Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-08-04

"Follow me, step by sep and as If you were
treadng on eggs" said our leader; and you, jon
ahan, have eye to the strangers, aud don't wait
I'LL they are up to their nocks in the mud TO pick
them out of it.v
We did not feel much comforted by this speech
but mastering all our courage, we srode OIL after
our plaln-spoken guide.
We had proceeded but very short distance in.
TO the swamp before we found out the use Of the
torches. The huge trunks of the cypress trees,
which stood four five yards asunder, shot up TO
height of fifty feet, entirely free from branches
which then, however, spread out at right angles
TO the stem, making the trees appear like gigantic
umbrellas, and covering the whole morass with
an impenerable root, through which not even n
sunbeam could find passage. On looking behind
US, we saw the daylight al the entrance of the
swamp, as at the mouth of vast cavern. The
further we went the thicker bscarnc the air and
mt last the eilluvia was so sitting aud peslilentia
| that the torches burnt pale aud dim, and more
! thnn once threatened to go out.
Yes yes" mllltered our guide to himself "a
night passed in this swamp would leave n man
aguo struck Tor the rest Of his days A night
ay an hour would do l., ii your pores were ever
80 little open; bnt now there's no danger; tho
prairie fires g0od for that, dries tho sweat aud
closes The pores"
lie went on conversing thus with himself but
still slridlng forward, throwing The tOrch!ight
rach log or tree trunk, aud trying its soility with
his foot before he trusted his weight upon ito.
his familiarity with these dangerous paths.
! Keep close 10 me-" sniI he 10 us, "but make
! yourselves ligIlt-ns light Mt least rs Brshers
make themselves. Hold your breath, aud
--ha what is that lol? ilollo Nathan" con-
tinued he to HIMSELF "whal's come 10 you, man?
Don't you know sixteen foot alligator from q
tree ?"
lie had stretched out his foot, but fortunately,
before setting ii down, he poked what he took for
log with the butt Of his gun. The supposed
block of wood gave way lilte, and The old squat
ter, throwing himself back, was within an ace of
pushing me into the swamp.
"Ah, friend - said he, not in the least discon-
certed, you thought to sarcumveut honest folk
with your deyiIry and cunning"
"W hat is the matter p asked |.
"Not much The matter" he replied, drawing his
! knife from its sheath. Only an alligator there
it is again"
And in the pIuce Of The log, which had disap-
penred the jaws OF huge alligator gaped before
us. raised my gun 10 my shoulder. The Yam
kee seized my arm
Don't fire." whispered he. Don't fire, so long
rs you can help it. We amt alone here, This will
do as we'll" he added as he stopped down, aud
drove his long knife into the aligutor's eye. The
monster gave frighliul howl and ased violent
iy with lis tail, besprnkling us with the Shiny
mud of The swamp.
Take lIIat!" said the squalter with grim smile,
sand that, nnd that p stabbing the brute repeat
|
ed aud snapped furiou>ly ut him. Then wipiug
his knife, he stuck il in his belt, and looked keen
ly and cautiously around him.
"Pve notion there must he tree trunk here
away; il amt The first time I've followed This
track. There it is, bat good six foot off" And
so say ing he gave spring, and aghled in safety
on HE stepping place.
slave care man." cried !. "There is water
there. l see ii glitter"
"Pho, water! What you call water is snakes
Come on."
hesa,ed, and shulder came over me. The
leap, as regarded distance, was irIfng one, hui
ii over almost bDtomlesS chastn, iull of the
ioutst mud on which the mocasSin snakes, the
deadlicst OF The American reptiles, were swarIl-
ing
"Come on"
Necessity lent me strength, anil, pressing my
left foot firmly against the log on which wa;
standing, and which was ench moment sinking
with our weight deeper into the soft Shiny ground
sprang across. Carleton followed Inc.
, "WelI done !" erred the old man. Courage
, and couple more such leaps and we shall bt
getting over the worst of it,"
We pushed Oh, slendIly but slowly, never set.
ting our foot on log Till we had asceruined il
solldity with the butts OF our guns. The cypress
y swamp extended four or five miles along the shore
OF The creek it was deep lake of black mud
!, covered over and disguised by deceitul brgl
q green veil of creeping plants and MOSES, whic
had spread themselves in their rank luxuriac
u over its Whole surface, aud over branches an
y trunks of trees scattered about the swamp. Thes
latter weie not placed with any very great regu
:, lary, but had yet been evidently arranged by III
v hand of man.
"Thcre seems to have been sort of path mad
. here" said TO our guide, " for"
- "SiIencem interrupted he, in a low tone "s
=. lence for your life, ill we are on firm ground a
= gain. Don't mind the snakes" added he, US tn
- torclght revealed some enormous ones lynn
- colled up on the moss aud anas close TO us. $40
" low me closely"
" But Just as stretched forward NY foot, an
was about 10 place it in the very print ih
y his had left the hdeous law Of an alligator va
- suddenly stretched over the tree-trunk, no, 81
=, inches from my leg, aud the creature snapped
: me suddenly, that ! had but just time 10 iii
my gun into his lizard-lke eye. The monst'
. bounded back, uttered II sound between bello
i and groan, and, striking wildly about him in I'll
., nIOrass, dish appeared.
- The American looked round when fired, M
!. an approving smile played upon his mouth us h
i, said something TO me which did not hear, OWN
~ TO the Internal uproar that now arose on all sd
tus mud il at first completely deaiened me.
Thousands, tens of thousands OF birds and rel
tiles, ulligalors enormous bull frogs, night owl
b, ahingas, herons, whose dwellings were in IL
~ mud Of The swamp, or on lis leoty root, now III
ed up their voices believing, hooting shriekin
, aud grooming. Bursting forth from The obscni
retreat in which they had hitherto laid hidden, III
~ alligalors raised their hdeous shouts OF Il
~. green coating Of tho swamp, gnashiug their teeI
~ aud saning toward us, while the owls and 9th
-, birds clrcled round our heads, tapping and slr
- ing us with their wings as they passed. We DIRE
'o our knives and endeavored 10 defend at least OF
~ heads and eyes; but all was in vain against Il
''s myriads of enemies that surrounded us aud d
'0 unequal combat could not have lasted long, VIII,
suddenly shot was fired, followed immediate
nm by another. The effect they produced was ma
NV ical The growls and cries OF ruge and fury wei
40 exchanged for hows of fear and complaint; Il
' aligators Withdrew gradually 10 their native mu'
- the birds flew in wider circles around us, the u
III clean muItitudes were in iul retreat. by degre
-. the various noises died away. But our torch
~ mud gone out, and all around was black as pic
In Gods name, are you there, old man 2 as
d. ed |.
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