88 
WILD AMERICANS 
“Yes, sir! Look. It has tiny black and orange beads 
all over it. They’re in a strange design.” 
“Doesn’t look long enough for an alligator, Uncle 
Ely,” Ginger suggested. 
“HI bet it’s some sort of reptile. It has legs like a 
lizard, and its about as long as my forearm.” Uncle 
Ely was studying the creature. 
“It doesn’t run away fast, as a lizard would do,” 
Mother suggested this. The animal was moving very 
sluggishly, seeming to pay no attention to the people. 
The group devoted some time to poking the ani- 
mal with sticks, pitching sand on it, and trying to 
make it run or fight. Mother and Ginger were afraid 
of it. Its face was horrible-looking, they declared, 
although the beaded pattern of its back was oddly 
beautiful. 
“Moves too lazily for any lizard,” Uncle Ely sound¬ 
ed as if he were talking to himself. “Too fat and 
stubby, too. No water within many miles of here, so 
it can’t be some kind of alligator. Besides, it’s not 
shaped like an alligator at all.” 
“What’ll we do about it, Uncle Ely?” Buck asked. 
“Well, Buck, I told you to ask questions whenever 
you didn’t know, or didn’t understand something. I 
intend to take my own advice.” 
