They had stepped back only barely in time, for a moment after a trailing branch swept over the very spot on which they had halted. When assured that they were really out of reach, they stood fascinated, but filled with horror, while they witnessed the unavailing fight made by the poor animal that had saved their lives. More branches came to the aid of the others; they coiled round its mouth and closed it; round its legs and bound them; and soon, helpless, a mere bundle in the coiling, curling branches, as it were, it was drawn off the pier to the ground below. Then it was rolled on and on till it had almost reached the tree-trunk, where were shorter but thicker and stronger branches waiting for it. These, in their turn, soon coiled round it; then, slowly, they bent upwards, carrying the poor animal in their relentless grasp, and lowered it into a hollow in the centre of the top of the trunk, where it almost disappeared from sight. Then all the thicker branches coiled round it and shut it completely out from view, forming a sort of huge knot round the top of the tree and remaining motionless; while the longer and more slender branches continued to play restlessly about, seeking for further prey. Then, without a word, the two turned away; nor did they speak till they found themselves safely outside the great gates. Then they looked, horror-struck, at each other. Jack was the first to break the silence. "Great heavens!" he exclaimed. "What an escape! What an awful monster! What a frightful death! And that poor animal--that saved us both! What shall we say to the princess? Talk of 'traps'! If this gate was left open as a 'trap'--and it looks to me so--we have reason indeed to be thankful!" "What _is_ it?" Leonard asked at last. "A 'devil-tree.' It is a carnivorous tree. I've seen a small one before; in a forest in Brazil that we were working through. One of the dogs got caught in it and was nearly killed before we cut it free with our axes. And then it was badly hurt, and so was I; a branch caught hold of my hand and tore some of the flesh off it. And where we cut this branch it _bled_! A dark crimson-blue liquid oozed out that stank! Oh, there, I can't tell you what the stench was like! I've smelt _some_ bad smells in my time, but that beat anything I ever came across! But that was only a small bush. I had no idea they could grow into great flesh-eating monsters like this! Why, that thing must have been there a thousand--ah--two thousand years, I should say. Fully that." "But," said Leonard, "why is it kept here? who feeds it--and--what--is--it--fed--on?" He asked this last question slowly, and looked at the other in blank, horrified amazement.