The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-04
THE ALLIGATOR AND HIS WAYS.
A Fight that Decides Nothing-The Place
Where the Alligator Is at Home.

A Fight that Decides Nothing-The Place
Where the Alligator Is at Home.
Washington Special.
The interesting squabble which took place
day or two ago at the Smithsonian Institution,
between the monster lizard from Arizona and the
two year-old alligator from-probablv-Flor
must not be accepted as an evidence that the
lizard is superior slugger among reptiles. An
alligator at two years of age is a mere baby. and
an alligator on dry land at any age is the most
helpless of beasts. They are often caught in the
sugar fields in southern Louisiana, crossing from
one bayou or lagoon to another and then the
pickaninnies and the yellow dogs have pic
mic" The alligators weapon of defense is his
tail, and this he cannot effectively except in
the water Had that lizard seized well grown
alligator by tue paw in some pond or stream
with depth enough to admit of his evolutons.
the latter would simply have held his paw high
out of the water. and then with his tail joted
that lizard SO hard to loosen every tooth in
his head. OF course baby alligator dry
land could do nothing The fight therefore means
nothing
The alligator is in his best form for fighting
about March April, in the mating s-ason
There Is a dark lagoon In the great Atchafalaya
basin or swamp, in Southern Louisiana. cheer
fully designated as Deadmans bayon. 1t is
narrow and sluggish and black, always overhune
by the fnnereal Expresses. which mournfuy
wave their ghostly plumes of Spanish moss. No
one lives upon its fat and oozing banks or with
in miles OF its grueseme neighborheod; but dur
ing the first months OF that tropical spring the
aliigators swarm in Dea1man's bayou. and at
night they drag their dripping black lengths
upon some fallen trunk or projecting cypress
''knee," close to the shore and then devote the
darkDess to a believing more hideous and wful
han any noise have ever heard.
There NAV have been murh in the circnm-
stances under which / first heard this, for /
passed through Deadman's bayou on a parficu-
arly forbidding night. / was in a ricketty little
"pirOgue" with only companion. We were
both rowing, standing up in the 'Cadien fashion,
facing in the direction travelled, and each
handling pair of ten-foot oars fixed to long out
riGgers. 1t Is a good way to row where great
distances are to be traversed Or rough waters to
be encountered. One cannot exert ali his
strength. but he can maintain much longer
effort with less fatigue than in the ordinary yav
Of rowing; and it Is no uncommon thing in that
amphbious region. where all the travelling is
done in progues, for men TO cover sixty
enty miles in single dav. averaging six mics
an hour while under Roadway.
1t is to be supposed that the occasion
referred TO. We got from fral bark its best
results ia the way of speed. The opening be-
tween the trees above rs left narrow streak of
dull gray down the black bosom of the bayou,
and by this we could dlmly guide ourselves A
faint breeze stirred the presses, and I'D
hear the spectral pendants of winter smltten
moss swayiHg furtvely TO and fro. Along the
SQUAT banks the paimettoa rus'led softly. and it
WAS 10 this scene that the bell wing of innrmer-
able algators PLAYED tempestuous accom-
panment No doubt | shall be believed when
| say that felt relieved when something like
a shadowy doorway opened Suddenly in front of
us and we shot out into the wide waters of Lake
Palouard.
This is the season, the swampers and lum-
defmen saw, when the alligator 10 quarrelsome
and dangerous, and | rather think the Arizona
lizard wonld enjov Int brief if he
happened 10 against a "bull7 in Deadman's
bayou some lowering March or April night.