Page:The Swiss Family Robinson (Kingston).djvu/200

160 old lady was released from her ignominious position. Our laughter resounding through the wood, brought Ernest and Jack from their potatoes, to see what was going on.

“Much use you two would have been, suppose we had required help,” cried Fritz, as they recognized their old friend.

“Ah, well, you see,” returned Jack, “Ernest and I had a sort of a kind of presentiment that this was going to be the old sow. And just look at our fine potatoes!”

A good deal of joking on the subject ensued, but was interrupted by Ernest, who drew our attention to fruit resembling apples on the surrounding bushes, and on the grass beneath them.

The sow was making amends for the fright and pain she had endured by munching and crunching this fruit at a great rate. Fritz feared that it might be the poisonous manchineel, against which I once warned them, but on examining it, I was induced to pronounce a more favourable opinion, and we collected a quantity in hopes that, if the monkey approved of it as well as the old sow, we might be able to enjoy a feast ourselves.

All this time not a drop of water had we seen, and our own thirst increasing, we felt eager to procure some before returning to our resting-place.

Jack preceded us, and we made our way towards a high rock, which rose above the thickets, when he suddenly startled us by a loud cry of, “A crocodile! father! father! A crocodile!”

“Nonsense, boy! A crocodile of all things, in this dry, parched forest, where we can't get so much as a mouthful of water!”

On advancing to where Jack stood, I perceived that his mistake was not so very silly after all, for I beheld an iguana, one of the largest of the lizard species, and a truly formidable looking fellow. I was glad to assure Jack that the strange creature he had found was perfectly harmless, and that its flesh being esteemed a delicacy, it would be a valuable prize to carry back with us.