St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-08-13

Flop of the Monster Almost
esting Tale.
When | was youth in my teens my
father owned large plantation near
Red river in Arkansas. This was cut
in two by beautiful lake which flowed
through it and emptied in the river
The lake was deep and wide, as the
river "backwatered" in it during an
overflow.
This lake was the finest fishing and
hunting grounds or resort in the whole
country, its waters being filled with
white perch, bass, speckled trout and
many species of fish. while its marshy
swamps and rugged banks were full of
game.
Here, also, was the home of immense
alligators, and their peculiar cry or bel
low could be heard several miles away.
They are very sensible creatures. though
I cunning and ferocious. and even show
some reasoning powers. For Instance,
i'll those days the negroes were yet
slaves. and were not allowed to carry
firearms, so the alligatorS found out that
they had nothing to fear from a negro,
but the sight OF white man with gun
would cause them to sink their ugly
forms in the water. | have seen a crowd
of negroes surround one of these mon
SterS with rails, clubs and irons, and he
did not mind them In the least; in fact,
rather seemed to enjoy the sport, as he
dived from their missiles, coming up at
unexpected places, and making sudden
sallies at first one and then another, his
malicious little eyes seeming to twinkle
with fun. says writer in the st. Louis
Republic.
The coIored people had their wash
place on the banks Of the lake, and very
often one of the little darkies would
come running breathiesSly to the house,
shouting.
'Marse Joe, nanny sent me fer yer
ter KEN dOun dar quick. A great big
ole alligator dun Swum up ter der bank,
an won't let 'er git emmy watah fer TIL
wash de clos"
The alligator, however, was keeping
a sharp lookout. and when he saw rein
forcements coming quickly swan away.
Aliigators seem TO have peculiar an
tipathy for cOlOred people and dogs,
which is returned by these i'll like
manner. The bravest dog will crouch
ence, and yet it was dog that turned
the tide of battle in my favor, and saved
me from the iron jaws of one of these
formidable creatures.
To give you an idea of my adventure
with an alligator L will have to describe
some of their haunts and habits. The
female is more ferociouS and aggressive
than the male, especially when her eggs
are in process of incubation. For her
nest she selects low, marShy spot on
the bank of lake or river, screened by
reeds, ruSheS and the huge umbrella
like leaves of the yOncapen, OR Amer
can lotoS. Here she builds up a circu-
lar wall OF mud, which soon hardenS Ill
the sun, and deposits therein her eggs,
ranging in number from go to $50. She
turks around the place while her eggs
are Matching, and woe to the luckiesS
one who chances upon her while she
keeps her tirelesS vigil She has to
guard her nest from the male alligator.
who would destroy the eggs or dev0ur
the young.
The eggs are dirty white, not owl
form, but long, and little larger in Cir
conference than hens egg. When
the pyramid of eggs has been Matched
by the sun, the ugly, Squirming little
reptiles, which seem all mead, look, in
deed, like nest of vipers.
One bright moonlight night, after
supper, l called Jake, colOred boy,
anu told him to bling Watch, and we'd
go coon hunting. Watch was part
bloodhound and the spunkiest dog [
ever saw. Jake had picked him up,
woebegone waif, looking so disreputa-
bic that | always felt desire to
''chunk" him when he came around
ME. But | soon found out that he could
whip all the dogs in the neighbor-
hood. and then | was eager to
own him. | offered to ''sWap" Jake all
my marbles and to throw in d certain
blue 'taw," which he suptrstitiously
affirmed gave NE such superior luck.
but Jake refused my offer. felt that L
must have the dog; and SO, though it
wrenched me sore, L offered him my
"sleek quarter" which | had kept for
luck money. This brought" Jake, and
Watch changed owners.
He was a very dignified dog, and
when we started on our hunt, though L
knew he was delighted in his heart, he
disdained to show it by even the slight
est triSk of his tail.
We took our way toward the lake,
where red hawS, grapes, muScadineS
and pawpaws grew i'll rank profusion,
and offered tempting bait for 'coonS.
Watch dashed away through the dewy
bushes, and presently we heard him
barking on the bank of the lake.
Jake had an AK and | an old army
musket. We both ran in tue direction
of the dog, who WIS now barking quick
and eXcitedly.
dat don't SCUM lax Watch done
freed anything, MarSe Joe; SCUM lax he
meut be fouten' somefen'," said Jake.
1t seemed so to me, but | thought
m 1yhQ u ,annn had M,
tree and offered fight, as they sometimes
do. So, quickening our pace, we hur-
ried on, to be i'll at the death.
1t was low, marShy spot, under the
shelving bank of the lake, Overhung by
canopy of wild grapeYineS, which
shook their spicy fragrance on the
night; tall rushes and canes grew
around, and were SwayIng to and fro as
the fight ragged among them. Jake ran
ahead OF me crashing through the bush,
Jumping logs and halloeing to Watch.
He ran dcwu the bank, which sloped
pretty abruptly, when suddenly l heard
scream of fright. and here he came.
hatlesS and GREATNESS, with eyes dis
tended.
''LOr' gorra mighty. MarSe Joel Days
a alligator neStY down dar, wild bushel
er algS in it, an dat ole fool Watch is a
fouten wild de nanny. KEN down dar
an kill her fore she eat our daug up"
L ran up the steep bank and looked
down Oil the combatantS. The air was
impregnated with the peculiar, musky
Odor which alligatOrs always ditfuSe.
There, leading from the water. was the
huge trails she had worn in the muddy
soil as she travelled from the water to
her nest, which was hidden behind a
huge clump of paimeJtoeS, and which,
indeed. seemed to hold bushei OF
eggs.
The trail of her body looked like
where large barrel had been dragged
along, and on either side, fully three
feet apart, were the prints of her feet,
something like an immense hand.
Watch held his ground bravely. keep
ing well out of reach of the murderous
tail and the cruel. swapping jaws. She
had him nemmed up against the bank,
while she lay between him and her
nest. She would make sudden snaps at
him, and her teeth clicked together like