Thomas County cat., 1890-03-06

our way at SNAIL pace across the river.
When about halfway over a faint yell
was heard, coming apparently from up
the narrow stream which emptied into
the river just atore, coming from the
depths OF the swamp.
! Old Joe began to get excited, and went
i to work with vim. pulling on the rope
which spanned the steam.
What does that noise mean?' asked
| Denton, as another yell, louder than be-
/ fore, came floating down to us.
Dat? Wy dat jes means dat dem mig
/ gas cot gator, an a big one at dat!"
AN alligator? You don't mean that
there are any slligators in that swamp"
Dat dus, honey. Dey's lots gators
bout here, an dey's def on pigs and dogs
an little niggas. Wy ony las Sat'd'y q
big gator jis scooped up an swallered
two nv the ole woman's pigs. An ole
Jake Tonsing los a fine caf yest'dy
mawnin rite up dar. pointing to small
cabin about 200 yards above.
All of us caught the excitement, and it
wasn't many minutes before We were
ashore at the mouth of the little river.
Old Uncle Joe tied up his scow and we
fastened our horses to the trees. knowing
We could not use them in the swamp. A
walk of about 400 yards over the morass
brought US to an open space where the
| creek widened and deepened into a small
lake. Here We found about dozen men
and boys surrounding tremendous alli-
| gator, which was doing his level best to
| get back to the water and to snap up some
of the more venturesome darkies. He
was fully 100 feet away, however. and the
crowd had surrounded him with long
poles and axes. Whenever an opportunity
| presented itself one or the other would
1 NIT Y,<Noo
while two or three who had axes we're
trying to get in q blow at his head, but
with poor success. However. they kept
the saurian from getting away while one
old fellow was trying to slip moose over
his head. The old darky had the rope
hung over the end of a long pole with
which he tried to slip it over the allisator's
neck, but the old reptile was too smart,
with all his apparent awkwariness, and
he kept his long snout from being caught
by swinging it out of the way or Swapping
at the rope.
| Just as We came up, little darky
about IA or Is years old got within reach
of the alligator's tail. That useful Or
gan few around and struck the boy Just
below the small of the back and knocked
him twenty feet away. landing him in q
big bunch of swamp grass. The boy was
the son of an old fellow who had been
standing in front of the gator, looking
for an opportunity to fire load of shot
out of an old musket into the animals
eyes. Infuriated at his hopefuIs mis-
hap. and perhaps thinking that he was
badly hurt, the old darky banged away
For all the damage he did the alligator,
he may as we'll have fired at sheet Of
boiler iron. The shot glanced Off the
alligator's hide and frescoed three or
four of the darkies, and then pande-
monium broke loose. They forgot all
about the gator, and went for that old
darky. If it hadn't been for the new ar
rivals the animal would have got away
doubtless, and the old musketeer would
have got threshing. but we called them
| off, and went more Systematically to work
| to capture the saurian.
While one stood on each side, poking
| their poles at his eyes whenever he tried
to turn Or back away, old Joe took the
rope and pole and soon had the moose
| over his head. Then, with yell of sat-
isfaction, the darkies all got hold of the
heavy rope and pulled it taut.
One end was turned about a tree, and
as fast as foot was gained the slack was
taken up, until after half hours ard
labor the alligator's nose was pulled close
up to the tree.
During the entire time taken UP in
landing the gator safely the air wa in
terlarded with interjections and ejacula-
tions of hatred from the darkies who had
suffered to appease his ravenous appe-
tite:
"Swallered my yaller pup las week,
did yo', you 'fernal scoun'el?'
"Chawed up ole Gabe's caf, um!
humphi Cess We dun creatin' 'sturbance
in dis yer nabOrhOOd?"
Il dun spec yOuse same ole gator
what got Cato Smif's boy las summer.
Won't have no more good times master
catin' little niggas, you ole debbil!"
The alligator made last struggle to
escape. He snapped his great jaws With
their rows of long, sharp teeth, thrashed
his long, dangerous tail about, but it was
useless; the negroes soon put an end to
his career with an ak. After he was
killed they drew him up and skinned him
and knocked out his teeth. The fat was
taken away to be tried into oil, and the
rest of the carcass left for the buzzards,
having scented their prey from afar.
On the way back to the boat, accom-
panied by the crew of gator hunters, we
learned how they had trapped the alli-
gator. The saurian is extremely fond of
dogs, which they often follow into the
fields for quite a distance in hopes,
doubtless, of capturing some unlucky
canine. For some weeks past We lea ned
an alligator had been creating havoc
among the pigs and calves of the negroes
along the edge of the swamp and they
had determined to capture or kill il. |
knowing its weakness they had tied a
half-grown pup to small tree about 200 |
yards from the river early that morning, |
and while one of their number stool on |
watch for the first appearance of their
victim the rest Of the crowd retired to the
shade, and, negro like. stretched them
selves out for nap. 1t was afternoon,
just before We arrived at the river Ink,
when the boy on watch reported the res
ence Of the gator. The negroes waited
until he was within few feet of the cry
ing and bowling pup before they broke
cover. Whether they would have sue
ceeded in killing their enemy wi Tout
help is question of serious doubt to my
mind. However, when they did finally
succeed in killing him they were the most
delighted lot of darkies 1 had seen in
many days.