Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1852-04-02


happened.
An immense heron, whose legs danged
under him as he flew. like New York
clerks at his counting stool, settled on
dead bough halfway up an ancient cy-
press, a hundred feet up the lake. A
gang Of parroquets screamed backwards
and forwards, their garish plumage gilt
tcrlng IN the evening rays with green and
gold, and their undrilled voices reminding
me Of the concert | had listened to the
week before at Madame Lonceveau' s semi
nary in the town Of Franklin. A mater
nal duck led her tender fleet directly under
me as | sat silent, not suspectlng anything
of my presence. 4 flock of rayen-winged
but | forgot that | was to give a fishing
return then. | had seated myself far
out over the water, and cast my hook for
whatever might be swimming below me.
And great time had among the ichthY
OiOgia YOU may be sure. Such a conster-
nation in the tinny tribes had not been
heard of within the memory of the eldest
inhabitant. Gar, goggle-eyes, 6riDl (an-
gIice Dream p white perch, trout and eat,
fairly wearied my arms as they seized ny
bats and exercised their various eyoIu-
tions ere they yielded TO fill my pouch,
or be cut up for temptations to the rest.
In my excitement | scarcely observed
that it was growing late, and the sun had
gone below the trees and the stupid heron
flown off toward the east, before with
drew my hook and folded my line TO
depart.
During my sport, had noticed that the
beach top in which | was suspended had
occasionally settled nearer the water, but
it was not until now that | observed the
cause.
My weight, so far out from the fjdcrum,
had been too much for the weakened roots,
and the bank being composed of very fri
able soil, had given way, until some thirty
or forty feet of the trunk was under water
Now | never was a good hand to walk
log. As much as | have hunted and
fished over torrent and rayine, ! always
took the safer way about in preference
to the director way across, and though
had walked the huge beach trunk with
water, ii was quite different affair, now
that portions OF it were three feet sub
merged and was shouldering fifty pounds
OF fish meat. Standing long enough in
suspense TO perceive that every moment
made the case worse, by increasing the
gloom and my trepidation, | decided to
hang up my fish until morning, and make
- Mt, - IL. I
With my arms extended like the Ravels
on their tight rope, but not half so grace
fully, | commenced feeling for the log with
my feet, and advanced landward at the
rate of twelve inches TO the minute. But
even THIS progress was suddenly checked
for, as | iurliyely stole a glance TO the
shore, 10 measure the distance. | was
chilled 10 horror to observe directly be-
~ cen me and the bank, the head of am
enormous alligator raised out of water and
with lis little wicked eyes turned fall upon
me | saw 1t all in minute. The mon
ster had been watching me during the
whole process Of my fishing, and had
crept up so cautiously between me and nv
only means of exit, that in my excitement
WAS.
fifty feet from shore. guarded by an alligator!
In my first surprise. my feet slipped
upon the wet bark of this tree, and be-
came completely wet in my struggle to re-
gain my footing. You may be sure. dear
reader, that | scrambled actively back to
where the large limbs gave me shelter, and
perchlng myself above my now neglected
string Of fish, took survey of my stu
alton. While doing so, and wrnging the
water from my clothes, my horror was III
creased by observing that the monster had
drawn his full length upon the log, and
was slowly crawling towards me. As
/ the black knobs upon his back rose al
lernately above the water, in his notions
| could get full view of him even To the
last JOINT of his tail. Nor was the view at
all calculated to increase my confidence.
1t was quite fifteen feet in length, and Of
full size. His body, from neck to tail,
was reeked with slime gathered from the
. lake bottom in which he lived
His mouth, as II partly opened with ey-
cry step he took upon the log in his sham
bling awkward gait, revealed rows Of teeth
such as old hunters cOyet for powder
charges. As he brcathcd with signing
sound, | iancled that his breath was load
ed with carrion smell that turned my
stomach. While making these discover
les, the hdeous thing had approached TO
that point where the limbs commenced to
leave the trunk, and SO great was his
weight added TO mine, that scnsibly felt
the whole tree top sinking with it, and had
not been confident that the limbs rested
upon the bottom of the lake, should have
given myself up at once as lost.
As il was, was constrained to leave my
L. 1. e