The remainder of the day had been spent collecting material for the raft. After the water had drained out of the bamboo poles the holes had to be sealed with gum taken from trees. After that the light, buoyant stems had to be fastened together to form the raft and having no nails it was necessary to tie them together. Only one material was available for the purpose and that was bark. They gathered armfuls of the long, shaggy fiber that hung like a fringe from the trunks of the _chiqui-chiqui_ palms and placed them in a heap near the hut. By the time sufficient of the material had been collected it was too late to begin braiding it into ropes. After a supper of the usual fare the two concealed themselves in the edge of the forest to watch for the possible return of their unwelcome visitor. Hour after hour passed, but there was no disturbance of any kind. It was evident that they were not to be molested that night, so they returned to the shelter. No sooner had Miguel entered the doorway than he gave a shriek and darted out again. He staggered a few steps and fell headlong to the ground. David picked up the limp form of his companion and carried it toward the open beach, but the man recovered and struggled to his feet. “Oh!” he gasped. “It’s in there now. It almost got me.” David tried to find out what it was Miguel had seen, but the latter talked incoherently so that it was impossible to make out the meaning of his words. He thought that his companion was greatly exaggerating the truth; perhaps he had seen nothing at all and had merely imagined the presence of some weird being conjured by his superstitious mind. He would decide the matter by going to see for himself. To strengthen the latter conclusion, nothing had come out of the hut and there was no sound within. David drew his revolver and held it in readiness for instant action. Then he lighted a bunch of the palm fiber and holding it aloft, went slowly toward the structure. When he reached the doorway he thrust the flaming torch in first and raised it above his head. The glare lighted up the interior of the small room, but for a moment only. David stood paralyzed in his tracks when he saw the thing that had invaded their domicile. From the center of the palm-leaf thatch that formed the ceiling and drooping almost to the ground were the head and part of the body of an enormous snake. It hung suspended in space, as motionless as if carved out of variegated marble. As he looked in horror, the great reptile raised its massive head slowly, at the same time drawing it back like a bent spring, as if to strike. Its beady eyes were fixed on those of the man and the forked tongue moved rapidly in and out of its mouth. As it did this it emitted a long hiss that sounded like a jet of escaping steam. David recovered his senses in a flash. He would have to act quickly. If the reptile’s head shot forward it would knock him down like the blow of a battering ram.