me that I
have not seen a reptile of any kind since I came to this part of the
world."

"No more there are any," said Bill, "if ye except the niggers themselves,
there's none on the islands, but a lizard or two and some sich harmless
things. But I never seed any myself. If there's none on the land,
however, there's more than enough in the water, and that minds me of a
wonderful brute they have here. But, come, I'll show it to you." So
saying, Bill arose, and, leaving the men still busy with the baked pig,
led me into the forest. After proceeding a short distance we came upon a
small pond of stagnant water. A native lad had followed us, to whom we
called and beckoned him to come to us. On Bill saying a few words to
him, which I did not understand, the boy advanced to the edge of the
pond, and gave a low peculiar whistle. Immediately the water became
agitated and an enormous eel thrust its head above the surface and
allowed the youth to touch it. It was about twelve feet long, and as
thick round the body as a man's thigh.

"There," said Bill, his lip curling with contempt, "what do you think of
that for a god, Ralph? This is one o' their gods, and it has been fed
with dozens o' livin' babies already. How many more it'll get afore it
dies is hard to say."

"Babies?" said I, with an incredulous look

"Ay, babies," returned Bill. "Your soft-hearted folk at home would say,
'Oh, horrible! impossible!' to that, and then go away as comfortable and
unconcerned as if their sayin' 'horrible! impossible!' had made it a lie.
But I tell you, Ralph, it's a _fact_. I've seed it with my own eyes the
last time I was here, an' mayhap if you stop a while at this accursed
place, and keep a sharp look out, you'll see it too. They don't feed it
regularly with livin' babies, but they give it one now and then as a
treat. Bah! you brute!' cried Bill, in disgust, giving the reptile a
kick on the snout with his heavy boot, that sent it sweltering back in
agony into its loathsome pool. I thought it lucky for Bill, indeed for
all of us, that the native youth's back happened to be turned at the
time, for I am certain that if the poor savages had come to know that we
had so rudely handled their god, we should have had to fight our way back
to the ship. As we retraced our steps I questioned my companion further
on this subject.

"How comes it, Bill, that the mothers allow such a dreadful thing to be
done?"

"Allow it? the mother