The Dawson journal., 1886-04-29
TOOK LUNCH ON AN ALLIGATOR'S
BACK.
Mr.. Camdeh's Adventure With a Flor
iiss Alligator.

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Baltimore Herald
Senator Camden, of West VIZ
ginia, has just returned from a
brief soiourn in Florida, whittier
he went to seek relief from Sena-
torial overwork. He is chockful
of stories about the adventures he
lad in the land Of orange bios
SONS, Cone day." he said, IL
went out hunting alone. OF
course I'm not the man to brag
about my skill as a hunter, but,
between you and me, I'm no SLOUGH
with q gun. After killing a few
deer, one or two bears, so or 40
squirrels, and a dozen or SO wild
turkeys, 1 concluded to return to
the hotel. It was still early,- but
l was tired packing round my
load OF game! L was going along
the bank of a creek, and coming
across q friendly log I thought l
would sit down and rest. / laid
my rifle and game down by the
log and took a seat. I had q
lunch of cold chicken in my hav-
ersack. 1 had breakfasted at day
light and was pretty hungry. So
/ took out the chicken and began
to eat When L had finished my
repast [ took the pocket-knife I
had been using to cut the chicken
and drove the blade into the log,
intending to let it rest there until
[ could get out my pocket-hand-
kerchief and wipe my hands. But
great Scott! You ought to have
seen that log! It was the most
sensitive log l ever saw. When l
drove my knife into it, quicker
than lightning it bumped itself
like a bucking mule and gave me
a flap with its little end that sent
me sprawling about 80 feet away.
Blame my buttons if that log was
nota Florida alligator 2S feet
long, with tail like a cross-cut
saw and teeth as sharp and long
as tusks Of a. boar.
"When | scrambled to my feet
and looked at the log-I mean the
alligator there it was, standing
rampant OF its feet, with eyes
glaring and its teeth grinding
sayagely together. l dared not
run, for [ was told mover TO run
from an alligator, as he would be
sure to pursue and overtake me.
So [ stood transfixed to the spot.
What did the alligator do? Keep
ing his eye fixed steadily upon
me, he deliberately backed to
where my pile of game lay and
pitched in. First he ate up the
bears, then the deer. Smacking
his chops like regulation board
ing house hash-eater, he then
TUNED on the squirrels and wild
turkeys, and when he got. through
there wasn't a hair or feather to
be seen. I'll undertake to say
that no alligator ever before had
such rare banquet. How the
alligator held that food l don't
understand, but he did. When he
got through there wasn't q thing
left but my rifle, and he nosed
around that for several seconds as
If he intended to eat it, too.
What did he do then? Well, sir,
the alligator deliberately turned
his tail to the bank, and, keeping
his eye on me, backed to the edge.
Then, with snort and below,
he plunged tail foremost into the
water, got my rifle in the frac-
ton Of second, rushed to the
edge and looked down. ] was
painting for revenge, but I could
not see anything but q succession
Of waves impelling each other to-
ward the other shore. The alli-
gator was at the bottom of the
stream. | stayed there an hour
watching for him, but he was too
sharp to come to the surface. |
bet you he's got that knife of
mine sticking in him yet, for l
drove it in pretty deep. Gcu see
the alligator was sound asleep
when | was sitting ON him, but
sticking the knife into him woke
l..