arred monkey, were flung in all
directions, and Guapo himself went sprawling upon his back!

Was it an earthquake? So thought the others, who were now on their feet
running about in great consternation--the females screaming loudly. So,
too, thought Guapo for the moment.

Their belief in its being an earthquake, however, was of short duration.
The shocks continued; the dried mud flew about in large pieces, and the
burnt wood and splinters were showered in the air. The smoke of these
covered the spot, and prevented a clear view; but through the smoke the
terrified spectators could perceive that some large body was in motion--
apparently struggling for life! In another moment it broke through the
bending stratum of mud, causing a long rift, and there was displayed
before their eyes the hideous form of a gigantic crocodile!

Though not quite so terrible as an earthquake, it was a fearful monster
to behold. It was one of the largest, being nearly twenty feet in
length, with a body thicker than that of a man. Its immense jaws were
of themselves several feet long, and its huge tusks, plainly seen, gave
it a most frightful appearance. Its mouth was thrown open, as though it
gasped for air, and a loud bellowing proceeded from its throat that
sounded like a cross between the grunting of a hog and the lowing of a
bull. The air was filled with a strong musky odour, which emanated from
the body of the animal; and, what with the noise made by the crocodile
itself, the screams and shouts of the party, the yelling of the various
birds--for they, too, had taken up the cue--there was for some moments
an utter impossibility of any voice being heard above the rest. It was,
indeed, a scene of confusion. Don Pablo and his companions were running
to and fro--Guapo was tumbling about where he had fallen--and the great
lizard was writhing and flapping his tail, so that pots, pans,
half-burnt faggots, and even Guapo's monkey, were being knocked about in
every direction.

Of course such a violent scene could not be of long duration. It must
end one way or the other. Guapo, who soon came to himself, now that he
saw what it was that had pitched him over, had already conceived a plan
for terminating it. He ran for his axe, which fortunately lay out of
the range of the crocodile's tail, and having laid his hands upon it, he
approached in a stealthy manner with the intention of striking a blow.
He directed himself towards the root of