It was a warm, lazy Tuesday afternoon and John, Rusty and Donald were lounging in the shade of an old common mango tree in the hills of Grove Town, Manchester.

Grove Town is a red-dirt community of only a few hundred residents. It's close to the more popular Cross Keys and about 45 minutes drive from Mandeville.

Now, it's important to note that the three men are all 'well up there' in age and are by no means girly men. But when Rusty spotted the fast-moving legs of a giant green lizard scurrying up the tree, all three men panicked.

"Seet deh man! Mi tell yuh! See it deh a come!" shouted Rusty, pointing to a high branch.

Now, to be fair, the men did try to maintain a respectable level of composure, but in the ruckus that was about to unfold, there was little they could do.

Increased movement

"Chop off him head!" yelled John from a few feet away. "Chop off him head!"

The lizard, apparently taking note of the increased movement below, journeyed farther up the tree and was now clinging to a limb high above the heads of the men.

"Weh mi cataplus deh? Wait meck mi goh fi di cataplus!" yelled Donald, looking around. For some reason, he apparently had a slingshot handy and retrieved it from beneath a weather-beaten table, some feet away.

"Wait mek mi fix di lastic!" he shouted to the others. John came over to help him as Rusty kept a close eye on the lizard.

Photographer Ian Allen and I happened to have been there to witness the commotion. This series of photographs tells the story best.

By the way, the lizard managed to outsmart the men and eventually got away.

robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com

Donald (right) lets one go as John waits for the lizard to fall.

Donald (left) attends to his slingshot with a little help from John, as Rusty (background) keeps an eye on the lizard.

Rusty climbs the tree in search of the lizard.