the lichened stone.

"I'm not going to be beaten," he said to himself. "I can catch them,
and I will."

He glanced at his companions, who were occupied in the amphitheatre;
and, having scared away the lizards from the stones there, the lad went
outside to find that there were plenty of remains about, and nearly all
of them showed a lizard or two basking on the top.

He kept on trying time after time, till he grew hot and impatient, and
of course, as his most careful efforts were useless, it was only natural
to expect that his more careless trials would be in vain.

He was about to give the task up in despair, when all at once he caught
sight of a good-sized reptile lying with its head and neck protruded
from beneath a stone, and in such a position as tempted him to have one
more trial.

This time it seemed to be so easy, and the reptile appeared to be one of
the kind he was most eager to capture--the silvery grey, for, as they
lay upon the stones, they looked as if made of oxidised metal, frosted
and damascened in the most beautiful manner.

Lawrence glanced at the ground so as to be sure of his footing among the
loose stones and growth, and he congratulated himself upon his
foresight. For as he peered about he saw a good-sized virulent-looking
serpent lying right in his way, and as if ready to strike at anybody who
should pass.

Lawrence looked round for a stone wherewith to crush the creature, but
he felt that if he did this he should alarm the lizard and lose it, so
he drew back and picked up a few scraps, and kept on throwing first one
and then another at the serpent, gently, till he roused it, and in a
sluggish way it raised its head and hissed.

Then he threw another, and it again hissed menacingly, and moved itself,
but all in a sluggish manner as if it were half asleep.

Another stone fell so near, though, that it made an angry dart with its
head, and then glided out of sight.

Lawrence took care not to go near where it had disappeared, but
approached the lizard on the stone from a little to the left, which gave
him a better opportunity for seizing it.

It had not moved, and he drew nearer and nearer, to get within reach,
noting the while that its body was not in a crack from which the
creature had partly crept, but concealed by some light fine grass that
he knew would yield to his touch.

As he was about to dart his hand down and catch it by the neck and
shoulders, he saw that it was a finer on