CHAPTER III.THRILLING ADVENTURES.
The crisis had come.
Frank knew this, and that it would be either victory for one or the other. If the python should succeed in overturning the wagon, he might do great harm to the delicate machinery of the Steam Man.
But Frank did not intend that this should happen if he could help it.
He got one more shot at the reptile as it came on with a fearful rush.
Crack!
Once more the deadly elephant rifle spoke. This time an explosive shell tore its way through the snake’s side.
Yet it did not inflict a mortal wound.
“Heavens!” gasped Frank. “That snake has more lives than a cat.”
He essayed to meet the reptile as he had done before.
But the wily monster, this time evaded the Steam Man and made for the wagon.
There was no such thing as turning aside that fearful attack.
Like an avalanche the snake struck the wagon. Had not the wheels been braced against a heap of stones, it would surely have been swept over upon its side.
But, by the best of good fortune it resisted the shock.
Like a flash the snake’s coils went twining about the wagon. They began to draw powerfully, and the metal work began to groan and crack.
“Quick, boys!” shouted Frank Reade, Jr., “Cut the folds in two wherever you can.”
But Barney and Pomp needed no bidding. They already had their knives unsheathed, and where the snake’s body was exposed at the loopholes began to slash and cut.
Frank with his rifle tried to get a shot at the reptile’s head.
If he could only blow it off with one of the shells, the battle would be ended.
But the monster did not give him this opportunity.
Something desperate needed to be done. The metal work of the wagon threatened to give way.
Frank saw this and at once with his accustomed hardihood accepted a desperate chance.
Throwing open the door of the wagon, he sprang out.
The reptile’s head was above the wagon, and Frank instantly fired at it.
He was a dead shot and, undoubtedly, would have hit it, had it not been for the snake’s gyratory motion.
The reptile’s attention was instantly attracted toward Frank.
Singularly enough, its folds relaxed and it slid away from the wagon and started for the young inventor.
The snake was between Frank and the cage door.
He knew that if those deadly folds were to close about him, there would be little likelihood of ever escaping alive.
The snake had acted with the rapidity of thought.
Frank had not even time to thrust another cartridge into the breech of his gun.
He started to run. For a few paces he made good time, but what is there on earth to equal the speed of an active python.
Swift as the wind the monster was upon him.
Frank felt its hot breath, and saw for a moment its glistening jaws open over him.
Instinctively he threw up one hand, and by chance his fingers clutched the monster’s throat.
Frank hung to this hold with a death-like grip. He felt the mighty coils closing about him, and then with the desperation of one facing certain death he clutched the hilt of his knife with his free hand.
With all his strength he slashed at the monster’s throat.
The first blow half severed the head from the body.
A huge jet of black blood spurted into Frank’s face and nigh choked him. But though half suffocated he made another blow.
The snake’s folds began to loosen, and the monster writhed and tried to free itself.
Frank instantly realized that he had won the victory and fought more coolly now.
Once more he made a blow at the snake’s neck.
This time it severed the head from the body completely.
The body of the snake went twisting and writhing a hundred yards across the plain, while Frank fell half fainting to the ground.
Barney and Pomp were quickly by his side and the Celtic cried:
“Be me sowl, Misther Frank, I did think yez wor done for, an’ it was a good foight yez made to be shure. Are yez badly hurted?”
“Not a bit, Barney,” said Frank, staggering to his feet. “It was only a little faintness, that was all.”
Pomp turned a hand spring.
“Glory fo’ goodness!” cried the overjoyed darky. “I’se jes’ dat glad, Marse Frank, dat I don’ jes’ know what fo’ to do dat yo’ was not hurt.”
The snake’s body now lay writhing and twisting far out on the plain.
The adventurers did not go near it. They had had snake experience enough for one day and returned to the Steam Man.
“The next time you see a big snake, Barney,” said Frank, “if he is not disturbing us I think you had better let him alone.”
The Steam Man now once more went on its way.
Every day now they penetrated deeper into the jungles and wild fastnesses of this wildest country on the globe.
Many strange sights were seen and some thrilling experiences were encountered.
With difficulty the Steam Man found passage through the lowlands.
At times it was necessary to cut a path through a dense forest in order to reach clear country beyond.
But one day they came out of a deep wood at the very base of a mighty, volcanic mountain.
Here higher ground was reached and a broad view enjoyed.
And from here a view could be had of a part of the broad table-lands of Tanada.
It began to look as if the explorers would soon reach the end of their journey.
Now the table-lands were reached the next thing was to discover the ruined city of Mazendla.
Thus far, our adventurers had seen very few natives, and none of them hostile.
The Steam Man journeyed all that day upon the broad table-land of Tanada.
As night was coming on, a location was selected for a camping place.
It was a green spot close to a bubbling spring of water.
Not more than one hundred yards distant was a dense grove of trees.
Barney and Pomp were busy aboard the Steam Man preparing the evening meal.
Frank fancied that through the dense foliage of the trees he could discern the white walls of a building.
Barney and Pomp could not see it, but Frank was sure that he could. The famous inventor exclaimed:
“I am not sure but that we are in the neighborhood of the ruined city of Mazendla. It may be that yonder grove of trees conceals it.”
“Begorra, Misther Frank, maybe yez are roight,” declared Barney, “but be Mither Murphy’s pigs, I can’t see that same with me own eyes!”
“Can’t you? Look sharply now to the left.”
Barney strained his vision.
“Divil a bit av it.”
“That is queer.”
“Bejabers, I think so.”
“Pomp, how is your eyesight?”
“Golly, Marse Frank, dis chile kin see in de dark.”
“Well, just take a look over there and tell me what you see through those trees.”
Pomp readily obeyed.
But he could see nothing but the dense green foliage.
“Bejabers, the naygur can’t see it if I can’t,” spluttered Barney.
Pomp scratched his woolly head.
“I mus’ say, Marse Frank, dat I kain’t see none ob dat what yo’ says.”
“Pshaw!” exclaimed Frank, testily. “Neither one of you have good eyesight. It is plain enough to see.”
With this, the famous inventor descended from the wagon.
Barney and Pomp stood looking at each other and feeling a bit crestfallen.
“Begorra, I can see it if yez kin, naygur,” exclaimed Barney.
“G’long, yo’ fool I’ishman. I has’n seen it m’se’f yet.”
“You fellows look out for things until I come back,” shouted Frank, starting toward the forest.
Barney grabbed up his rifle.
“Hould on a bit, Misther Frank,” he cried. “It ain’t a bit safe fer yez to go off out there alone.”
“Jes’ yo’ wait dar, I’ish, I’se gwine wid Marse Frank m’se’f.”
“No, yez won’t.”
“Yo’ jes’ bet I will.”
The two zealous servitors were in imminent danger of a collision. But Frank turned and said peremptorily:
“Hold where you are. I am going alone. Look out for the Man until I get back.”
This settled the question.
Reluctantly they turned back, and Pomp went about his cooking duties, while Barney gazed wistfully after Frank and declared:
“Be me sowl, it ain’t safe for that man to go out there alone. I’ll just kape me eye out all the same.”
So Barney proceeded to keep an eye out, while Pomp was busy at his work.
Reaching the woods, Frank entered them without hesitation.
He was confident that he had really seen the walls of a ruined building through the thick foliage.
To his best belief it was some part of the ruined city they were in quest of.
But upon entering the forest, Frank found that progress was not so easy as he fancied.
The vines and matted shrubbery were almost impenetrable.
The famous inventor, however, used a small hatchet, and proceeded to cut his way through.
In this manner he had very soon cleared quite a path.
But suddenly he was brought to a halt in a most startling manner.
Down through a network of vines he suddenly saw a glistening pair of eyeballs.
To his startled fancy they seemed veritable balls of fire, and for a moment he could not act.
They were fixed upon him with piercing and deadly earnestness.
Frank instinctively knew that they belonged to some wild animal.
Just what kind of a creature it was he could not at the moment tell.
But he was satisfied that his position was one of deadly peril.
But he was not one given to fear or hesitation. His mind was quickly made up as to what to do.
Quick as thought he brought his rifle up and fired point blank directly between the blazing eyeballs.
The result was terrific.
Frank had presence of mind enough to sink down upon his face just as a tremendous tawny body rose out of the shrubbery and sprang directly over him.
It was as he saw at that moment a monstrous puma or panther, called by the natives lion.
Indeed, the genuine lion is not a more formidable beast to encounter than the puma of Central America.
It was a narrow escape that Frank had had.
The puma had sprung clear over him and tumbled headlong into a heap of brush, where he began to flounder and make the air hideous with his cries.
Frank was not sure whether he had given the beast a mortal wound or not.
Nor did he try to find out or follow up the contest.
He knew well enough what a hand to hand encounter with one of these monsters meant.
He at once sprang out of the forest and started at full speed for the Steam Man.
But what was his horror upon looking over his shoulder to see the lion coming after him.