The Trinity times., 1855-03-24

| sunbeams smote the surface of the dead bayou
with double intensity.
Towards evening began to hrnger no
wonder at that. had not eaten since eav-
ing the village settlement. To assuage
thirst, drank the water of the lake, turbd
and Shiny as it was. | drank it in large
quantities, for it was hot, and only mostened
my palate without cuenching the craving of
my appetite. OF water there was enough;
had more to fear from want Of food. w hat
could ! eat2 The ibis. But how to cook
itl There was nothing wherewth to make
a fire-not stick No matter for that
Cooking is a modern invention, q luxury for
pampered palates. dlvcsted the ibis of its
brilliant plumage, and ate it raw. spoiled
my specimen, but at the time there was little
thought Of that. There was not much of the
naturalist left in me. mathematical the
hour had ever promised to rrccere tie
bird | wished my friend up to his neck in
swamp. The IBIS did not weigh above three
pounds, bones and all. 1t served me for
second meal, breakfast; but at this aejeu-
aer sans fouychette picked the bones.
What next2 Starve? No--not yet. In
the battles had had with the aleators du
ring the second night, one Of HEM had re-
ceived shot that proved mortal. The hid
eous carcase Of the reptile lay dead upon the
beach. | need not starve; | could eat that.
Such were my reflections. | must hunger,
though, before | could bring myself to touch
the musly morsel. Two days more fasting
conquered my squeamishness, drew ont my
knife, cut "A steak from the alligator's tall and
ate t--not the one | had first killed, but n
second the other was now putrid, rapidly
Il "a hnf ngn
filled the islet.
The stencil had grown intoerable. There
was not breath If air stirring, otherwise |
might have stunned Il by keeping to wind
ward The whole atmosphere of the islet,
as well as a large circle round it, was i'm
prernated with the fearful cfiuvium ]
eoold bear it no louger. With the aid of
my gun | pushed the half decomposed car
case into the lake. Perhaps the current
might carry it away. 1t did | had the sat
isfacton to see it float off, This circumstance
led me into train of reflections. Why did
the body Of the alligator float? 1t was swol-
lcr, inflated with gases. Hal
An idea shr7 suddely through my mind
one of those brilliant ideas, the children Of
necessity. | thought of the floating alligator,
of its intestines-what if | inflated them >
Yes, yes .! buoys and bladders, floats and life
prcservers that was the thought. would
open the alli2ators, make a buoy of their in
testines, and that would bear Inc from the
islet!
did not lose moments time; | was full
Of energy hope bad given me new life. My
gun was loaded-a huge crocodile that swan
near the shore received the shot in his eye
dragged him on the beach with my knife
laid open his entrals Few they were, but
enough for my purpose. 4 plume-quill from
tire wing of the ibis served me for a blowpipe
saw the badder-kc skin expand, until |
was surrounded by objects like Great Sausa-
ges. These were tied together, and fastened
TO my body, and then with plunge, enter
ed the waters Of the lake and foated down
ward, had tied or my life-preservers in
such way that sat in the water in an up
right position, holding my grn with both
hands. This intended to have used as a
club in case | should be attacked by the alli-
gators; but had chosen the hot hour Of noon,
when these creatures lie in n hali-torpid
state, and to my Joy ! was not nolested.
Half an hours drifting With the current car
ried me to the end of the lake, and found
myself at the deLouehure Of the bayon. Here.
to my great delight, | saw my boat in the
swamp, where it had been caught and held
f st by the sedge a few minutes more, and
had swung myself over the gunwale, and
was sculling with eager strokes down the
smooth waters Of the bayou.