The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1888-05-03
BATTLE WITH AN ALLIaAToR,
Terrible Experience or q Mother While
Rescuing Her Baby Girl.


(st. Louis Globe. Democrat
A family named Lambert, living on
Lake Charlie Apopka, or Tsala Lake, as
it 10 called, reported q very thrilling ex-
perience at their place the other dsy.
The house is built about 200 yards from
the lake and is on o slight elevation, the
land In front sloping down gradually to
the waters edge. At the left, off some
little distance, is an immense saw-grass
pond.
Last Saturday afternoon Mrs. Lambert
who was in the back part of the house,
was attracted by the screams of her little
two-year old girl and her frantic cries of
"Mamma! Mammal" Snatching up an
AK from the woodpile, she flew to the
waters edge, and as she rounded the
palmetto patch sight burst upon her
that nearly drove her crazy. On the
edge of the bank, with its body half in
the water, was huge alligator, its fore
paws outstretched, raising it from the
ground, while it's tail lashed the water
into foam. Just in front of it and cling
ing to palmetto root with it's tiny
hands for dear life, was the little girl,
her dress being held in the Jaws of the
alligator, who was slowly dragging the
child to terrible doom.
The peril of her baby vanished all fear
from Mrs. Lambert, and she rushed up
and struck the saurian over the head
with the AK, and seizing the child with
both hands, tried the pull her away.
Ihe sharp blade cut into the alligator's
eye, and, mad with the pain, he opened
his jaws and half spaung at the woman.
!hls left the child free, and they both
fell backward. The alligator advanced
as fast as it could and Mrs. Lambert
attempted to rise and escape. Her dress
caught on root and before she could
get up and free herself the alligator
made snap at her and missed, catching
hold Of her dress instead. Finding that
1t had secured something, it commenced
backing toward the water, dragging the
prostrate woman, who now fully realized
her peril, and filled the air with her cries
Tor help. She frantically clutched at the
roots as she was dragged over them, but
her dress was of stout material, and the
gators strength soon overcame her
feeble resistance.
Suddenly, with heavy sinking of
the heart, she felt that her foot was in
the water and that, if no help came. she
was doomed to terrible death. The
horror gave her strength for moment
and she made another frantic effort to free
herself from being drawn into the water.
Suddenly her hands, which were nerv-
ously clutching at any and everything
that seemed to promise support, passed
aver the OK handle. With the swiftness
of thought and with superhuman energy
she seized the helve and scrambled up,
how she cannot say. She managed to
deal the gator heavy blow with the
blade. With rare good fortune it struck
his other eye and crushed into the head.
The maddened and wounded animal
opened his jaw with roar of pain and
rage, and Mrs. Lambert's dress slipped
off Its huge teeth. Scrambling up she
seized her baby girl and fled wildly tc
the house, and fell on the porch in q
dead faint. Her husband, on returning
home at night found her there uncon
scious, with the child patting her mothers
cheeks and trying to arouse her. She
Is now slowly recovering from her fever