The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-03-22

/ b. - Noo Uoy DClOiC L IACu u yOuuE MOI
i carrying a fine Winchester and a gam,
bag.
Thinks I, This may be John-so II
throw ont feeler.'
Good morning." said |.
''How re you - came back from The
young man.
: Il am on the look for Mr.. John Witty,
said |, land his father told me he was or
the lake. You seem to haye been hunting
on the lake yourself, and may have seer
him. Can you give me any information
concerning his whereabouts -
I'm the Teller you re looking for he
said.
then told him who was. and that
was anxious to kill an alligator that
was told he could assist me, etc., etc.
He replied that the day was rather al
eff day with the reptiles | was in quest of
and that the weather icing windy on ''our'
side they were not out, but that possibly
the next day would be good one.
He was on his way to dinner, and in
yited me to accompany him back. AS We
went we talked. and | soon managed to
get on the good side OF John. Before we
reached the house he asked, Are you par
ticular as to the SIZE of the gaiter you
kill -
\ OF in the least, y said /, for as | in
tend to tell I've killed one when | get
home whether kill him or not, you see
it will be a small matter to add Or 10 feet
TO the size of one if really XII Il him.
That amused John nightly and proved
to him (if he needed further proof that L
was Il true hunter, and 30 he said, eve II
put a head ona few this evening, sure. y
So after we'd dined we set out and
reached Johns boat about O'Clock, and
having pushed off John took The oars and
padded around the eastern margin of the
lake. We had not gone "a hundred yards
before We saw a couple Of large gariisli,
one of which had the good fortune to
shoot and which measured T.! feet. His
skin hangs on our porch aud is of great in
terest TO our visitors.
We soon came to APPOINT That my friend
said was II CATERS den and playing
ground. There WAS a narrow path leading
through the dense tropical growth at the
edge Of the water, and for a hundred feet
seemed to have been pulled cut by the
roots and disposed OF. Mr. Witty said that
the path led to where he OH alligator had
made her nest last season and deposited
piled up in the lagoon. After laying the
eggs, was told, she had returned to the
water and destroyed all the grass and
weeds that grew in the space above al
luded to. thus making clear place for the
little ones to play in. She had evidently
counted the chicks before they were
hatched.' y
Well we pushed across the play ground
into the weeds beyond, and after telling
me to get my Winchester ready. John rose
in the boat. and placing his hand to his
face, palm inwards. so tnat the heart o the
hand covered his mouth, and his nose came
out between the index and the middle
digits. he began to initiate the call of a
young sgaiter.H He had not done this ten
seconds before he stopped and pointed out
the heads OF fifteen little fellows that had
been quietly poked up while he called
They were all around the boat, the farth-
est one not twenty feet | banged away
five times and at each shot killed one. AS
no use could be made Of tlitm-they being
too small, we tired of this fun, and went
ashore, where after skinnIrg the gar.fsh,
we hunted water turkeys awhile, and at )
p. N. returned to Ocoee.
The man who goes to Fl rid, on a hunt
ing and fishing expedition AMI fails to get
with my friend John Witty viii losr more
fun than you can shake Il stick III, Not
even in odd Virginia, wl,-lr It"l., are
noted the world over for lle l,u ,.l,ality,
can you find a more hospilab!r couple than
Mr.. Witty and his wife II ,ry way
possible they contributed 10 my comfort,
and when was on theeve o leaving their
cosy home, | found that they had kindly
remembered Mrs. Rover AID had got to
gether the most extensive and valuable col
lection of tropical plants and flowers for
her and Of which she is unspeakably
proud,
And that dinner on may choose the
hobby Ponce de Leon if you will, but give
me Il dinner prepared by good Mrs. Witty.
The Ponce de l.. may have its bill of fare,
but when you sit at Mrs WHY'S table
you get the fare itself. No French OF
German OF Italian pastry cook can come
within a stones cast OF the delicious or
ange custard. compounded by mine host ess
lis simply incompatible. ROVER