THE GILA MONSTER 
89 
“But there is nobody near us. How can you ask 
anybody?" 
“I shall put the reptile in a box or bag and take 
him into the state capital. That's Phoenix, the next 
city. We can find somebody there who knows what 
he is." 
Mother was alarmed at this. 
“He can't ride with me!" she announced firmly. 
The two men smiled at her, and Uncle Ely ex¬ 
plained that he would keep the strange animal safe¬ 
ly in a box right beside him, and Mother could ride 
in another seat. 
It was three hours later that the Blairs rolled into 
the city of Phoenix. Uncle Ely asked about the 
schools there. He learned that a Mr. Wilson in the 
high school was a science teacher who knew all about 
the animals of Arizona. Soon the beaded fellow had 
been placed on Mr. Wilson's lawn. 
“You wouldn't know much about him, probably," 
said the teacher, “because he lives only in Arizona 
and Mexico. He is the only poisonous lizard in the 
world. You were wise not to try to handle him. We 
call him the Gila Monster, because he is common 
along the Gila River. That's where you were when 
you found him. 
