony, and its folds partly relaxed.

Instantly Frank sprang forward and made a blow at the reptile with his knife.

It was a lucky blow, and cut a deep gash in the monster’s body, half severing it to the backbone.

Barney also rushed upon the snake.

The monster made a game fight, however. Its mighty coils relaxed, and it dropped Pomp from them and began to thrash about in fury.

Frank and Tony Buckden were knocked down like puppets.

The snake’s huge body literally filled the huge chamber, and thrashing about so furiously kept our explorers one moment upon their feet and the next upon the floor.

Hacking at the reptile with his knife, Frank had inflicted many wounds.

Blood flowed in torrents, and the reptile was evidently weakening.

Barney at an opportune moment raised his clubbed rifle and made a blow at the snake’s head.

It was a lucky stroke.

The reptile was almost instantly brained, and the battle was over.