The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-02-20
ODDS AGAINST ALLIGATOR.
Gu, W..s So 81: 1t " Dead He Went
fl After I

in After L.
When | lived in Texas it was in
Atascosa county. about forty or fifty
mics southwest o: san Antonio de
BeEar. On a ranch where ! was cngag-
cd in cattle raising. Ono morning
some seven or eig:.t OF the nearest
ncjghbo"s, representing as many fam
lies whose rau2ncs were located
along the sane little stream. the Atlas
co5;l tie En- 3lish of which is Little
Muddy. met at t.le ranch OF Mr.
james French. who lived at the upper
end o. the settlement. near small
lake, o. rather large water hole in tire
bed OF said stream. says u writer III
the Philadelphia Times. This was
not 4 running stream all the year
round. but was formed Of small lakes
u few miles Or less apart, and the
water only ran from lake to lake dur
ing about three or four months OF the
late fail and winter seasons.
At the time that | write there was
no water in the creek except in these
lake, which WIS the home OF the
beautiful ana artistic alligator
We had ell brought our rifles witt:
Us hoping again to meet here for the
purpose Of going some twenty miles
out west 10 drive away or kill some
mustang horses hat Lad made their
appearance near the settlements among
the tame herds, it being very danger
Gus to have the wild mustangs anon,
them. us taey frequently injured the
tame ge,GiAgs xiii ng some of them.
and often cnticimg the whole herd with
them into Their range.
While VIC were sitting on the front
vcranda. chatting over the events OF
the past two d;ys. the prospects OF
crops, etc, Il negro woman who had
been Gown to the lake near the house
engaged in the family washing came
rushing toward tie house. screaming
'.AIligator. alligator" at the top of
her voice. The noise and frightened
appearance OF tie negroes attracted
the attention of the boy. AID Gus
Dur"nt', one OF the party. snatcled up
his rife and started for the lake, the
rest OF the putty following slowly after
Gus was en- uucrriny shot and we
!1ncw if h Got {, fair bead on the ga
.or's eye that he was sure OF his game
We kept back far enough not to
flush the game and give Gus a chance
TO take every ad antagc of position,
bat we hal got sufficiently close to see
the head ard shoulders Of the reptile
cut on the bank, the other half Of his
body still hanging in the water. Al
TIE crack OF the gun the alligator slid
back into the lake and sunk in about
ten feet deep Of water. OF course we
could not tell whether Gus had touched
him or not, whereupon some of the
boys began TO guy him and offered to
bet that he hadn't cen grazed the
hide. Now Gus had the utmost con-
tidence in his uneoualei marksman-
SHIP a2d WIS ready at al times to
U@ck lis Judgment whercupon TO the
surprise Of Is al, he cody accc ,,tcd
the challenge and offered to cover any
mans SO that he hal killed the alii-
gator. The wager was settled ana
Gus deliberately doGed his clothing
and plunged into the water.
It appeared astcrwarl that the ALI
gator was not inst tntly killed. and by
the nlerest accident Gus happened to
land right Oh the aliigator's back just
Is the reptile WAS il tho last throes OF
the death agony and had started to
the surface, and IN Q very few minutes
LANDED HIM SAFELY on shore going
Through his last shjver in the death
struggle III = few feet OF the water It
is stated by those who claim expe-
Renee in the habits OF the alligator
!
aud perhaps this accounts partly for
Gus good luck i'll getting out alive as
re al agreed that it was the most
.oo!hardy trick We ever knew Gus
Huraad TO be guilty Of.
Gus only reply to our remonstranccs
was: Il knowed DANCED well I'd get
his eye" rs he coolly pocketed the
Golden eagle.