Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1889-11-30
THE MARTINSBURG HERALD,
CLOSE WORK WITH 4 sAuRIAN.
Man and Alligator Sank Together. but the
Reptile Came Up Bound.

Man and Alligator Sank Together. but the
Reptile Came Up Bound.
The following are particulars of an
adventure Mr. Fl. Abbott, OF indigo
and racing fame. met with some years
ago:
II was in the rains, and we were up
at Tewarreh factory watts when the
iamadah told us that there was huge
alligator under the bridge of the river
Sending for gun and a couple OF
bullets, we went up to the bridge, and,
sure enough. about twenty yards of.
there was an enormous ''ghurial, =
some twenty feet long. with his head
just visible above the water. A well
directed shot caught him between the
eyes, and the brute, MORALLY wound
ed, plunged into deep water, rolled
over, and was carried by the tide
down toward the bungalow, which
was quarter of mile off Running
to the vat house, Abbott seized a long
rope lying there, and rapidly made
slip knot in it, and, declaring that he
was not going TO lose SO lovely skin,
kicked off his boots, and just as he
was-in socks, breeches and shirt
jumped into the river, giving me and
lot of natives the other end of the
rope to hold. He got well into the
middle OF the stream and was quietly
treading water while we were all
anxiously watching, when suddenly
within two feet of the swimmer the
alligator plunged straight up out of
the water snout foremost, as alliga-
tors generally do when hit in the
head Without the least hesitation
Abbott flung both arms right around
the snout, and a regular rough and
tumble ensued
Presently the brute's whole body ap-
peared. Abbott calmly mounted him,
evidently trying the while to olsen
gage the slip knot, which had got
tight round his own arm, and to shove
it over the brute's head. Then the al
ligator started swimming and we fol-
lowed down the bank, when, just as
we were opposite the bungalow, he
pulled dead up, brought his tail out of
the water, and with a fearful side
sweep capsized Abbott, swapping at
him as he fell. Then came another
fight such as never wish again to
see, the pair eventually disappearing
beneath the water We hauled away
at tho rope, thinking it was still at
tached to Abbott, when unexpectedly
we saw him come up few yards
from the bank, evidently almost
senseless. A Rajpoot peon jumped in
and dragged his master up the slope.
He was bleeding awfully and was
g"ewsome sight-shirt in ribbons,
arms and chest torn all over, both
hands badly MANNED, and the right
foot completely crushed. He came to
at once and only said: "The ropes
safe over his nose;" and so it was,
sure enough; for the natives to whom
had thrown the rope were busily en-
gagged in holding the defunct saurian
on shore
never saw a man in such mess;
and, to add to the horror, down to the
edge of the river, ;ast as we had drag
ged up her half killed husband, rush
ed his young wife, wringing her hands,
and naturally half out of her wits
with terror. While she was standing
over him, and the servants were car
rying him to the house, he started
singing, Home they brought her
warrior dead" A nice time of it we
had ont in jungle, with no appi-
ances TO tie the severed arteries, and
with patient who would insist in
trying to get out of bed to see how the
SHINING Of the alligator was getting
on. We tried to hire kahars, but the
whole country was under water, and
they refused to bulge from home; SO
we put him into shampony and took
him in 10 the doctor at Mozufferpore,
taking from 10 on Tuesday till z the
next morning to do the twenty miles.
Civil and Military Gazette.