The people roared out in triumph, and were so vociferous that it was some
time before they heard me tell them to pull me and my beast of burden
farther inland. I was apprehensive the rope might break, and then there
would have been every chance of going down to the regions under water with
the cayman. That would have been more perilous than Arion's marine morning
ride:
Delphini insidens vada caerula sulcat Arion.
The people now dragged us above forty yards on the sand: it was the first
and last time I was ever on a cayman's back. Should it be asked how I
managed to keep my seat, I would answer, I hunted some years with Lord
Darlington's fox-hounds.
After repeated attempts to regain his liberty the cayman gave in and became
tranquil through exhaustion. I now managed to tie up his jaws and firmly
secured his fore-feet in the position I had held them. We had now another
severe struggle for superiority, but he was soon overcome and again
remained quiet. While some of the people were pressing upon his head and
shoulders I threw myself on his tail, and by keeping it down to the sand
prevented him from kicking up another dust.
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