Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-28
stmion and smeriean.
AN ALLIGATOR STORY.

From the New 0-leans Crescent
A friend sends the following good "Alli-
gator Story for incorporation among our
aFaots and Fancies;"
] had occasion, q short time ago, 10 visit
81. James and Livingston parishes, Louisi-
ana, for the purpose Of acquiring a knowl-
edge Of the country preparatory 10 engaging
N business IN that locality. To obtain the
necessary information, | was compelled, in
the absence Of any other means Of travel, to
make my investigation in a dug out" Our
party, consisting Of two friends and myself
al from the city, occupied one boat, while
Gun guides, three in number, natives and to
the manor born, occupied a second. In
making our observations, coming down
Bayou Chene Blanc, We amused ourselves
by shooting alligators, in which the country
abounds. Quite an amusing, although not a
pleasant, incident occurred in the vicinity
Of this spot. in which my friends and self
we're more particularly interested.
After having killed, as we supposed, a
young alligator, some six feet long, we con-
cluded 10 place him in our "dug out" and
return with him as a tropy Of our morning
adventure, and in a very few minutes we
had the animal housed in our "dug out, -
ploration, congratulating ourselves on the
peaceful manner in which we had secured
our prize. We had not proceeded more
than half mile when / was startled by a
horrible scream from my friend, who sat in
the stern of the boat. i sprung TO my feet
in an instant There was the alligator,
which we had all supposed dead, in the full
vigor Of life, with jaws distended, moving
cautiously in a straight line for my pedal
eNtremities
1t was no time for ceremony. ] seized
my paddle and dealt him such vigorous
blows as TO cause him 10 turn in the direc-
ton of my friend who had so unceremOni-
ously awoke me TO my first sense Of danger.
You can readily picture the feelings Of our
little party in this predicament. To avoid
the attack, my friend performed the dexter
Gus feat Of running on the gunwales to the
other extreme of the boat, without causing
il 20 upsut. But ours was still no pleasant
prospect, as the animal was more than a
match for our combined party as it was, and
in the water our chances would have been
slim indeed. Our common enemy held un-
disputed possession Of the greater part of
the boat which we had en- neceSsitate relin-
pushed TO him. OF course we were more
than willing to make terms, call we asked
was to be let alone" but the rascal had us
cornered, and he turned upon us.
We made vigorous and determined fight,
in which ! broke my oar over his head, after
which my friends held the animal at bay,
directing the bars at arms length in the di-
rection Of his distended jaws. The situa-
ton was peculiarly unpleasant. | had a
faint recollection of wishing at one time that
was in Halifax; but il was no use; there
we were in "dug out" in the Bayou Chene
Blanc, alligator and all; would that it were
not so.
The crisis now arrived. The animal was
evidently bent on renewing the attack on
forcing us ignominiously from the boat into
the water The mere idea Of being i'm
merse1 in that sluggish stream 10 keep com-
pany with the numerous reptiles that abound
in that vicinity was horrible to contemplate.
NV friends, with keen sense of the dan
ger TO which we were exposed, called Justify
foF help; fortunately for us our companions,
who were but a short distance of, discovered
our uncomfortable situation, and rushed to
our assistance With a dexterity unsur-
passed, they moved their "dug out" eau
tiously 10 the portion of our boat in which
the alligator held undisputed sway. The
plan Of operations was decided upon in an
Instant Our re-enforcements resolved TO
take the enemy in the rear, while we en-
gagged his attention in the front, and more
quickly than l can write il, the animal was
seized 10y the tail, and with one powerful
effort whirled into the bayou, from which he
had been 30 innocently removed into our
dug ont"
Thus ended the episode in our day's ad.
venture When next an alligator is lifted
into dug out" hope | shallnot he { c
with him.