Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-09-19
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 70. 1872.

/ L called aloud, at the same time urging
my horse down The bank The little
fellow turned his pale face towards me,
and recognized me. but fear was still too
potent with him, aud he remained where
he was, crying out to Mirry Warburtou
to save him. | dashed in the spurs rowel
deep, and at one bound came crashing
through the rhododendrons to within
some three or four feet of the place where
the child stood. Tho alligator wheeled
angrily round, to confront the intruder
who dared to come between him and his
toothsome supper, aud my horse, driven
wild with terror at the sight and smell
OF the monstrcus reptile, reared, swervcd,
and threw me. galloping off like mad
creature. was on my feet in moment,
and had JUSTINE to throw myself between
the alligator and the boy before the blood
thirsty jaws could close in the first fatal
snap. The brute recoiled a little, for
alligato.s are cowsrdly as well as fierce,
and they have been known to watch for
hours in their resdy ambush, allowing
men to pass them uniujured, until they
could pounce securely on a woman or a
child. But the reptiles slow blood had
been too much stirred by the expectation
OF an easy triumph to permit him to
decline the fight, and he crawled in upon
me, utterlng the hoarse cry, half-roar,
half-whimpering moan, .hat cayman
gives under the sting of pain or fury.
had my sheath knife out, strong
double-edged blade of Barcelona steel,
with cross handle and buckthorn haet
but this seemed poor weapon against
such foe. Bya hasty impulse-one of
those llfe-saving thoughts that come up
on US at moments of extreme peril, as if
they were the whisperings of inspiration
Il tore the blue wooden poncho from
my shoulders-happily, l had adopted
the new Spanish style of dress-aud,
wrapping the mantle around the tough
handle of my whalebone riding whip, 7
forced it between the alligator's jaws as
he closed with mo. while at the same
time, bending forward, 1 struck hard
With my two edged knife his white
throat, which was comparatively unpro
tected. The first stab told for the white
streak was soon crimsoned with blood;
but the second stroke failed, and the
knife slipped, and ratified uselessly on the
armor plates of the creatures mailed
back and then began struggle for
death or life between my terrible antag-
onist and myself My strength was
nothing to that of the huge reptile, and
| felt myself dragged to the right and
left as if had been rat in the grip of
terrier, yet | held on fast to the wale-
bone handle Of the whip, while the
sharp teeth vainly CRASHED and tore at
tho spongy wool that clogged them, and
| retained my hold in sheer desperation,
striking in with my knife whenever
got chance, but usually bsffled by the
tenacious armor Of my invulnerable ad-
versary.
Charlie, a few feet distant, was sob
blng pitcouelY, at times crying aloud in
appeal to Guachos, whom he knew
'sauoho' 'DiegoP 'El Negron-to help
'Mirry Warburton ; for the dear little
fellow, delivered from his first agony of
alarm, seemed now to think only of my
peril. The idea was good one, although
the child's weak voice could not of course
reach far. axerting the full strength Of
my lungs, twice shouted forth the
well-known desert cry when jaguar is
sighted: 'Mozos, a MILL Tigre. Mo-
zos.-and- l fancied, as l uttered the
second call, that | heard distant answer
like faint echo. But now | had need
of all my muscles, for the infuriated
animal with which | fought, tearing the
cloth of the soft mantle to pulp, was
gradually getting its grim jaws free.
Twice already, had my wrist and arm
been grazed by its keen toeth-I bear
the white scars to this day-and the hor-
rible odor of the creature, and the re-
morseless glare of its small bloodshot eye,
impressed me with the fantastic notion
that my enemy was something evil beyond
the mere furious greed of a wild beast.
Yet grasped the whalebone whip handle
and drove in the knife with all the force
of an arm that was fast growing exhaust
ed. Spent. breathless, giddy, was dragg
ed down, and in a kneeliug attitude, ex-
erted the remains of my waning strength
in stab at the alligator's throat. The
blade broke short off by the handle as it
lodged among the stout scales of the neck.
Just then l heard a shout, and the
tramp of a horse coming up at full and
furious speed. On they came, the stecd
foam fecked and gored by the spur, the
rider brandishing high above his head the
spiral coils Of the lasso. | recognised the
horseman IN an instant. 1t was Juan,
the Guache. the boldest and most deg
ferrous of all that Ceutaur brotherhood;
and he knew me, and comprehendod at a
glance the state of affairs.
Stand back. Englishman-stand back!'
be cried aloud. and I'll do the rest;
Mozos!-El Tigre!-Mo zosv And he
wbirled the lasso high, squirting his
frightened horse nearer and nearer to the
spot.
Keeling, breathless, and dizzy of brain,
I understood the Guacho's meaning suf-
fciently to stand back, letting go my hold
of the tough whip handle, which, with
the tattered puncho wrapped around it,
I had hitherto obstinately kept between
the alligator's churning jaws. The ia
furia,ed brute followed me up with hit
ter hate, his hateful snout all but brush
ing my knees as staggered back. Blu.
just at that instant, whirr! crack! came
he we'll known sound Of the heavy |
lasso whisiling past, launched with un-
erring aim, anu as I gazed about me
with 5aggard eyes. saw that the moose
was frightened round the reptiles neck,
while Juan, with the end of the stout
cord fastened to his saddle, had started |
off at canter, towing along the alliga |
patnr al, er him. as be hal tuooed alnnr |