The morning call., 1892-09-20
AN ALLIGATOR STORY.
a Couple Of Men Slaughter Nearly Two
Hundred OF the Brutes.

q COupiS wen AVN
Hundred OF the Brutes.
Bushnell (Fla.l Cor n. Y. Recorder
Jack Cornell, who owns fine farm just
outside this village. got terrible fright on
a recent morning while walking about his
property; but be would be willing to have
one Just like it every day in the week, for 1t
netted him over $500, even though>he had
to ''divy."
Jack had almost reached his line fence.
following the eattle-path across the prairie.
when he suddenly heard a low growing, or
believing, like the n oise made by alligators.
BE pricked UP his ears and looked nerv-
ously from side TO side as he took
the next half dozen steps forward At that
moment be found himself at the tail end of
what appeared TO be mammoth drove OF
gators, which were moving slowly across
the prairie in o northerly direction. Some
of those nearest him were fully ten feet
long and very ferocIous looking. The
drove lay right across his path. and he
could not pick his way forward among
them without danger OF being attacked.
He was disarmed-didn't have so much as a
cane in his hand-so be decided TO turn
back and get help. Before be started, how
ever, he studied out the reason for this
peculiar performance on the part Of the
allgators.
Just south Of the path were several
''prarie poDds"-shallOw sheets OF muddy
water. some Of them several acres In area.
and generally connected with one another
by narrow, sluggish streams. But when
COnnell looked in this direction he saw that
these ponds were completely dry, the re-
suit Of four months drought. The ALI
gators had been obliged to leave them, and
were navigating nortbward, where water
could be found in abundance. The only
strange thing about ii was that so many
should have started al once, for the drove
appeared to number nearly 200. They were
stretched out over the prairie in lue
about a quarter OF a mile long, and ap-
peared to have leaders In front and guides
of the line in the rear. The smaller ones
were In the center.
1t required only second on Jacks part
to take In the situation, for he Is an old
gator hunter. having turned many an
honest dollar by the sale of the saurians'
skins just before he turned back he picked
up half burnt pine knot and flung IL into
the middle of the drove.
Such believing as followed! The great
hungry beasts opened wide their jaws and
fairly baIked. Nearly all of them turned
squarely about to learn the cause Of the
intrusion. and Jack took to his heels.
He went straight to the home Of Jim
Knight, about a mile off. Jim was getting
ready for church. for 1t was Sunday morn
Ing;
sand sermons" was the way that Jack
made break at his neighb)r Come with
me and bring both your rifles"
Jim objected. 1t was Sunday. He didn't
like to go hunting. But" pleaded Jack.
"the thing amt likely to happen again I'm q
thousand years" So Knight took off his
Sunday clothes and jumped into his old
weekday rig.
The two men, In addition to their rifles
and plenty OF ammunition, armed them
selves with heavy clubs. When Jim saw
the novel spectacle he drawled out, wal, l
would ha' kicked myself clean to Kissimee
IL I'd a missed this thing. It's a picnic,
Jack"
The pair started into the slaughter with
their clubs. dispatching some OF the smaller
gators at single blow The larger ones
showed fight, and then the rifles had TO be
brought into play. The hunters had the
advantage. They were quick of foot and
could easily get out Of the way when one
OF the monsters turned on them. Both
men are expert shots with a rife, too.
When they took aim at a gators eye
they rarely missed 1t at the first shot.
For over an hour they kept up the stahbing
and shooting. and when they counted their
dead on the field Of battle there were 17S Of
them. In size they were from thirteen
inches to eleven feet four inches in length.
The skinniDg process took nearly week,
the carcasses being burned as fast as the
hides were stripped off carefully. These
skins will bring over $500 In Jacksonville
| just as they are. Tanned and dressed they
VIII be worth nearly S2000