Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-03-14

Ihat settled It, and we WerR soon making
our way at q snslls pace across the river.
When about halfway over faint yell
was heard, coming apparently from up
the narrow stream which emptied into
the river just abOves COming from the
depths Of the swamp.
Old Joe began to get excited, and went
TO work with VIM pulling on the rope
which spanned the stream
What does that noise mean?" asked
Denton, as another yell, Louder than be-
fore, came floating down to US.
@Dat2 Wy dat Jes means dat dem Mig
gas cot a gator, an big one at DAFT"
IAN slligator2 You don't mean that
there are any alligatOrs in that swamp"
Dat 1 duss honey. Dey's lots gators
bout here, an dey's def on pigs and dogs
an little nlggass Wy On'y las Satd'Y
big gator jis scOOped up an sWauered
two nv the ole wOman's pigs. An ole
Jake IORslng los line CAT yestdy
mawnin rite up dar. y pointing to a small
cabin about 200 yards above.
All Of Us caught tbs 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 WiGened and deepened into small
/ lake. Here we found about q dozen men
] ~
! gator, which was doing his level best to
/ get back to the water and to snap up some
! OF the more YenturesOme Oark1es, 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
hit him over the nose with his long pole,
while two or three who had axes we're
trying to get in a blow at his head, but
with poor success. However. they kept
the saurian from getting away while one
old fellow was trying to slip a 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 alligators
neck, but the old reptile was too smart,
with all his apparent aWkWaTIness, 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, a 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 bow lust
below the small Of the back and knocked
him twenty feet away, landing him in a
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 a load of shot
out of an old muskst into the animal s
eyes. Infatuated at his hopefUIs mis-
hap, and perhaps thinking that he was
/
For all the damage he did the alligator,
he may as we'll have fired at a sheet OF
bOiler-irOn. The shot glanced off the
alligRtOr's hide and fIescOed three OF
four Of the darkies, and then pande-
mOnium broke loose. They forgot all
about the gator, and went for that old
darby. 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
OF, and went more systematically to work
to capture the sauFian.
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 tree, and
as fast as foot was gained the slack was
taken up, until after a half-hOurs ard
labor the alligator nose was pulled close
up to the tree.
During the entire time taken up in
landing the gator safely the air was In
terlarded with interjectiOns and elacuia-
tiOns Of hatred from the darkies who had
suffered to appeage his ravenous appe-
tite:
-swallered my yaller pup las week
did yo', you 'fernal scOun'el?"
ChaWed up ole Gabe's cat, I'm
humph! Cess ye dun creatin' 'sturbance
in dis yer nabOrhOOd?"
Il dun spec yOuse same ole gait or
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 a last strugge 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
h I-F-1-
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,
which were already sailing overhead,
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 ALL
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 unIucky
canine. For some weeks past we lea ned
an alligator had been creating havoc
! among the pigs and calves of the negroes
had determined to capture or kill 10.
/ Knowing its weakness they had tied a
half grown pup to a small tree about 200
/ yards from the river early that morning,
and while one of their number stood 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 a nap. it was afternoon,
Just before we arrived at the river b.nk,
when the boy on watch reported the Ires-
ence of the gator The negroes waited
until he was within a 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 a question of serious doubt to my
mind However, when they did finally
succeed in killing him they were the most
delighted lot of darkies L had seen in
many days.
Understood the Family.