The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-04-28
AN ALLIGATOR STORY.
A Peculiarly Unpleasant Situation.

/ A Peculiarly Unpleasant Situation. /
! From the NV o .eans Ores seUt
A friend sends the following good
alligator Story" for incorporation
among our Facts and Fancies
/ had occasion, a short time ago, 10
/ visit St J1mes and Livingston PARISHES,
Louisiana, for the purpose of acquiring
q knowledge Of the c,untry, prepsr4
tory to engaging in business IN that To-
cahty. To obtain the necessary infor-
nation, ! was compelled, in the al sence
/ Of any other means Of travel, TO make
my investigation IN dug out" Our
/ party, consisting of two friends and
myself, all from the city, occupied one
! boat, while our guides, three in num-
Der, natives and 10 the manor born, oc
cupied a second. In making our Oh
servations, coming down Bayou Chene
Blanc, We amused ourselves by shoot
ing alligatoTs, in which the country
abounds. Quite an amusing, although
not a pleasant incident, occurred in
the vicinity Of this spot, in which my
friend and self were more particularly
interested
After having killed, as we supposed,
a young alligator, some six feet long,
we concluded to place him in our dug
Out," and return with him as a trophy
Of our mornings adventure, and in a
very few minutes VIC had the animal
housed in our dug out" when we
started again on our journey of explo-
ration, congratulating ourselves on the
peaceful manner in which we had Sc
] arnrah w, L.. ,
Ell more than half a mile when l was
startled by scream from my friend,
who sat IN the stern OF the boat /
spring 10 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 cautious
. ly in straight line for my pedal ex-
r tremities.
II was no time for ceremony. l sc.z-
ed my paddle and dealt him such Wig
orOus blows as 10 cause him to turn in
the direction OF my friend who had so
1 unceremonlously awOke me to my first
( sense Of danger You can readily pic
ture the feelings Of our little party IN
. this predicament Toavoid the attack,
my friend performed the dexterous
e feat OF running on the gunwales to the
e other extreme of the boat, without
s causing 1t TO upset But ours was still
o no pleasant prospect, as the animal was
more than match for our combined
: party as It was, and in the water our
chances would have been slim indeed
c Oar common enemy had undisputed
- possession Of the greater part OF the
/, boat which We had er-necsSSitafc rein
- pushed 10 him. OF course we were
:, more than willing 70 make terms, all
we asked was 10 be let alone" but the
/, rascal had us oornered, and be turned
l. upon 70.
sf We made a vigorous and determined
10 tight, in which ] broke my oar over BIZ
a head, after which my friends held the
animal at bay, directing the bars al
n arms length ia the direction Of his dis
y tended jaws. The situation was pecul
a. larry unpleasant / had a faint reeol
I'd lection OF wishing at one time that
was IN Halifax; but it was no use
there we were in dug out in tn,
h Bayou Chene Blanc. alligator and all
h, would that il were not so.
b. The crisis now arrived. The ANNA
t. was evidently bent on renewing IN,
. AttaNHN NA lulNlhE US lEuOtul uloAeil
- from the boat into the water III,
4. mere idea OF being immersed in tina
nt sluggish stream 10 keep company Will
rb the numerous reptiles that abound il
I'D that vicinity was horrible TO contem
al plate.
'4 Ny friends with keen sense OF tn,
=. drnger to which we were exposed, caIle,
r.. Justify for help; fortunately for US, on
be companions, who were but short dis
lu lance OF, discovered our uncomfortabl
err situation aud rushed 10 our assistance
'' With a dexterity unsurpassed, the,
moved their dug out cautiously L
the portion Of our boat in which the a
lie ligstor held uudisputed sway. The plat
m. Of operations was decided upon in Al
instant Oar reiniorcements resolve
10 take the enemy in the rear. Will
sa- we engaged his attention in front an
10 nore quickly than ] can write il. th
animal was seized by the tail, and wit
one powerful effort whirled into m
bayou, from which he had been so il
nocenuy removed into our dug out
"a Thus ended the episode in our day
.n adventure. When next an alligator
~, lifted into dug OUT l hope / sha
(. a.. not LA fhora vith HIM