next day I commenced my plan.

'I caught about fifty lizards, and painted a small vermilion cross on
the head of each one, using severe drying oil and turpentine, in order
to insure their not being rubbed off.

'The next dark night, when Padre Cipriano was returning from an
excursion, he saw an apparition: phosphorus eyes, from the apothecary; a
pair of horns, from the butcher; a tall form, made from reeds, held up
by Blaise Monet, and covered with his long cloak, made in the Rue
Cadet--strode before him with these words:

''I am the shade of Saint Inanimus, boiled to death by Roman legions,
for the sake of my religion--in oil. My bones long since have mouldered
in the dust, but, where they lie, the little lizards bear a red cross on
their heads. Seek near the old tower by the old Roman road, here at the
foot of this mountain, and over it erect a chapel, and cause prayers to
be said for Saint Inanimus: I, who was boiled to death for the sake of
my religion--in oil.'

''Sh-sh-shade of S-s-saint Ann-on-a-muss, w-w-what k-kind of oi-oil was
it?' gasped Padre Cipriano.

'The shade seemed to collect himself as if about to bestow a kick on the
padre, but changed his mind as he screamed:

''Hog oil. Go!'

'The priest departed in fear and trembling, and the next day the whole
town rang with the news that an apparition had visited Padre Cipriano,
and that a procession for some reason was to be made at once to the old
tower. Accordingly all the population that could, set forth at an early
hour in the afternoon, the padre first informing them of all the
circumstances attending the ghostly visitor, the red-headed cross
lizards by no means omitted. Arrived at the tower, they were fortunate
enough to find a red-cross lizard, then another, and another; and it
being buzzed about that one of them was worth, I don't know how many
gallons of holy water--the inhabitants moreover believing, if they had
one, they could commit all kinds of sins free gratis, without
confession, &c.,--there at once commenced, consequently, a most
indecorous riot among those in the procession; taking advantage of
which, the lizards made hurried journeys to other old ruins. The
inhabitants of another small town, having heard of the _Miracolo delle
lucertole_, came up in force to secure a few lizards for their
households: then commenced those exquisite battles seen nowhere else in
such perfection as in southern Italy.

'His eyes starting out of his head