The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
A Night With Alligators.

t'DId you ever hear an alligator bel
low?" The news editor of the Jackson
vile (Florida) Times asked the ques-
ton. 1t was one clock in the morning,
the last ''copy" had gone up the tube.
and number of the young men had
dropped in for chat and a smoke be-
fore seeking their lodgings. The speaker
leaned back in his chair, gave mighty
pull at his pipe, sighed with the genuine
enjoyment of relaxation, and threw his
ankles over neighboring chair-back.
''There is nothing like it on this earth.
1t is the realization, or near it, Of the
blood-curdling roars of the monsters of
fairyland that tortured our youthful
imaginations. I don't know how better
to describe it than by saying that it is
loud, prolonged, dental below, that
shakes the ground like an earthquake,
and at distance of three miles it seems
not five hundred yards away
''Gou have heard them, I supposeM
ss-:d the marir e reporter.
Yes, have heard them. They are
not heard often in the temperate re-, ions
of northern Florida, but in the tropical
confines of Lakes Winder and Washing
ton, and farther yet, up in Bonnet Lake,
near the Big Cypress, the source of the
st. Johns River
''Above steamboat navigation?" sug-
gested a smoker.
''Yes; and beyond the tourists ever
lasting rife the great bull alligator lives,
fiourishes-and bellows"
Lets all go up there" exclaimed
the beardless junior reporter.
''You would. no doubt, make an alli-
gator cry agreeable company" said
the police reporter.
YES" added the news editor, Every
agreeable-for the alligator. When our
party was over there from Indian Riv-
err" he added, significantly, 1--WE lost
our three most valuable pointers"
Il heard,' retorted the discreet junior
reporter, getting through the door and
nearly closing it, Il heard that your
family were all wearing heavy mourn
ing about that time"
Then he slammed the door and skip
ped, while the news editor proceeded:
''In 1876 Walker Lund, the elder, tried
to get one of his small steamers up into
Lake Washington. He did make two
or three trips to Turtle Mound, place
about halfway between the two lakes
(Winder and Washington), but above
that point the channel was full of float
ing nud islands and smarsweed and
grass. We expected him up one Thurs
day night. Several teams went over
from Indian River-it was fifteen miles
from our settlement-and Billy McCul-
lOugh and l rode over on our marsh
tackeys. We made camp on the mound,
waited till dark, but no steamer came.
The mound is little hillock Of perhaps
ten acres, covered with dense Jungle
OF palmettos, sweet gum trees, and wild
vines, standing out h 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 a barrel of pinetOp whisky. Some
OF the boys got hungry for a drink,
and made up party to go down to
Harness'S, We had little red skiff at
the mound, and one after another got
in till only was left. They padded
away into the dark, went to Harness's
got drunk, came near being drowned,
and did not return till nearly daylight
l made my bed and went to sleep-on
the ground.
''About one o'clock the gators began
swimming back up stream. They 20 in
pairs, and the males 'coo,' as it were,
to their mates. l was sleeping very
peacefully. Suddenly something con-
vulsed me. l sat up, quaking in every
joint. The fire was out, only red embers
remaining. The darkness in the dense
moss-hung hammock that covered the
mound was profound. Buzzards roost-
ing in the dark not far away were
breaking down occasional dry limbs,
and two or three opossums were sneak
ing around the dead embers of the fire.
sat and shiVered. Suddenly again.
right at the foot of the mound, not
twenty yards from me, came that bel
low-gods! l can't describe ia noise
l had never heard in my life before.
Then another below answered. 1 seen-
ed to be surrounded by them. My first
thought was panthers, but had heard
panthers eno1gh. and concluded it was
not they. L got up and CROPPED my way
to one of the WI rous; nv rifle was gcne;
il had been taken ty ene Of the party
of whisky hunters without my knoWl-
edge or consent.
Il got up in the wagon and calmly
waited my fate. Within twenty minutes
a form as big as whale was paving
around the fire. Then he beloved. I
saw by his movements that it was an
alligator. 1t was not possible to see
them, but a dozen at least must have
come up there. They made away with
every thing they could find. Then I
shouted, l yelled, swore and danced in
the wagon. felt about for wagon
stake. but there was none.
''Then through the stiffness of the
night heard, afar off, the prolonged
tally-whoo of the cowboy. The crowd
was coming back drunk.
Il think it sobered them up bit
when they saw that camp"