A YOUNG NATURALIST. 



187 



along the bank looking out for a ford. At last a bend of 

 the stream, where the water flowed calmly and silently, en- 

 abled us to do so without difficulty. I then proposed a halt. 

 Close by us rose some enormous rocks covered with moss, 

 which, in flood-time, must have been reached by the water ; 

 in front of us was a gentle slope covered with turf, 



We were descending the slope when an object, indistinct 

 at first, emerged from the edge of the wood, and, appearing 

 to roll more than run over the grass, advanced toward us. 

 It was an enormous tortoise ; but a tortoise which might 

 successfully have raced with the hare. L'Encuerado tried 

 to stop it, but fell in his effort. Sumichrast, quite forgetting 

 his bad hand, dealt the animal a blow with the butt-end of 

 his gun, the effect of which was slightly to slacken the pace 

 of the enemy. The Indian, furious at his failure, threw 

 down his load, and came running up. Our united efforts 

 succeeded, about twenty feet from the stream, in throwing 

 the animal on its back. 



I^ucien, rather startled at this scene, and at the size of the 

 tortoise, then came nearer to examine it. I kept him at 

 some distance from the reptile, who was viciously agitating 

 its enormous feet, armed with formidable claws ; w 7 hile its 

 mouth, w r hich was like a horny beak, opened and shut men- 

 acingly. 



" It is a galapago" said PEncuerado ; " it is of no use 

 for food." 



This creature, which is called by the savants the alliga- 

 tor-tortoise, measured more than a yard from its head to 

 its tail. The latter appendage was almost as long as the 

 body, and was covered w 7 ith a triple row of scaly crests 

 fitting into each other. The gray, wrinkled, and almost 

 scaly skin of the reptile formed rolls round its neck of a 

 disgusting appearance — one might almost fancy them un- 

 healthy excrescences. The horrible beast turned towards 



