St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-09-16
There is not much danger in catching

fellow alive, then the sport is both eX-
citing and dangerous, lasting sometimes
two or three days.
1t is very seldom they get an oppor-
tunity to steal up to one and ta>ten
rope around him, for that can only be
done when the gatoriS asleep. The way
thew usually do it is to build q regular
nen in the water near the bank, leaving
= door lust wide enough for the alliga-
tor to oct in. Directly in the CEN
ter of this pen is q stake on
which is tied a piece OF badly-smell-
mo meat-that is the bait, and the pen
is made only to prevent the gator from
getting at it in any other way than by
the door where the trap is. The hrst
stake on each side of the door has notch
es cut in it, like the spindle OF spur
rel trap, and across these, ust above
the surface of the water, is the bar or
trigger. Now this pen must be built
near the bank where q large sapling
crows. and the tree is bent over and
fastened to the trigger with stout piece
of rope or chain, while just under it, in
the water is a large slip-noose.
After all this has been done jimmie
and his father 90 away to attend to some
other work, or make another trap, ana
| pretty soon along comes MIR. Alligator,
wondering how he shall get his dinner,
and whether he must 60 very far for it.
Then he smells the meat, and he prob
ably thinks new restaurant has been
started there, so he swims along very
cautiously with just the tip OF his nose
out of the water, to see what the new
place looks like. He sees the meat,
and there is no one near, so he
thinks he will sneak in and steal it;
but just as he gets his head in,
and raises himself out of the water
little to seize the bait, his back hits the
trigger, throwing it out of the notched
stakes, and the thief is very much sur
prised at finding a stout rope securely
tied around his body just back of his
fore legs.
OF course he thrashes about in the
water, and raises terrible fuss, but
there he is, and there he has to stay
until Jimmie and his father return.
| The prisoner can swim around I'D
such a circle as the rope will permit,
and in order to get him out of the water
it is necessary to have him fastened
securely. or he would do great deal of
mischief The trappers wade out in
the water, and watch their opportunity
to get rope around the captive's tail.
After this is done, it is fastened to some
thing on the shore, and then Mr.. ALI
gator cannot swim around, but is
stretched out very nearly in a straight
line, when it is not dif1icu to get
another rope around his jaws. His legs
are then bent up over his back and
fastened together. after which a stout
stick is dashed from the end of his nose
to the tip of his tail, which prevents
him from bending his body. He is then
lifted into the boat, for to drag him to
the shore while he IS in such a helpless
condition would be to drown h M.
One day last year, Jimmie's father
left him on Black Creek, which runs
into the St. Johns River, above Jack
SONY lille, while he went to the city to
sell some gators. His father had not
been gone very long when Jimmie saw
big alligator crawl out OF the water and
arrange himself snugly in the sand for a
nap. Jimmie knew the old fellow was
too big for him to attempt to catch
alone; but, thinking what nice prize
he would have to show his father IN case
he succeeded, he resolved tomake the at
tempt Waiting until he was sure the
gator was asleep, Jimmie crept softly
up to him, and had nearly got the rope
around his tail when the alligator aWoke.
The first thing he did was to swing
', his tail around, and he struck the boy
on the legs. The force Of the blow was
broken by the rope, or Jimmie would
not have been alive to tell about it; but
; it hurt him so much that it was only
with the greatest difficulty he managed
to tie the knots, and then when he crept
out of the angry monsters way the old
! fellow was so near him that he tore his
coat off with his teeth. 1t was some
,, time before the boy was able to con-
, tinue the attempt of making the ALI
gator captive; but he did succeed after
while, and when Mr.. Davis returned
lie found Jimmie watching prisoner
that was nearly twelve feet long.
, Jimmie once gave three alligator eggs
, to a hen which was very anxious TO nave
, some chickens, and after she had nearly
y killed herself setting on them three OF
: the oldest looking babies that old her
ever saw crept out and started on
,, journey for the water. Biddy had nc
idea of losing her young ones after she
E had had so much trouble to hatch them
q and she did all she could to prevent
+ them from leaving the nest; but as las
. as she could roll one back with her beaE
. the other two would be toddling OFT a
: their fastest speed, which SO DISCOURAGED
. the hen that she gave up the task afte'
= she had worked hard several hours
. clucking disconsolately as the ugly
> looking youngsters scrambled into thu
n water. ;,
= Sometimes Jimmie has two or three
. hundred of these odd chickens in hi:
. coop, all of which he has raised nIm sen
4 for during the summer there IS very
" g A. hut