pass you my word as to that," I answered.

"So you say now," replied the wise-one. "But how shall we know that you
would keep your word?"

An angry retort sprang to my lips, but I restrained myself on receiving
a warning glance from Sylvia, which reminded me that I stood at the
mercy of these monkey men.

"Give me three days, then," I answered, "to devise some means for
destroying the monster. If I succeed, I demand to be sent back to my
ship. Without this promise I will do nothing for you, let the
consequences to me be what they may."

The wise-one seemed to ponder my words carefully.

"Be it so, then," he answered. "If in three days you rid us of this
demon I will see that you are restored to your friends. But if you
should fail, and survive, you must nevertheless be put to death. We
have no room on the Islands of Engano for strangers."

CHAPTER XXXVIII

THE SLAYING OF THE GREAT CROCODILE

I now bethought me of how I might best set about the task of
vanquishing the monster which held the Female Island in terror, and
which, from the description given me by the wise-ones, I judged to be a
crocodile. Nor in this was I mistaken, for, being taken by Sylvia to a
place of safety from which I could see the demon, I was confirmed in
the opinion I had formed by what I saw, although I had never seen a
crocodile of such amazing proportions before. It lived in a cave close
to a fertile plain, where goats belonging to the islanders were
pastured. Not far off was a stream at which it went to drink, and a
deep furrow in the sand marked the road it made to the water. During
the day it remained in its cave, but toward evening it would issue
forth and attack the goats, three or four of which it would kill, and
carry off to its lair. Those in charge of the goats dared not
interfere, lest the monster, deprived of its accustomed food, might
seek its dinner among the ruined stone houses in which the islanders
lived.

Now I noticed that the road along which the crocodile travelled to the
water was very deeply furrowed, thus proving how the great lizard had
repeatedly dragged its heavy bulk over the same spot on its way to
drink at the stream, and I bethought me of a plan to deal with the
reptile. The only weapon I had upon me when kidnapped from my ship was
a short sabre or manchette, which I wore as a sidearm. But this I hoped
would prove a formidable weapon when put to the use for which I now
intended it.

During the