The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-08-07
Fighting AlligatOrs with Fire.

ONE winter l was shooting plumed
herons on the great savannas at the
head of Indian River, Florida. My
guide was the well known Judge Con-
nor, once Methodist clergyman. One
morning, while riding over the vast
prairie on horseback, we met an slliga-
tor longer than the moral law. 'sShoot
him." said the Judge.
"Oh, no." | replied; "I don't want
to kill him. The report of the gun will
scare up every heron within pile, and
l shall get no plumes."
"But, blast my buttons, "isaid the
Judge, "he eats my hogs andthe young
calves on the range. Shoot hm."
"No," l answered; "I'veeome twen-
ty miles for plumes, and l DON'T intend
to go back without them"
SWELL" said Conner, 'you're the
first Yankee 1 ever saw who won't pull
a trigger on a gator"
"l'll take look at him anyhow" l
said, as l hitched my horse to palmet-
to midway between two creeks. The
grass was high and rank. AS l walked
toward the reptile he raised himself on
his four legs, opened his jaws, pulled
out his throat like bullfrog, and made
a noise like the humming of buzz-saw.
l stopped ten feet away, and stamped
and shouted. The Judge sat upon his
horse, watching the proceedings. The
alligator did not quail. On the contra
ry, he squatted close to the ground, and
began to creep toward me as a cat would
creep toward mouse. Walking back
to the palmetto, gathered five or six of
its huge dried fans, held them toward
my body, struck match, and set them
ablaze. The ugly monster watched me
like dragon. held the fans down,
hiding the blaze, and marched toward
him. His huge mouth was open, and
looked like a newly-bricked tunnel.
Within reach, l suddenly raised the
fans, and thrust the blazing mass in his
throat. He closed his ponderous jaws,
turned tail, and ran. Lighting fresh
fan, ran around him, setting the coarse
dry grass of the savanna on fire. He was
encircled with flames. He raised his
body, gazed at the fire with bloodshot
eyes, and then shuffled himself into the
wet sand, and calmly awaited the re-
suit. There was fair breeze from the
northeast. In three minutes the fire
had swept over him, burrying him in
the blackened grass. He remained as
he had planted himself. Invent through
the smoke, and touched him with the
barrels of the gun, but he did not move.
He seemed dazed. Possibly he had
tainted. l remounted the horse, and
we rode off. A hundred yards away we
looked back. The monster had recov-
cred, and was travelling leisurely over
the smoking savanna toward little
stream that pours into the head of In
dian River.
Two years before this 1 had visited
Lake Worth, twelve miles below Jupiter
Light. At that time Charles Moore, a
jolly beachcomber, was the only person
living on the shore of the lake. We
went through the arm of the Everglades,
and deposited our camp equipaGe and
provisions on the hard sand at the north
ern end of the lake. The sand was
fringed with huge rushes. We had
hauled our boat over the strip of sand
separating the waters of the lake from
the Everglades, intending to run down
to Moore's cabin before shutdown. The
wind, however, died away, and we con-
cluded to camp for the night. We found
a clear spot in the scrub, hundred
feet back from the shore. Ridge poles
and crotched posts indicated that it was
a favorite camping ground for the Sem
inoles. On returning to the beach |
found tWelve-fOOt ALLIGATOR crawling
toward our bag of pork. A score of
companions were anchored off the
rushes, ard one or two were following
in his wake. On hearing my footsteps
the old fellow turned and faced me.
Our guns lay on a chest within three
feet of him, and we were cut off from
our base of supplies. Moore and Ham
mond, Pennsylvania who had pre-
empted land on the lake, Joined me-.
We shouted and heaved ridge-poles at
the savage scoundrel, but it was no GO.
He held the pass, and his companions
were moving on the pork. Something
must be done, or we would be left with
out provisions. My eyes fell on bed
of dry palmettoes that had been used by
the Indians. To gather and set them
ablaze was the work of few seconds.
With the flaming mass we advanced on
the great lizards. In the light of the
blaze they retreated to the lake. We
suspended the bag of pork from tree
that hung over the bank, and in the
morning the sand looked as though
an army brigade had been throwing
up trenches. Cor. N. Y. Sun.