The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1881-02-24
ADVENTURES IN FLORIDA.

first went to Florida in the winter of
1878. Like all persons in search of health,
l sailed up the St. Johns river After be
holding palmetto in all its glory I was
eager to see an alligator in all its pristine
purity. For two hundred and thirty miles
1 kept a bright lookout along the banks of
the st. Johns. It was early in January,
and the weather was chilly. landed in
Enterprise, on Lake Monroe, without seeing
a saurian. They were in winter quarters,
hidden in the mud at the bottom of the
river II the negroes are to be believed,
each reptile has swall0weda ightwOOd knot
by way of ballast, and would not reappcar
until the weather became warm. l saw the
first alligator q week after my arrival in
Enterprise I sat in the stern of a blue
boat trolling for southern bass. July Jen-
kins, q venerable Ethiopian, was pulling
the oars. 1t was day of sunshine. We
We're nearing the mouth Of Woodruff creek,
when July stopped rowing and eagerly
mUrmmed, "Dahs gatahT
looked up a small bayou and saw q
long, black object stretched among the
reeds and lily pads perfectly motiOnless.
He looked as if he wore a coat Of mail
He's dead, July" I said.
'Oh, no, sah,' was the reply. Helm
only asleep, 1 reckon
Back up the boat, I said Il want to
look at him."
The boat was noiselessIy backed up the
bayou. The monster gave no sign of life.
He was fully eleven feet long. 1 had taken
in my spinner, and was handling my rod
like a hOrse-Whip. "'Fore de Lord don't be
brash," murmued July, "dah's a heap o.
cOmpredunctiOn in gata.' 1 could not
believe that the reptile was alive. If he
were breathing, his hanks ought to show
the motion OF a bellows. When within six
feet I prOdded him under a fore leg with
the lanCeWOOd tip. All doubt vanished.
The reptile jumped as though a torpedo
had exploded beneath him. He took in
the situation in a second. Reeds and lily
pads flew in the air, and he landed slap
against the gun-Wales, throwing me partly
overheard, and covering the frightened ne
gro with mud The water was shallow, and
as the monster slid under the keel, the boat
was careened, the freedman's hat went
overheard, and an oar was thrown ten feet
away byawipe of the serrated tail. 1 clam
bered back into the boat, and saw a curved
line of bubbles marking the reptiles course
from the bayou into the lake. had seen
an alligator in all its pristine purity. Il
knowed dat gatah was asleep sab, - said
July in tone of reprOach, as he fshed for
his hat and broke for the stray oar. We
resumed our fishing, but the old gentle
man pointed out no more alligatOrs, al
though he undoubtedly saw half a dozen.
On our return to Enterprise, Capt. Tom
Reeves heard of the adventure, and made
inquiries rs to location and position. A
week afterward he was pulled up to the
dock, with the cayman trailing ut the stern
of his boat
Within fortnight 1 was strOlEng along
a fringe Of Hlypads, near the mouth Of the
Weliva, and saw q siX-tOOter plaStered
against the opposite bank of the river in
prOfund slumber. Showing a cartridge into
a Remington rifle, got out Of the boat,
braced myself against live oak, took de
liberate aim at the reptiles neck and fired.
A cloud of snowy herOns arose from
marsh behind me, but the alligator did
not stir Dat ah gatah's a good sleepah,
sab" said July. Dat ah shot done gone
clean Ober him, reckon" Again 1 stead
led myself against the live oak, and q sec
Ond report rang over the water. heard
crashing in the canes behind me, and saw
a huge saurian rushing for the lilypads like
train Of coal cars. He had probably
been watching me from the time l landed.
and had been startled by the second crack
of the rifle. As he went into the river
small tidal wave rolled over the Hlypads,
and a school Of large bass which had been
hiding in the shady reCesses beneath them
darted to and fro in terror. The six-fOOter
on the opposite bank Of the river remained
as quiescent as iron. After three additional
shots we crossed the river and held a post
mOrtem. Three bullets had entered the
reptiles body, and two had glanced from
The plates Of mail. The first bullet had