Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-08-20
A NEGRO'S ADVENTURE.
The Cause of His Wool Turning White al
Early Age.

or twelve miles northwest of Tallahas-
see there lives an old negro whom l
see and with whom | talk every time I
go hunting in that direction SAYS a
writer to the Globe-Democrat. At
least l have always supposed he was
aged, for though his wife is buxom
young woman, he is white haired,
though hale and hearty in appearance.
The last time | was out there | learned
that he was quite young-Only about
40. in fact and that his snowy locks
had a history. After urging | pre-
! vailed on him to tell me the story.
1t seems that during the war this
negro, Ben Aiken, had run off. and
while hiding out in the woods SUBJ
sisted as best he could on wild fruits.
some game. young corn, and an occa-
sional chicken, if he was so fortunate
! as to find one far enough away from a
/ plantation. One day he happened to
slip up on a haif-grown pig and, getting
close enough, knocked it over, and at
once stuck it with his knife and started
off with it to his improvised hut
While picking his way through the
/
mound to another, stepping on logs
! and stumps and cypress trees, he no.
ticed that one log he was just in the
act OF stepping on was not log at all.
! but quite a vicious looking alligator.
! He bad lived long enough among ga
( tors to feel no particular uneasinesS
over this one, though he also knew
that they are mean to have around.
Ben stepped back to the mound he
was on (Which was only about ten or
! twelve feet square) and concluded to
wait till the sluggish creature moved
on. But the gator" after awhile
aroused itself, and in company with
four or five others started toward Ben.
! The negro cOncl- ded to beat retreat,
when he found that his little island was
entirely surrounded by alligators, and
he then realized that they had been at
tracted by the shoat he was carrying,
which had left trail Of blood behind
him.
The darby was now thoroughly
! frightened. He saw the aligators
crowding around his little island; he
knew that at night they would come
up after him; he had no weapons ex-
! cept a knife and a club; he knew there
! was no chance Of anyone hearing his
cries, and it was now nearly shutdown.
A half-grOWn alligator came crawling
up toward him, and he Drained it with
club but it gave him no consolation,
for he knew that he could not keep
that up through the night There
] <sTo~ ~
mound which rose about five feet or
more, but he doubted his ability to get
| upon its smooth top, and, even if he
got there, he didn't think he could
keep his place there long. Besides
it was doubtful, even then, if he would
be out of reach of their Jaws Being
the only chance, however, he tried it,
and found that by close attention and
sitting in cramped position, he could
keep his place upon the stump.
Night came on and he became
| sleepy. He dare not close his eyes.
He did everything possible to keep
himself awake. Finally captivity it.
self would be a blessed relief COM
pared with this and he called long
and loud for help hour after hour He
knew il was of no USE but he kept it
up. At last the first gray streaks of
dawn were seen. and presently came
the day. His little mound was covered
with alligators, and the swamp seemed
alive with them. He tried to brighten
them away so that he could get down
and stretch his limbs, but they crawled
all around him, glazing up at him,
opening their horrid mouths for a
feast they knew was coming. The
| hot rays of the sun were becoming I'M
endurable even to him, a ''plantation
niger" for he had kept up his calling
! for help until his throat and mouth
seemed parched.
He had all this time kept the pig in
his arms, and, now. in slightly alter
ing his position, it dropped to the
! ground. At once an enormous alli-
gator from each side rushed toward it.
| 1t was the gauge OF battle, and gurg-
| ling threat from each was followed by
the onset. Never did any one witness
such combat. The enormous teeth
and powerful jaws crashing on mailed
side, back, and head; the final advant-
age gained by one in a grip under the
neck, and the fearful struggle of the
other; the terrible strokes Of each with
his long tail, and the resounding
echoes through the swamp-all, joined
with Ben's hoarse cry for hep made
din and commotion that almost deaf
ened Mr.. Aiken and his men, who
! now appeared upon the scene, A
crowd that had been out coon hunting
the night before had been frightened
| by Ben's cries, and reporting it at the
| house, Mr., Aiken concluded it must be
! his runaway hand, and so took crowd
Of men and started after him, and now
came upon the scene. The battle be-
tween the alligators was finished, and
! the cOnqueror was at once also killed.
The others were driven away. and
! Ben was taken off his perch, chatter
| ing gibbering idiot. A weeks rest re-
stored him to his normal condition,
/ however, except his kinky hair That
has always remained as white as the
| whitest bale of cotton on the planta-
+ ton.
| Mistaken on One Point.
| Matthew Arnold, next to Whistler,
h. iSt