Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-05-16
AMONG ALLIGAT0RS.
An Exciting Experience by a BotanIst
Florida.

Florida.
Will Wallace Harney relates the ad-
ventures of a certain DR.. Drennon, bot
anist and naturalist, who, in the sum-
mer of 1871, was guest at small cabin
in the backwoods of Florida. One of
them is exceedingly thrilling. He start
ed out one morning on one of his fire.
quent expeditions in search of speci-
mems, accompanied only by his dog
Bragg, and eventually found himself at
a spot he calls Wilcomb Holm PENN
sula. Followed by the dog he swan in
the bayou and was delighted with the
coolness of the water. His state of en-
trancing rest and refreshment, he says,
was interrupted by the dog. Bragg
jumped upon my back, as swan, with
something between a yelp and whine.
My first thought was that the old fell
low was as hugely content as myself,
but more boistereus, and was for a
splashing romp in the water. Nothing
loath, 1 turned to give him a good
tousle for his liberties, when horror
not twenty yards away, his long snout
and saw-like spine bubbling sinuous
above the waves, was the dragon of Old
Nile, huge alligator, making right
at us
There were two of the monsters ; one
at greater distance to the right, but
nearer the shore to which was swim
ming the other between me and the
impossible haven I lad left. I was ut
terly and instantaneously unnerved.
The blood curdled in my heart. 1
struck out madly, furiously, without
sense or discretion but was checked
and recalled to my proper self-command
by one dreadful fact; the dog tOaS out
S,Vinanoi1lg me J.! Now I knew as well
as if it were thing done, that one Of
us must be sacrificed for the other. One
might possibly escape from those two
monsters, but two could not. A man
having any self-control can easily out
swim a dog. Aroused by this refec-
tion,. struck out again vigorously, but
with long, steady, oar-stroke sweeps.
Not overland, which gives only an ap-
pearance of speed, like Mr.. Pecksniff's s
high trotting-horse, but long, regular
frog swimming. I soon saw the effect
of it. Ipassed the dog, who turned in
toward me, with a whine and effort, as
I passed. A crocodile or alligator
they are one and the same-swims
quite rapidly; but he does not dart like
a fish. The dogs nose or foot touched
me, and looked over my shoulder in
voluntarily. An alligator's Jaw in the
dry skeleton is terrible to look at +; the
serried fangs are all made for destruc-
tive rending, not mastication. His
horrid jaws agape with double fang, as
Eschylus describes it. But that huge,
tongueless, lipless nav
" And that more wondrous was in either jaw,
Three ranckes of yron teeth enraunged we're,
In which yet.trickling blood and gobbets raw
Of late deyoured bodies did appear -
ugh that I saw, as I live to tell it, with
the exaggerated monstrosity of destruc-
tive power in it's eighty teeth fitting in
alternate sockets the Sits of narrow
eyes glowering above the long, serra.
ted spine bubbling above the water
right at my heels.
There was dull, deadened ch,tnapf
the drowned yelp of poor Bragg, and
dog and dragon disappeared in surge
of bubbles.
I was spared this time, but not yet
safe. Sliding over the spot where they
had disappeared, came the second alli-
gator, not ten yards away. At the mo-
ment, caught the overhanging limb of
a stout, blackjack oak, clustered with
jasmine and stout, blackjack oak,
clustered with jasmine and green -brier,
and, needless of scratches, swung my
self aloft, from whence I had the satis-
faction of seeing the disappointed mon
ster nosing about below.