, 1876-02-05
Thrilling Adventure.

One OF our townsmen, who, in his youth
full days resided in the sunny State of Ala
bama, related to a circle of his friends one
evening this week, the incidents of an en-
counter with an alligator. which be assures
US has never before been in print, and which
We consider entirely too good to be KEEP. from
the public any longer:
In the vicinity OF one Of the populous
towns OF that State, I'VE will follow the mar
rator's words and style as closely as possible, J
there was 4 beautiful lake, the pellucid waters
Of which were Inhabited densely by the fnny
/ tribe; the shore being favori,s resort fr
/ the youths and maiieas Of the neighborhood
who were piScatorially incline4. Another
reei lent Of sajl lake aud is pelueid ya,ers
WIS Old Tom. Now, who was Od Tom /?
/ lie was, 50 said n~gro tradition. the Oldest
inhabi,ant Of the lake with an enormous ap-
petite for dogs and young nisgers. There
had been ever 50 many tons Of rifle and pis-
| tOl balls shot into him, or al O,d Tom, with
out the slightest effect, and at the time of the
adventure about to be related, be was in as
good health aud appetite as he had apparently
been for any number OF years back
1t Was On lovely morning in early Nay,
when the Narrator OF this adventure and
friend were skimmins the surface Of the lake
in light skitf trolling FOR bass. y gay party
! of the young cf both sexes were on the shore
preparing for picnic breakfast the music
al laughter of the mai1ens, the yous shouts
| Of the young men and the loud yah-hahs of
the darkry walters, made up Il scene that for
| light hearteGness AID fun would have been
hard to beat even in "Old Alabama" Sud
| denly and teariuliy the scene changed, loud
/ heArtrending shri,ks rent the air where a
| moment before all had been fun and fEoiic,
now all WAS confusion and despair. "Old
| Tom Old Tom shoe, him catch holi of
/ her Oh Mirandy Mirandys gone y Snch
were the shouts tina; pierced the ear of the
narrator he was quietly proPeiling his
| skff at little distance from the scene. He
! took IN the situation at once. Ola Tom had
I pnunCed upon Miraudy, the iOVeiiest maiden
IN that group OF beauties, and borne her of
| to the bosom OF his family in the bottom OF
| the lake. Two sweeps OF the paddle brought
! the sEif over the place where Mirandys
white hand was seen for the last time ; few
[ bubbles rising 10 HI surface showed that she
| still brea,Eei. Il only required II moment
/ for our young hero TO draw his knife, tobacco
| aud boorS, take = chaT Of tobacco, laid back
! his ears and down h went, head first, to hunt
and fight Old Tom in ms native - waste of
waters" it was Just lhirty-twO minutes
| after he went down TIL he appeared again On
] The surface. O.d Tom cane up too, but he
| was belly mp What took place beneath the
| surface of that lake during that thirty min
| utes, will never b. known the narrator de-
| linrs 10 til, f,auug he might not lie be-
/ heved. The spec atuTS on the shore can tes-
/ tify to he troubled state Of the waters, how
! rhry bu6bled aud tossed and saTged on the
| beach Also, cIn they testify to The many
wounds on 0!d Tom to1y. Also, that when
be WAS hauled ashore and op-ned, that Mi
randy was found Inside fast asleep, VII hout
scratch, clo,hes Just a little damp and hair
rumpled up some. how cur young hero,
| Wntn h- came 4 st't's ui'A-lr S'SIS u bht 'A
the tarkeys, who Immediately provided him
withsa black bottle and glass
Thc moicSty ui the narrator prevents him
| from teliiag of many incidents that took
! place that day, after MiraHdy had recovered
,ntir.ly O:i- lI,ils circumstance though hs
! thinks ne viii never fuC.rrt- That Il hen
her mother laid her ho'.i on his wa!.'cost
| ana paur,d uut her 'han.s Ia big salt tears,
! sud b-yy i:e- s.,s, ~ilhoUs The ',,i Of a hand
lesehi-f. Ai'r.niy'7 mother smoked p'po
J and had bad teeth.