The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-09-29
EBENSBURG a.. SEPTEMBER 80

pass the night The alligator, seeing the
fish hanging to a limb, took them in at a
gulp, lines and all.
This feat being accomplished the beast
spread himself at full length, and, fixing his
eye upon his prey. suggested in his crocodil-
can style: "Be in no hurry. l am patient.
I have had my snack. When you are tired
roosting there I VIII have you"
As the two faced each other thus, the man,
who was not patient, cursed his i'll fortune
that he had neither gun nor pistol to match
those vilIainous teeth. There, in plain sight,
leaned in dogwood fork, the gun, good at
twenty PAGES TO blow the very skull plates
from the animals head. There, hanging by
It's side, the rif1ed pistols. Only one shot
to bore out that little red eye, and he almost
felt that he couId die happy. A wide yawn
from the alligator indicated desire for sleep.
An immense owl of the gray species then
took mp his station over the now useless
weapons, and began so dismal hooting-
sounds so unnatural and unexplainable upon
ordinary principles that Ackworth could
only feel they were intended for his death
song, though why the owl should collea que
with the alligator he could nOtimagine. All
TINS was 0lScOuGaglnQ enough.
But there was an added horror Before
the owl had finished the first chapter of his
dirge a spIashing in the water called his at
tention to the fact that another alligator had
come on duty. Another reptile, alured by
some instructive sense of prev, was swim
ming round the tree-top as If seeking an en-
trance and a welcome. How manv times
that circuit was made will never be known.
How many times Saurian No. / raised him
self to his feet at the mans slightest move
meut and opened his mouth to its limit need
not he told. How many water snakes
(moccasins) with cold. Shiny skins. crept
over Ackworths hands and feet as they
squirmed through the tree tops-ughi The
night in length was Polar, Arctic; in hor-
rors, Tartarean. Tt recalled Bunvan's hero
as he passed in the darkness through the
valley of the shadow of death. Would
morning never come? Not star was visi-
hle. for heavy banks of clouds came up over
the lake, and smart showers of rain heat
upon the unprotected fisherman, clinoing
now to that tree top. Then It ceased. the
wind veered to the north, and it became
very cold. Ackworth shivered as though
he would break his fastenings. And still
Sentinel No 2 continued his circuit splash
ing, No. l his vawning watch, the gray owl
his heart-rending dirge.
At last daylight-ohl blessed daylight
came. Natures long sleep ended. The day
birds left their perches. A gang of iavbirds
drove the owl clear down the lake, prickinp
the verv tail feathers out Of him. Ever
since that dav Ackworth always kills an
owl when he can. Alligator No. l, wearried
Of fruitIess watching. disappeared. The
sun rose ClOriOuslv and warmed and dried
him. and cheerpd his very heart The
snakes troubled him no more. The mother
duck came back with her little fleet, pluminc
her feathers 1eisurefy, never suspecting that
he saw how plavfuIlv the duckets pecked al
every feather she threw off. The long
legged heron ventured to his days fishing
A troop of deer watpred within twenty step.
of the gentleman who was perched in the
ton of beach tree, guarded by an alligator
1t was long after noon, however, before
the reptile, to his great iov. withdrew suIIen
" and sunk to the bottom No time wa,
/ lost bv Ackworth in releasing himself from
the bonds and resumed his Journey to tn,
/ shore, but his limbs were so c-amped that h,
( half way down the log a loud splashing he
| hind showed that the alligator had seen the
| movement and was on his wav to thwart it
/ Ackworth plunged forward. He slIpped. n,
! fell, he spattered the water with lis hands
all the time hearing the paddles of his pur
/ suer drawing nearer. It was drawn race
the parties reached the bank neck-and-neck
Mr.. AcFworth fell at the root of the tree Ius
as Che alligator struck him with his cauda
appendaPe across the back.
Had the blow fallen few inches highe
this story would never have been published
A broken back would have disabled the man
and those white-rOwed teeth would hav
crushed him. His body, dragged to the bot
tom Of the lake, would have been a bone o
contest for whole school of aIligators. Ru
it hit part of the body Intentionally elastic
and the blow hoisted the man clear over tn
bank into a sturdy holly bush, whose thorn,
penetrated his flesh and rent his garment
in hundred places. So he was saved -
SOrely bruised and out Of breath. his hin
sprained so that he never bestrode saddI
again without pain, Ackworth felt that h
was saved
Nor was he entirely unavenged. Fo
should the reader, seeking the scene of thf
terrible adventure, discover an alligator o
some fifteen, or by this time eighteen. fee
long, whose right eve is absent, removed b,
rife ball, he may safely set him down a
the identical sentinel who made the nigh
hours dreary with his presence