calling from the cliff above me in great excitement, "_Señor, un
animal_" (An animal, sir). Clambering over rocks, I came up to the boy,
with his _machete_ in his hand, standing at the foot of a tree upon the
leafless branches of which was a fine iguana (lizard) two feet or more
in length. Visions of iguana steak, which I had long desired to try,
rose in fancy. The boy was disgusted when he found I had no pistol
with which to shoot his animal, but grunted, "If we but had a cord." I
directed him where to find a cord among our luggage and on his return
he made a slip-noose, cut a long and slender pole to which he tied his
snare, then handing me his _machete_ he raised his pole and tried to
slip the noose over the lizard's head. The iguana gave a leap, and as it
shot by me I struck at it with the _machete_, which hit it and threw it
on the rocks below. However, before we could reach it, it had made good
its escape.

Returning to the mule I found it eating grass contentedly by the
roadside. It was three o'clock in the afternoon when our human beast of
burden finally arrived, took up his burden and was ready to start. Then,
suddenly, I took a new resolve. Before us rose the appalling mass of the
Sierra Madre; to get that mule across it would wear us out in mind
and body; I regretted that he had not died, and determined to have no
further trouble with him. Quickly, we sent back word to Nenton that a
mule and saddle were for sale; the crowd gathered. We demanded fifteen
dollars for the mule, ten for the saddle; and were offered ten and five
respectively. But we declared we would kill the mule and burn the saddle
before we would take less; we triumphed. Our account stood:

Cost of mule $45.00
Cost of saddle 6.00
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