I had to rescue a lizard

yesterday. He or she was stuck in the waste water drain outside the back door. Each time the little lizard tried to climb out it would fall back in again. 
I had noticed it there earlier. It was not moving. I was not too sure whether it was alive or not. I had ignored it partly because there was a neighbour's cat in the vicinity. Cats and lizards do not mix well together. 
Now I needed to pour the floor washing water down the drain and I did not want to drown the lizard. There was a problem.
I do not care for reptiles. I am not in the least bit happy anywhere near snakes. We have a lot of very dangerous snakes in Australia. Lizards are not, in my book, much better, They can actually be quite dangerous too.
Oh yes, I can hear you telling me now, "Wimp!" Would you have put your paw out and picked up a lizard, a lizard about 18cms long? No, I thought not. 
I tried brushing it out with the hand broom. That was nice and soft and unlikely to harm it. I could not get a grip on it that way. It spat at me instead. I tried scooping it out with the garden trowel but it reared its little head and spat a little blue tongue at me. Hmmm. I looked at it.
Pluto the cat came and looked too. He is also a wimp - or he was yesterday. He bounced back when it spat. Perhaps he was just being wise? Then he jumped up on the small table where the Senior Cat keeps some gardening things. He knocked off a plastic watering can that the Senior Cat does not use because "the design is ridiculous". It has a long scoop like neck. The water does not flow properly from it but "it might be useful one day". Yes. Perfect.
I held my breath and scooped the spitting, snapping young lizard out and dropped him or her into the gardening as fast and gently as I could. It spat again. Pluto watched from the comfort of the table. I  hoped the young lizard would not come slithering back and bail me up for disturbing it. Obviously I was not going to get any thanks for rescuing it from a watery grave.
I poured the dirty water down the drain and went back inside. Pluto continued to sit on the table watching the lizard. It seemed stunned. I hoped I had not injured it.
A little later Pluto strolled in and did his regular tour of our house. I went outside. The lizard was nowhere to be seen. I think it must be all right.