The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-07-17

gators paraded the dry savannas in search
Of water. One day Capt. Frank Sans
and Tom Murray, two wel-known guides,
rode past the encampment They were
looking for sour orange stumps, with the
intention Of transplanting and grating
them. A hundred yards from camp, they
reined in their horses on burnt savanna,
and began to shout. Snatshing a double
barrelled gun, ran out on the savanna.
Their horses were prancing around an
enormous bull alligator, who had craWled
out Of the dry swamp, aud who was head
ed for the Hillsborough River. He was
confused by the shouts Of the guides and
the prancing Of their horses, and | ap-
preached him unseen Stealing behind
him, ran long palmetto splinter into
his eye. He turned lumberingly over the
blackened stubble, and the guides struck
at him with COW whips. Driven TO wari-
ness, he crouched close to the ground,
pulled out his throat, opened his cavern
Gus mouth, and made n noise like the
rushing Of a wind. A moment aftervard
discharged load of buckshot into each
eye. The monster shuddered, and stretch
cd himself in the agonies of death. Capt.
Sans dismounted and buried his axe in
the reptiles tail. The yertebra was
severed, and he was no longer dangerous,
although there was still life In the tail
1t moved slowly and uDeasily, like the tail
Of wounded snake, and the guides de.
clared that it would not die until the set
ting Of the sun. At intervals the cayman
roared like Central Park lion. Toward
night | went to the swamp TO mark the
roosts Of wild turkeys The day was op.
pressively hot, | was returning toward
camp long after dark, when | found my.
self on the burnt savanna. To my sur.
prise, the whole savanna seemed alive aud
moving. Nearly worn out with exhaus-
tion, | iancied that my head was reeling,
sure sign Of malaria fever. The phe,
nomenon was quickly explained. A thou.
sand buzzards were in camp near the great
alligator awaiting the light of day to SC.
cure their prey, A year afterward
found the skeleton of this saurian, and
knocked out its teeth. The savanna was
then covered with water foot deep.
In the following winter | was shooting
plumed herons on the great savannss at the
head of Indian River. My guide was the
we!l-known Judge Connor, once a Metho.
dist clergyman. One morning while rid.
ing over the vast prairie on horseback, we
met an alligator longer than the moral
law. "ShOot him, said the Judge.
"Oh, nc" replied; al don't want to
kill him. The report of the gun will
scare up every heron within mile, and
shall get no plumes."
"But Lord blast ms buttons, said the
Judge, she eats my hogs and the young
calves on the range. Shoot him"
"No," answered; "rve come twenty
miles for plumes, and don't intend to 70
back without them"
"Well, said Connor, "you're the first
Yankee ever saw who won't pull trig.
ger on gator"
IN take a look at him anyhow |
said, as | hitched my horse to palmetto
midway between two creeks. The grass
was high aud rank. As | walked toward
the reptile he raised himself on his four
legs, opened his jaws, pulled out his throat
like bullfrog, and made o noise like the
humming Of buzz saw. | stopped ten
feet away, aud stamped and shouted. The
Judge sat upon his horse, watching the
proceedings. The alligator did not quail.
On the contrary, he squatted close to the
ground, and began TO creep toward me as
cat would creep toward mouse. Walk
ing back to the palmetto, gathered Eve
or six of its huge dried fans, held them
toward my body, struck a match, and set
them ablaze. The ugly monster watched
me like dragon. l 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, |
suddenly raised the fans, and thrust the
blazing mass in his throat. He closed his
ponderous jaws, turned tail, and ran.
Lighting fresh fan, 1 ran around him,
setting the coarse dry grass of the sayan.
ma on fire. He was eucircled with flames,
lie raised his body, gazed at the fire with
bloodshot eyes, and then shuffled himself
into the wet sand, and calmly awaited the
result There was fair breeze from the
northeast In three minutes the fire had
swept over him, burying him in the black.
ened grass. He remained as he had
planted himself | went through tim
smoke, aud touched him with the barrels
OF the gun, but be did not move. He
seemed dazed. Possibly he had tainted,
l remouDted the horse, aud we rode Of,
A hundred yards away we looked back.
The monster had recovered, aud was tray.
cling loisurely 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, a
Jolly beachcomber, was the only person
living on the shore Of the lake. We
went through an arm Of the Everglades,
and deposited our camp equipage and pro-
visions on the hard sand at the northern
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 concluded to camp for the
night. We found cleared spot IN the
scrub, hundred feet back from the shore
Ridge poles and crotehed posts indicated
that il was fayoritc camping ground for
the Seminoles. On returning to the beach
| found twelve-foot alligator crawling
toward our bag Of pork. A score Of com.
panions were anchored of the rushes, and
one or two were following in his wake.
On hearing my footsteps the old fellow
turned aud faced me. Our guns Law on a
chest within three feet Of him, and we
were cut of from our base Of supplies.
Moore and Hammond, Pennsylvania
who had pre.smpted land on the lake.
Joined me. We shouted and heaYed
ridge-poles at the savage scoundrel, but Il
was no go. He held the pass, and his
companions were moving on the pork.
Something must be done, or we would be
left without provisions. My eyes fell on
bed Of dried palmcttoes that had been
used BY the Indians To gather and set
them ablaSe was the work Of few sec.
onds. With the flaming mass wa ndvanc.