He now commenced dragging the body of the spider over the grass,
evidently making for some decayed logs, half covered with vines and
briars, that formed a heap near the spot. Here, no doubt was his
retreat.

This time Francois did not attempt to interfere. He had no desire to do
so. He looked upon the death of the tarantula as a just punishment;
moreover, the chameleon, from its fine colours, its sportive habits, and
its harmlessness--so far as man is concerned--is a general favourite
with all; and it was so with Francois. In fact, Francois, as well as
his brothers, who had often watched this little creature gambolling
among the leaves, and feeding upon flies and other small insects, had
never seen it exhibit so much ferocity before. Notwithstanding this,
they all applauded it for killing the hideous tarantula; and so far as
they were concerned, it might have carried the body to its hole without
being molested. It was destined, however, to meet with interruption
from another quarter. Francois, whose quick eyes were wandering about,
suddenly exclaimed,--

"Look--brothers, look! A _scorpion-lizard_!"

Basil and Lucien cast their eyes where Francois pointed--up to the trunk
of a tree that rose over the spot where the chameleon was crawling.
About twenty feet from the ground was a dark, round hole, evidently the
former nest of the red-bellied woodpecker (_Picus Carolinus_). The
birds, however, who made that nest had deserted it; for it was now
occupied by a creature of a far different kind--a scorpion-lizard--whose
red head and brown shoulders at the moment protruded from the hole.

All who have travelled the great American forests are familiar with such
a sight--for this animal may be often observed in similar situations. A
more disagreeable sight is rarely met with. The scorpion-lizard, with
his red head and olive-brown body, is a hideous-looking reptile at best;
but when thus peering from his gloomy tree-cave, moving his pointed
snout from side to side, his dark eyes glancing all the while with a
fierce, malignant expression, it is difficult to conceive a more
vicious-looking creature.

His head was in motion when Francois spake--for it was this that had
caught the eye of the boy. It was moving from side to side, protruded
out from the hole, the snout pointing downwards. The animal was
watching the ground below, and evidently preparing to issue forth, and
come down. The chameleon, rustling over the d