The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1892-05-20
ODDS AGAINST tbs ALLIGATOR.
Gus Was So sure n Was Dead That ue
Went Into the Water After IL.


Gus Was So Sure n Was Dead That ue
Went Into the Water After IL.
When | lived in Texas. il was in Atlas
cosa county, about forty or fifty miles
southwest Of San Antonio de I}exar. on
ranch. whn~e ! was engaged in catt lie rails
ing One morning some seven or eight of
the nearest neighbors. representing a.
many families whose ranches were located
R:1ng the same little stream the AL;lscosa,
the English of which is Little Muddy"
met at the ranch of Mr. james French.
who lived at the upper end of the settle
ment, near IA small lake, or, rather. large
water hole in he bed of said stream.
This was not running stream all the
year round hut WAS formed of small
lakes OF few miles or less apart, and the
water only ran from lake 10 lake during
about three or four months OF the late fall
and winter seasons AT the time that
write there was no water in the creek ex-
cept in these lakes which was the home Of
the beautiful and artistic alligator
We had all brought our rifles with us
hoping to meet here for the purpose of
going some twenty miles ont west to
drive away or kill some mustang horses
that had made their appearance near the
settlements among the tame herds, it being
among them. as they frequently injured
the tame Geldings, killing some OF them
and often enticing the whole herd with
them into their range.
While we were sitting on the front YER
anda, chatting over the events of the past
two days, the prospects of crops. etc, a
negro woman who had been down ut the
lake near the house engaged in the family
washing, came rushing toward the house,
screaming. alligator alligator at the
top of her voice The noise and frightened
appearance of the negress attracted the at
tention of the boys, and Gus Durand. one
of the party; snatched up his rifle and
started for the lake, the rest of the party
following slowly after Gus WAS an un-
erring shot, and we knew that if he got a
fair bead on the gators eye that he was
sure of his game.
We kept back far enough not to flush
the game and give GINS II chance TO take
every advantage of position, but we had
gotten sufficiently close to see Mt least the
head and shoulders of the reptile out on
the bank, the other half of the body still
hanging in the water. Al the crack of the
gun the alligator slid back into the lake
and sank in about ten feet depth of water.
OF course we could not tell whether Gus
| nau bOucueO MIN or uOLs WueFeupOn SOHle
of the boys began to guy him and Offering
to bet that lie hadn't even graZed the hide.
| Now Gus had the utmost confidence in his
uneqaled craftsmanship and was ready at
| all times To back his judgment, whereupon,
to the surprise of us all, he cOolly accepted
the challenge and offered 10 cover any
mans ten dollars that he had killed the
alligator
The wager was settled and Gus deiiber
ately dotted his clothing and plunged into
the water ltappeared afterward that the
alligator was not Instantly killed and 10y
the merest accident Gus happened to lant
right on the alligators back just RS th'
reptile was in the last throes of the deatf
agony and mad started to the surface, ant
in IA very few seconds landed him safely OF
shore, going through his last shiver in tin
death struggle in few feet of the water
1t is stated by those who claim experience
in the habits of the alligator that they al
ways come TO land to die, and perhaps thi
accounts partly for Gus good luck in get
ting out alive, ns we all agreed that it wa
the most foolhardy trick we ever knew Gu
Durand to be guilty of.
Gus only reply to our remonstrance
was, IL knowed DANCED we'll I'D get hi
eye" as he coolly pocketed the COLDER
agle.-Philadelphia Times