"Give it to me," said Leon, Iday's sweetheart. He assured himself
that the fence was in good condition, examined the net and being
satisfied with it, asked, "Are you sure that it hasn't been visited
for five days?"

"Very sure! The last time was on the eve of All Saints."

"Well then, either the lake is enchanted or I'll draw up something."

Leon then dropped the pole into the water and instantly astonishment
was pictured on his countenance. Silently he looked off toward the
mountain and moved the pole about in the water, then without raising
it murmured in a low voice:

"A cayman!"

"A cayman!" repeated everyone, as the word ran from mouth to mouth
in the midst of fright and general surprise.

"What did you say?" they asked him.

"I say that we're caught a cayman," Leon assured them, and as he
dropped the heavy end of the pole into the water, he continued:
"Don't you hear that sound? That's not sand, but a tough hide, the
back of a cayman. Don't you see how the posts shake? He's pushing
against them even though he is all rolled up. Wait, he's a big one,
his body is almost a foot or more across."

"What shall we do?" was the question.

"Catch him!" prompted some one.

"Heavens_!_ And who'll catch him?"

No one offered to go down into the trap, for the water was deep.

"We ought to tie him to our banka and drag him along in triumph,"
suggested Sinang. "The idea of his eating the fish that we were going
to eat!"

"I have never yet seen a live cayman," murmured Maria Clara.

The pilot arose, picked up a long rope, and climbed nimbly up on the
platform, where Leon made room for him. With the exception of Maria
Clara, no one had taken any notice of him, but now all admired his
shapely figure. To the great surprise of all and in spite of their
cries, he leaped down into the enclosure.

"Take this knife!" called Crisostomo to him, holding out a wide Toledo
blade, but already the water was splashing up in a thousand jets and
the depths closed mysteriously.

"_Jesus, Maria, y Jose_!" exclaimed the old women. "We're going to
have an accident!"

"Don't be uneasy, ladies," said the old boatman, "for if there is
any one in the province who can do it, he's the man."

"What's his name?" they asked.

"We call him 'The Pilot' and he's the best I've ever seen, only he
doesn't like the business."

The water became disturbed, then broke into ripples, the fence shook;
a struggle seemed to be going on in the depths