The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-01-27

BILE signs Of life as We left the river and
crawled out amongst them that they had
to be "killed again as Letis said He
did not waste ammunition on them, but
killed them with his hunting knife. in
each case reaching across the animal, and
| back of the fore shoulder. The why -
of this method of procedure was so evil
dent that no questions nor explanations
| were needed. for the instant the alligator
felt the knife. he struck so savagely in
the direction from which he supposed the
blow to have come. with both head aud
side he would have received serious if not
fatal injury. Having thus etlt ctualis
quieted our companions in this our en-
forced lodging place, we seated ourselves
on one of the scaly bodies. and prepared
to pass the hours until day light as com
fortably as possible. The tobacco AID
matches Ill my water proof pouch proved
of inestimable value, aud in the glowing
bowls of our pipes we found q source OF
cheerfulness which even our wet gar
ments made colder and wetter by the
damp night breeze. could not extinguish
We also succeeded in relighting the bulls
eye lantern, which was very fortunate
for by its light we discovered and killed
number of venemous ater-moccasins
that invaded the tussocks. probably only
on speculative visits of inquiry, but pos
sibly with murderous intent. | am not
sure, however, that they were not attract
ed by the light, for in all my six months
experience of camp life in Florida have
never been troubIed by snakes, and doubt
very much if they will, unprovoked, at
tack q man. Our light also attracted
several alligators. whose curiosity was
repaid by bullets, and whose dead bodies
we obtained next day. Had it bot been
for the clouds of mosquitoes that envelop
ed us, our night with the gators would
have been comparatively comfortable.
but they drove us to the verge of insani
ry, and the FIRST streaks of dawn were
hailed with delight.
AS soon as it became Sufficiently light
FOR us to pick our way, we succeeded.
partly by wading and partly by swim
ming. i'll tegaining our camp, where ouI
thorough enjoyment oi dry clothes hot
coffee, and hearty breakfast almost
compensated for the discomiorts and
hangers Of the preceding hours. In III,
| canoe we repaired to the scene of our dis
.ster and found our enemy of the night
before floating on his back, his white
belly glisteniug i'll the sunlight, stone
lead. and still attached to the sunken
>kiif b. the line, of which one end VIZ
asst to the harpoon in his body and !i.
.ther to the bow of the boat. 1t seems
that when he made his final rush at u
Letils had fired a ball down the yawnirs
chasm OF his throat, and that in his deatl
agony the alligator had seized the side
the boat, aud torn it off from stem
stern. We dragged HIM up on the I,
,cks, and measured him. finding him to
de within An inch OF thirteen feet long
Although during that week we killed
one hundred and twenty alligators, IL
one of them equalled him in size. nor did
we have any serious trouble NTH an,
other during the hunt.
After eight days hard work We aban
| ioned our comfortable camp, and with
! heavily laden boats turned our faces mp
the river toward Fort Bassnger aud til,
civilization which lay beyond.