Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-04-16
sHARIHG AN ALLIaATeR.

as
A correspondent, who has been fsh-
ing in the Florida waters, tells in Forest
and Stream Of his adventure in snaring
an alligator. 1--WE procured he says,
"a strong seven-eighths MANILA rope,
forty feet long, small halter chain
Twisted links), eight feet long, and q
piece Of we'll seasoned hickory. The
latter We cnt to y length Of eight inches,
leaving the diameter one and q half
inches, aud we sharpened each end. At
the center we girded 1t with a quarter
inch groove, leaving the diameter still
one inch. The stick al wood we se-
curely fastened to the link. TO the
other end Of the chain our rope was
fastened. Our snare now had the an
pcarance Of q cap I with the upright
stoke very much elongated. We now
procured a ten-pound chunk Of beef,
iuto which VIC securely fastened the
piece ofhickory, and then, bringing one,
end Of the stick parallel with the chains
we fastened it there with bit of yarn.
Repairing to tho reserve we selected
Q spot, secured our rope to . pine tree
growing near its edge, and then by the
aid ola canoe we carried tho bait out
as far as the rope would permit. To
insure the floating Of the bait near the
surface Of the water, we laid tho rope
across o ive-foot strip Of plank. Ey-
erything completed, we retired to await
developments. Early morning we
were at the reserve, slorc, sure
enough, We hada gate I'D iudg-
ing from the muddy coA4ltiop Of the
water, no was whopper, and had been
there some time. The rope was NOV
ing through the water in quite rapid
manner and without fastening it we
made a pull with all our strength, but
We might rs well have tried to lift an
elephant by the tail. After much talk, it
was suggested and agreed to that we
make use of small wagon aud pair
of mules belonging to the party.
went for the team, and in my haste did
not take time to put the body on the
wagon, it having been removed for
the parpose Of hauling wood Hastily
throwing a plank across the holsters
seated myself and drove over to where
the party awaited me. The rope had
been secured by slip---low, without
passing it around the tree, so we had
only to fasten the loose end to the axle
and drive away, and thus slip the knot
and make a direct pull on tho gator.
After securely fastening this rope to the
axle, seated myself on the plank, and
gave the mules the slack. The mules
were young, fiery and hardly broken to
harness, and had repeatedly run away,
endangering our lives on more than enc
occasion; but we had not thought OF
this in our excitement. For q moment
after starting the team, there was a
strain on the rope, and then out came
the huge monster, covered with mud,
and lashing the water into foam With
his tail, the noise he made resembling to
some extent the beatings of q huge pro-
peller. The mules both looked around
and as they did so, the monster gave a
roar that made the very earth tremble.
The team, alligator and your humble
servant, started for home. The distance
was two miles, and think If Rarus had
seen US, he would have left the track
with broken heart. The mules left the
road-in fact, made O new one without
the aid OF a slryeyOr--and that alligator
bounded in the air as no never bounded
before. Now and then, he would rap
against tree, but he scarcely touched
the ground, and had serious fears for
a viii e that, in hisanxiety to go ahead,
he might put head Oh me; however,
we reached home at last, and the mules,
completely winded, stopped of their own
accord. When we came to sum up, we
found all tho run taken out of the
mules, one tire gone, three spokcs in an
other wheel broken--in fact, the wagon
a wreck. My suit of clothes was torn
to rags, and my person bruised, torn and
bleeding by the terrible whipping Of the
trees and bushes over which we passed.
A iourteen-foot alligator with every bone
broken, was almost skinned by his con-
slant banging against the trees.'
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