The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-08-24
Fun In FLORIDA,

south OF Ut. Augustine, hunting deer, bears.
wlld cats, cougars, and wild turkeys. There
was great drouth, and the savunnas and
swamps were dry. Scores of allgators
paradcd the dry savannus in search OF
water. One day Capt Frank Sans and
Iom Murray, two well-known guides, rode
past the cncampment. They were looking
1of sour orange stumps, with the attention
OF transplanting and grating them. A
hundred yards from camp they rcined IN
their horses on a burnt savanna and began
to shout. Snatching double barrel gun. I
ran out on the savanna. Their horses were
pranclng around an enormous bull ALLIGATOR.
who had crawlcd out of tile dry swamp
and who was headed for the Hilsborough
river. Hc was confused by the shouts of
the guides and the prancing of their horses.
and | approached him unseen. Stealing
behind him Tan long palmetto splinter
IN his eye. He turned lumberingly over
the blackened stubble, and the guides struck
at him with cowhdcs Driven to weari-
ness, he crouched close to the ground
pulled out his throat, opened his cavcrnous
mouth, and made q noise like the rushing
OF wind. A moment aftcrward | dis.
charged load of buckslot into each cvc.
lhn Monster shuddered and stretched him
SELF IN the agonics Of death. Capt. Sans
dismounted and buried his axe in the rep
tilc's tail. The vcrtcbra was severed, and
he was no longer dangerous, although there
was still life in the tail. 1t moved slowly
and uneasily, like the tail of wounded
snake, and the guides declared that it would
not die until the setting of the sun. At
intervals the cayman roarcd like Central
fark lion. Toward night went to the
swamp 10 mark the roosts of wild turkcds.
Inc day was oppressively hot. was
returning towards camp long after dark,
when foundmysclf upon the burnt savan-
ha' Io my surprise, the whole savanna
seemed i've and moving. Nearly worn
out with exhaustion, l fancicd tnut my
ncad was rccling, a sure sign of malari,l
lGVer. Inc phenomenon was quickly ex-
piained. a thousand buzzards were in the
camp near the great alligator, awaiting the
llght OF day to secure their prey. A yenr
afterward found the skeleton of This
saurian, and knobkcd out it's teeth. The
savanna was then covered with wafer ,
foot deep.
In the following winter was sho ,lipp
plumed hcrons Oh the great savannas at the
mead OF Indian river. My guide was the
Well-known Judge Connor, once O. AIetho.
dist Clergyman. One morning, while rid
ing over the vast prairie on horseback. we
met an alligator longc than the moral law.
''Shoot him." said the Judge.
ooh, no." replied; 81 don't want to
XIII him. The report of the gun will score
up every heron within mile, and 7 sLolI
get no plumcs."
"But, Lord blast my buttons said the
Judge, she cats my hogs and younr calves
ON the range. Shoot him."
miles for plumcs, and don't intend to go
back without them"
"Well, said Connor, 'syou'rc the first
Yankee ever saw who won't pull trigger
on gator"
"I'll take look at him. anyhow
said, as hitched my horse to a palmetto
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 noise like the
hunming OF buzz-saw. | stopped ten
feet away, and stamped and shouted. The
judge sat upon his horse watching the pro-
ceedings. The alligator did not quail.
On the contrary, he squatted close to the
ground, and began to creep towards ne as
a cat would creep toward a mouse. Walk
ing back to the palmetto, gathered five or
six of its huge dried fans, held them toward
my body, struck match, and set them
ablazc. The ugly monster watched me
like dragon. Iheld the fans down, hid
ing the blaze, and marched toward him.
His huge mouth was open, and looked like
newly-bricked tunnel. Within reach,
suddenly raised the fans, and thrust the
blazing mass in his throat. Hc closed
his pondcrous jaws, turned pale, and ran.
Lighting fresh fan, ran around him,
setting the coarse, dry grass of the savanna
on fire. He was enclrcled with flames.
He raised his body, gazed at the fire with
bloodshot eyes, and then shuffied himself
into the wet sand, and calmly awaited the
result. There was a fair breeze from the
northeast. In three minutes the fire had
swept over him, burying him in the black
cncd grass. He remained as he had planted
himself. went through the smoke and
touched him with the barrel of the gun,
but he did not move He seemed dazcd
possibly he had tainted. I remounted the
horse, and we rode off. A hundred yards
away we looked back. The monster had
recovered, and was travelling lcisurcly over
the smoking savanna toward little stream
that pours into the head of Indian river.
Two years before this had visited Lake
Worth, twelve miles below Jupiter light.
At that time Charles Moore, jolly beach
comber, was the only person living on the
shore of tho lake. We went through an
arm of the everglades, and deposited our
camp cquipage and provisions on the hard
sand at the northern end of the lake. The
sand was frlnged 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
Nloorc's cabin before sundown. The wind,
however, died away, and we concluded to
camp for the night. We found cleared
spot in the scrub hundred feet back from
the shore. Ridge poles and crotclled posts
indicated that it was favorite camping
ground for the Scminoles. On returning
to the beach fondd q twelve foot alligator
crawling toward our bag of pork. A score
Of companions were anchored off the
rushes, and one or two were following In
his wake. On hearing my footsteps the
old fellow turned and faced me. Our guns
lay on chest within tlrcc feet of him and
we were cut off from our base of supplies.