Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-08-21

ly plunged forward at bruin. Other
gators joined in, and the poor animal
was beset on all sides. Sitting on its
launches, with the blood flowing from
gaping wound i'll its hind leg, the bear
snapped, clawed and bit at his savage
antagonists, but they were too many for
him.
Another seized one of its legs in its
powerful jaws, and with a strong effort
drew the bear off into deeper water.
Others dashed at him from all sides,
swapping at him from every point. The
water splashed high and was churned
into snowy whiteness by the furious eff
, forts of the fighters, save where the red
blood told the tale. But few moments
longer did the unequal struggle last.
Bruin strove to regain his feet, but the
cruel jaws of the reptiles closed on his
legs, sides and wherever hold could be
secured, and with one mighty, agonizing
roar the bear disappeared, while the fu-
rious struggle continued under water
for several seconds
| The girls had gazed on the fight spell
bound, but now they were rudely
aroused to their own peril. The dog had
parked loudly during the savage fight
going on SO near, and the gators who
missed bear meat seemed to be after
dogs flesh. The canoe rocked, almost
overturning, and the startled girls saw a
monstrous pair of open jaws right at the
side of their small craft. Josie pushed
! her rifle barrel in the gators mouth and
| pulled the trigger, sending bullet where
it evidently didn't agree, judging from
the reptiles sudden sinking and thrash
ing about.
A moment later huge tail came fly
ing over the bow of the boat, and strik-
ing the dog, who stood there barking,
knocked him into the water. A big pair
of wide open jaws was just about to
close on the tempting morsel when Will
da stopped down, and catching the dogs
forepaws by a sudden effort drew him
into the boat, the saurian's jaws closing
with a snap that indicated great disap-
pointment. The dog covered down in
the bottom of the boat, while the girls
attended to the other gators, who seemed
| to manifest an inclination to get into the
canoe. Several shots were fired at the
| reptiles, but their taste of blood had
| made them fearless
! A scream from Josie aroused Vida,
who was striving to pole the boat ashore.
Turning around she saw her sister half
| drawn ont of fine canoe a. hir 1nonStp1
gator having seized her DRESS Josie
was beating the gator over the nose
with her rifle with one hand, while with
the other she endeavored to hold herself
in the boat. Without a moments hest
tation Vida raised the long pole she
was using, and posing it a moment
threw it at the gators head. By rare
good fortune it struck him in the eye
and penetrated to the brain. With y
loud below the reptile sank.
For the next few minutes the brave
girls had all they could do--one firing at
the saurians as they approached too
closely, while the other, using the breech
of her gun as paddle, urged the canoe
to shore. AS it touched the sand both
leaped out and ran up the bank. None
toosoon either, for big, pursuing gator,
in its desperation at losing its prey,
threw itself forward, crushing in the
sides of the boat The girls concluded
that they had had enough hunting for
that day and returned home by another
route. Million.