Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders

“Come on, Ned!” cried Tom. “He’s in some sort of trouble!”

But when, a moment later, the young inventor burst through a fringe of bushes and saw Mr. Damon standing in a little clearing, with upraised club, Tom could not repress a laugh.

“Kill it, Tom! Kill it!” begged the eccentric man. “Bless my insurance policy, but it’s a terrible beast!”

And so it was, at first glance. For it was a giant iguana, one of the most repulsive-looking

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of the lizards. Not unlike an alligator in shape, with spikes on its head and tail, with a warty, squatty ridge-encrusted body, a big pouch beneath its chin, and long-toed claws, it was enough to strike terror into the heart of almost any one. Even the smaller ones look dangerous, and this one, which was about five feet long, looked capable of attacking a man and injuring him. As a matter of fact the iguanas are harmless, their shape and coloring being designed to protect them.

“Don’t be afraid, Mr. Damon,” called Tom, still laughing. “It won’t hurt you!”

“I’m not so positive of that. It won’t let me pass.”

“Just take your club and poke it out of the way,” the young inventor advised. “It’s only waiting to be shoved.”

“Then you do it, Tom. Bless my looking glass, but I don’t want to go near it! If my wife could see me now she’d say it served me just right.”

Mr. Damon was not a coward, but the giant iguana was not pleasant to look at. Tom, with the butt of his rifle, gave it a gentle shove, whereupon the creature scurried off through the brush as though glad to make its escape unscathed.