The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-08-14
An AlligatOr's Nest.

A correspondent of the New Orleans
Weekly Times writes an account of an
adventure of two gentlemen who recent
ly had occasion to cross in canoe the
small lake which lies between Bayous
Terrebone and Black, about four miles
north of the town of Houma. Know
ing of an alligator's nest, situated upon
a floating island near the border of the
lake, one of the gentlemen conceived
the idea of exploring it for eggs, and no
sooner was the proposition preached
than they decided to carry it into exc
cution.
Approaching the spot with caution.
and deeming the coast clear, one of our
heroes-Ferguson, we will call himsS.
disembarked to despo the nest, wi. r.
his companion-Jones, for inst u
mounted guard in the canoe to-
alarm should danger thrsstu Is
Ferguson had discor-sz 5j21I =!
@L~ssS appropriate So / : E. Il
roaring and splashing
few yards distant, filled his -
terror, and glance toward thSdiS -
ance confirmed his fear that the Ct
die had discovered the raid upon
incipient progeny, and was beari
swiftly down upon the invaders of h
habitation, bent upon immediate an
| dire revenge.
A retreat to the canoe being cut off
| by flank movement of the Infatuated
monster, Ferguson bent all his energies
| to the task of reaching one of the few
] trees on the island a short distance
away, and by superhuman exertion sue.
/ ceeded Just in time to escape the
yawning jaws of his pursuing enemy.
Ferguson had not climbed tree since
| boyhood, but under the peculiar inhu-
ence of the moment he Skinned up that
sapling with rapidity that would have
astonished himself, under less exciting
circumstances. Jones had contemplated
| proceedings thus far with awe that
struck him dumb and benumbed all his
| faculties, but when Mrs. Alligator sud
| denly wheeled around and started for
the canoe he began to experience a live
| lier appreciation of the situation, which
was enhanced by the fact that Ferguson
had taken the only oar to explore the
nest, and he was powerless to sail away
| from there. On came the maddened
crocodile and climbed right into the ca
noe to make dinner of Jones, but that
individual promptly evacuated the craft,
and gaining the shore followed his com
panion's example by climbing a small
tree. Mounting too high in his terror
he bent the tree over and fell ID on his
back in the mud below, and became
nearly frantic when he imagined the
hungry monster about to p0unce upon
him. He quickly recovered his posi-
ton up the tree and was temporarily re-
lieved to observe that the enemy had
ensconced herself comfortably in the
canoe and was apparently prepared &c
stay there until starvation or physical
exhaustion should compel our hapless
heroes to come down and be eaten. The
prospect seemed very gloomy indeed tc
Ferguson and Jones, and they had al
most given up hope and resigned them
selves to horrible despair, when lone
hunter in canoe appeared upon the
| scene and released them from their un
enviable situation by shooting the ALI
gator. Quickly descending our heroes
lost no time in securing the eggs which
had cost them such trlbuiation of mind
and after warmly congratulating eacl
other and thanking their deliverer, they
rowed away, mentally resolving to be
better prepared for war next time they
essayed to hunt alligator's eggs.