Presently I began very softly to whistle a sweet, yet very lively air, which I continued more and more distinctly as I drew near the lizard; until, awaking, it seemed to listen with pleasure--raising its head as though better to catch the sounds, or to discover whence they came. When near enough, I began gently to stroke and tickle him with the wand, continuing to whistle the prettiest tunes I could think of; and the lizard gave signs of pleasurable contentment, stretching his limbs and moving his tail in token of enjoyment. Suddenly, availing myself of a movement of his head, I cast the noose over it, drew the cord tight, and placing my foot on the body, I was about to kill it by piercing the nostril--almost the only vulnerable part in this singular reptile--when Jack received such a blow from its tail, which was furiously driving in all directions, as sent him rolling over like a ninepin. At the same time he opened his jaws, when the boys took fright at the row of sharp teeth, and thinking that the sooner he was dead the better, were for battering him with sticks; but I assuring them my method would kill him more quickly and without pain, thrust my rod into his nostril, on which the blood flowed and the lizard soon expired. The boys seemed to think me as wonderful a person as a snake charmer, and the success of my stratagem, as well as of the means by which the lizard was slain, called forth great admiration, since they had never heard of the animal, nor of the method of capturing it so commonly practised in the West Indies. Now came the question of how we were to carry this unwieldy burden. I had a great dislike to killing any creature and leaving it useless behind me; so, without more ado, I fairly took it on my back, and marched off with it. As we came toward the Calabash Wood, we could hear the voices of the deserted mother and child calling us in anxious tones; for indeed our protracted absence alarmed them. We shouted joyously in reply, and our appearance, as we issued from the woods, afforded them welcome relief from their fears, although the dreadful creature on my back startled them not a little. There was so much to tell, so much to be seen, that for a time hunger and thirst were forgotten; and no one thought even of the water we had vainly gone in search of, until Master Knips, having slyly possessed himself of some of our new-found apples, was discovered munching away and enjoying them amazingly--which instantly gave the boys a strong wish to eat some also; and as the bustard likewise pecked at them without hesitation, I felt sure there could be no danger; and on tasting them, I concluded it was the fruit of the guava, a West Indian plant, which we were delighted to have. Although refreshing, this fruit rather sharpened than appeased our appetites, and we were glad to eat the provisions we had brought from home, without waiting to cook anything, as we had originally intended.