ENCOUNTER WITH AN IGUANA. 



43 



ran along the front, and plunged into a crevice over 

 tlie door, burying his whole body, but leaving the long 

 tail out. Among these unsophisticated people this 

 reptile is a table delicacy, and here was a supper pro- 

 vided for some of them. Machetes flew out, and, cut- 

 ting down a sapling with a crotch in it, they rested it 

 against the wall, and, standing in the crotch, pulled 

 upon the tail ; but the animal held on with his feet 

 as if a part of the building. All the Indians, one 

 after the other, had a pull at the tail, but could not 

 make him budge. At length two of them contrived 

 to get hold together, and, while pulling with all their 

 strength, the tail came off by the roots, a foot and a 

 half long in their hands. The animal was now 

 more out of their reach than before, his whole body 

 being hidden in the wall ; but he could not escape. 

 The Indians picked away the mortar with their 

 machetes, and enlarged the hole until they got his 

 hind legs clear, when, griping the body above the 

 legs, they again hauled ; but, though he had only 

 the fore legs to hold on with, they could not tear him 

 out. They then untied the ropes of their sandals, 

 and, fastening them above the hind legs, and pulling 

 till the long body seemed parting like the tail, they 

 at length dragged him out. They secured him by 

 a gripe under the fore part of the body, cracked his 

 spine, and broke the bones of his fore legs so that 

 he could not run; pried his jaws open, fasten- 

 ed them apart with a sharp stick so that he could 



