Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-18
a NIGHT WITH ALLGGAroRs.
Alone tn q Des0lase Florida yunglG
with Buxxards and aaurian.

From the Jacksonville F1a.) Times Oct l.
did you ever hear an alligator below5- m
news editor asked the question II was O'Clock
In the morning, the last "copy" had gone nm
the tube. and number OF the Young men haA
dropped in for chat and smoke before seeking
their lodgings. The speaker leaned back IN hin
chair. gave mighty pull at his pipe sighed
with the genuine enjoyment Of relaxation. and
threw his ankles over a nelghboring chair back.
There is nothing like II on this earth. IL ID
the realization, or near IL. of the blood-curdling
roars of the monsters of fairyland that tortured
our youthful imaginations. / don't know how
better TO describe IL than by saying that Il is q
loud. prolonged dental below that shakes tho
ground like an earthquake, and at a distance
OF three miles il seems not 500 yards away"
You have heard them suppose" said the
marine reporter. Yes. L have heard them.
They are not heard often I'm the temperate re-
gions OF Northern Florida. but In the tropical
confines of Lakes Winder and Washington and
further yet, up i'm Bonnet Lake. near the Big
Cypress, the source OF the ST. Johns river
Above steamboat navigation" suggested q
smoker.
Yes, and beyond the tourists everlasting
rifle, the great bull alligator lives, flourishes-
and bellows"
Lets all GO up there" exclaimed the beard.
less Junior reporter
You would. NJ doubt, make an alligator
very agreeable company" said the police re-
porter.
Yes added the news editor. Every agree.
able-for the alligator. When our party was
over there from Indian river" he added signif.
cantly, I'VE lost our three most valuable pont-
ers."
II heard" retorted the discreet Junior re-
porter, getting through the door and nearly
closing 1t, II heard that your family were ali
wearing heavy mourning about that time" Then
he slammed the door and skipped. while the
news editor proceeded. "ln 1876 Walker Lund.
the elder. tried TO get OF his small steamers
up into Lake Washington He did make two or
three trips to Turtle Mound. place about halk
way between the two lakes (Winder and WASH
ington), but above that point the channel was
full OF floating mud islands and smartweed and
grass. We expected him up one Thursday night.
Several teams went over from Indian river lt
was ID miles from our settlement, and Billy
Mccullough and rode over on our marsh tack.
eys. We made camp on the mound. waited till
dark. but no steamer came. The mound is q
little hillock of perhaps 10 acres. covered with
dense jungle of palmettoes, sweet gum trees and
wild vines, standing out. a solitary clump in
the midst of the low, wet prairie through which
the river runs.
"A runaway British sailor named Harness.
was keeping little store on Lake Winder and
among other goods had barrel of pine-top
whisky. Some OF the boys got hungry for Q
drink and made up party to 90 down to Har-
ness, We had little red skif at the mound.
and one after another got In till only was left.
lney paddled away Into the dark went to Har-
ness, got drunk, came near being drowned and
did not return till nearly daylight i made my
bed and went to sleep-on the ground.
about o'clock the gators begin swimming
back up stream. They go in pairs and the
males co., as it were. to their mates. was
sleeping very peacefully. Suddenly something
convulsed me. / sat up. quaking i'm every Joint.
The fire was out, only red embers remaining.
The darkness i'm the dense moss-hung hammock
that covered the mound was profound. Buzz
yards roostng in the dark not far away were
breaking down occasionally dry limbs aud two
or three opossums We're sneakiBg around the dead
embers OF the fire. l sat and shivered. Suddenly
again, right at the foot of the mound not
twenty yards nom me. came that below
gods! | can't describe ia noise | had never
heard In my life before. Then another below
answered. L seemed to be surrounded by them.
My first thought was. panthers. but had heard
parthers enough. and concluded it was not they.
L got up and CROPPED my way to one OF the
wagons: my fife was gone; it had been taken
by one of the party Of whisky hunters without
my knowledge or consent. L got up I'm the
wagon and calmly waited my fate. Within
twenty minutes form as big as a whale was
paving around the fire. Then he beloved. I
saw by his movements that II was an alligator.
1t was not possible to see them but dozen at
least must have come up there. They made
away with everything they could find. Then I
shouted, L yelled. swofe and danced I'M the
wagon. L felt about for a wagon-stake but
there was none.
"Then through the stiffness Of the night I
heard. afar of. the prolonged tally-whoo of the
cowboy. The crowd was coming back, drunk.
I'll think it sobered them up bit when they
saw that camp"