Imperial Valley press., 1937-01-03


that failed. His brain wave, if successful
would have made fortune
Today he sells newspapers on Chicago
street corner, minus a leg he does not seem to
miss telling tale of giant lizards "Boeja
DdrutS, mister dragons of Komodo. Ah, pre-
historic monsters; One of which would make
the greatest sideshow earth eh! could
I have tanned the beast!" Pedro is proud of his
education: he learned Malay names for weird
animals of the Jungle Proud of his travel
the trip he made to the fringe of the Javanese
world, where he captured of the strange
dragon lizards.
Pedro's customers listen to him, thinking he
is Baron Munchausen II. newsboy yarning
about 13-foot lizards is addict mildly
touched and generoLJly, they prefer to
grin and guess that old Pedro is mad, harm
lessly, amusingly insane. But innumerable cups
of coffee, several meals, and a silence which
lets him expand to his hearts delight, at last
gave the outline of Pedro's remarkable tale.
Twenty years ago he'd been on the volcanic
isle of Koniodo, stranded from the wreck of
tramp freighter, the only survivor. In a little
village, populated by convicts sent there by the
Rajah of Sumbawa, he found Malays and
few Chinese :. a bored, discouraged lot of
humans who spoke casually about lizards which
devoured wild boars, deer and occasional
native. Pedro was popular, for somehow he had
saved a gun and ammunition from the ship,
plus few pieces of gold.
"Tuan pasang rt,sa,' they begged him. -
please, sir, shoot deer!'
IT WAS then that Pedro demanded the sight
| of a dragon lizard. An obscure memory of
white maidens and fiery dragons drifted into
his brain, and he suddenly knew why he'd been
tossed to Komodo's rocky shore. 1t was fate,
inevitable, glorious predestination. If only he
could take to America live dragon, undreamed
wealth would be his. More the great lizard must
be tanned, taught tricks! Fairy tales flooded to
Pedro's mind: knights had slain dragons, but
here was a marvellous scheme unequaled in
the annals of dragon lore! He'd possess a
trained, devoted one-man dragon
"Boeja dardt :" Pedro demanded, pleased
to have picked up Malay phrases, "show
giGrt liZard"
A coolie took him to the edge of a volcanic
mountain where they rested in the jungle shade
beside a stream. Tracks of huge lizards led to
the water. Wild boars grunted nearby, feeding
at dusk. Jungle life began to stir around them,
and Pedro shuddered at 12-inch centipedes
which dropped from vines scorpions almost
as big. The coolie hacked at these with a
pdrang. Hundred feety :" remarked the
coolie, chopping at an impudent orange-hued
crawler. no good"
Pedro saw a lizard head rise from the grass,
sway gently . green eyes watch an unwary
pig ambling-to the stream. Closer came the pig.
The giant lizard lurched forward sharp teeth
and died. The dragon raised it's head forked
tongue licking out contentedly, and swallowed
its kill in three or four gulps
"It looked 80 feet long," Pedro insists. But
no. why tell lies one will believe? It was
13 feet. :"
MAYHEM the gorged monster slid off noisily
w into the forest, Pedro and his coolie drove
stakes into the ground: thick limbs of trees,
close fitted and fastened with rattans. 1t was
a cage, narrow runway which might have
held tiger They closed the far end, made a
trap door, and covered the stout affair with
logs stretching wire mesh over all but the
opening. Inside the coolie put the carcass of a
freshly killed boar.
Before dawn, Pedro climbed tree the
trap rope attached to the sliding door
held tightly. The sun crept over the hill, shoot
ing dim gold shafts upon the grass. A smell of
the pigs carcass in the warm air, but
Pedro didn't object; more vital matters were
hand.
The giant lizard of the night before crept
from behind screen of lianas. He old, his
bloated black-scaled hide SCARED by many bat
ties. In the early light he was surely so feet
veritable prehistoric terror Pedros for
tune was made, for the dragon ignored the
strange cage . and dashed into it after his
breakfast Slam went the trap door. Down
from the tree scrambled Pedro and his de-
lighted coolie.
1--WE let him eat the pig" Pedro said. "Then
for week-nothing. No food just water. Oh,
he was furious, that lizard but he got
weaker weak enough he listens to I
begin to feed him little when he calms down.
Can't let him starve to death. What good is
dead dragon eh? So, when he stops drooling
poison from those jaws, feed him. talk to
him till he seems to understand me- Good
boy say Be good, and eat. take no chances.
When think he understands let him out
Yes, on 1trong rope"
nEDRO was sure the dragon understood him.
The monster followed him, at the end of
that rope . Pedro holding pig as the prize
when Columbus (he'd named him after the dis
coverer because the lizard was on his way to
AmericaD behaved himself. But morning
a terrible thing happened.
II have pig ready for him, nice fresh
pig. He comes out always, Pedro talking to
him. . Good boy, your breakfast is ready
Come out to Pedro Eth! Columbus forgets the
pigl He comes for me, instead. One bite Just
one little crunch my leg is his breakfast
A month later Pedro hobbled about the vii
lage on q bamboo cane still convinced that +
the dragon lizard would have been easily trained