The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1867-08-22
AM Alllgator Aayenturr.

An alligator is dealt with rather no.
ceremoniously by the Indians Of Gem
tral America; for when dragging the
large pools Of river for fsh, If one Of
these creatures gets into the net, man
walks coully into the water, throws a
noose round the forcleg 4 he is strliEht-
way drawn on shore and killed with the
axes of the party. Sometimes, however,
these lords Of the pool give more tron-
bic, as the adventure we ailude 10 will
show. One Of them was q perfect dragon
among the calves. and even cattle that
came to drink at the river, pulling them
every now and then under water, till
the farmer, dusky acquaintance Of our
author, became livid with rage.
One day, when riding, the farmer had
the fortune to fall in with his eoemy 10
shallow water, at distance from his
accustomed pool; and having. as usual,
his lasso with him. attached TO the pom
mel Of his saddle, he at ouce gave chase,
aud as the beast was making for his
haunt, threw the moose around his neck
and tried to drag him to tree on the
bank. But he had entirely miscalcula-
ted his means; the horse was no match
in strength for the alligator, and he was
brought upon his knees. The avenger,
therefore, was compelled 70 follow where
he thought to have led, aud in an in,
slant man and horse were spinning
through the river 70 the opposite bank.
The predicament was serious, and the
farmer tried to sever the lasso with his
AK. But the instrument was blunt; the
hard thongs resisted its edge, aud on
dashed the alligator, with his prisoners
iu his wake. Down thundered the three
through shallow aud deep water. rat.
ting over stones, punging in pools. till
a voice Of terror came upon the farmers
ear--the roar Of a fall Of the river as
high as house On hearing this, the
FIRST thought that darted through the
mans miud was that he was about To
die uuconfessed. lie now remembered.
all on sudden, that there must be a
knife in the pocket OF the sheep,skin
mantle; and succeeding after some trou-
bic in getting at it, he at length severed
his sow-rope. ''F
"for nights after, 2 said the farmer,
II could not sleep; or II | did for a MOO.
meut, awoke fancying myself goipgagain
on my mahiifo voyage down the river
sometime soused to the bottom Of the
pool, aud sometimes iumbling and roll
ling about among the big stones--until
at last took such a violent hatred to
this particular alligator that I used to
lie awake all night thinkin. how 10 be
reyenged | used to 60 to the pool
every morning to try and get a sight Of
him, and one morning did see him !;
but what made me still more angry wns
to see the loop OF the lasso still around
his neck, for all the world ike neck
lace; he must have snawed of the re-
niaindcr about yard from the moose.
l then went home, l@ded my long Span.
ish gun very carefully with two balls,
and taking with me eur Of a dog who
could do nothing but yeli aud howl, |
returned to the pool and tied the dog to
a tree close 10 oueoi the allisasors paths
! then toek . long string, aud making
il fast to the ours leg. hid myself be,
hiud another tree aud began % pull at
the string, and the dog began 70 howl
lustib In short time the ha1aryejs
nose appeared above tho water, anil
then bis eyes and head both dog and
alligator must have seen each other
pretty clearly, which made the deg howl
more than ever The beast, after look
ing around to SEQ IL the coast was clear,
made straight for the shore, and was
just creeping up the steep hank 70 seize
the dog, when fred my long ba rel at
him nos Eve PAGES distant, and sent
ball into his eye Hewas dead before
he could say Ave Mariar and Dor
Jorge i slept scupdly that night, aud
gave the cur deg . good supper"