Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-11-27
m FLORIDA WATERS.
rnRiII.ixa riomr BETWEEN A MAN
AND A vERoci0us ALLIGATOR.


"Two years ago." says . writer In the
New York Press, "during orange-pack-
Ing time, not wishing To spare one Of the
men from work TO 20 On town every day
for mall. ! made q ANAL cypress boat,
not more than ten feet long. IL WAS %
light and easy-golng that could cover
the distance of one mile In nine minutes.
After had the boat flashed I painted u
red, = strong, bright red, ~ the Dutch.
man said.
"One day went about forty feet from
the shore. ] soou saw an ugly-lookink
fellow about four feet above the water,
partly hidden by weeds. ] noticed q
slight motion as I passed, ca tconcluded
10 return, In hopes Of seeing HIN slide
Into the water, as they usually do, aud
thu, secure his dimensions. Hut ! was
greatly surprised tn eco the monster rice
aud plunge Into the water like man
taking q header. 10 WAS an unusual per-
form,nce. had heard ~ such q thing,
but In my ten yesrs' residence on the
lake this was the first plunge that ] ever
really saw. THE, together With hls im.
mense slse, warned me that had en-
countered = dangerous enemy.
"lle struck the water about twenty.
five feet from the boat, and a. he passed
under u felt and heard hi. rough scale.
like hide rub on the keel of the boat.
Instantly I thought ms time had come
all the blood In my body rushed to my
heart and Il beat against my ribs a.
though u would come out. IL he should
cspsire the boat I would have never
lived 10 write this episode. lie came az
about twenty-five feet on the other site
aud turned toward the boat. lie churn'
ell the water With his t.il until the Lake
looked like lIutiermilk falls. ! knes
he VAS msd aud that he WAS determined
"a get nj me. lle csme wards the bo,,
with his jaws vide open nj such specs
that u he had struck II u would have
gone Ia pic,~s. Death, . horrible death
MAS staring me In the f,c., and NO hell
1t hand. There we're some people ot
the opposit. shore watching the battle
but they had no boat, and u they had
they could not have reached me In time
to be- of any service.
~ realized that must keep cool u
would win the light. suddenly became
q. strong as lion, my Jaws set and teeth
1
the boat pulled on my on oar With 81
my might. This swung the boat srount
so We passed each other I'll. by eide
lie MAS going al such .pcci that be went
fifteen or twenty feet before be- turned
aud then he had Ia max. q large circle
lashlng the water lnto q foam. tri.s
To get away from him, hut he VAS be
tween the boat aud th. shore aud I
would b. folly to push toward the NIL
die 81 the lake. lie was disappointed
mad, furious, aud came for the can''
With renewed ,lgor. ! must either HI
or L. killed.
II again pulled on my OF oar, an'
what made the situation more desperate
the other oar slipped from its lock an'
.lid Into the lake. There was no time Il
be- lo.t In trying Ia recover IL, Tor In an
other instant the hattie would D. lost ~
Won. msn or gator. Quick as lishinln,
I raised the remaining oar aud brousI
II down ~i,,i all INV power. aiming 81
hi. eyes. u fell short of the mark, bu
struck him on ia. end ~ the no.e. III
.purtei blood aud hc.itsiei. That va
fatal To him, for the next Instant strucl
him acro.. the eyes. lie stopped aD'
ccmmenccd .lpking, and another bios
sent him out ~ sight.
"The spot va. watched for some day
aud at last be was found summing hiu,
.slf Ia hi. old bed, when he MAS sho,
lie measured IL feet and VAS thought q
IL III year. old. The old alligaio
hunter. say that he attacked the boa
because II was red, .o Tor future safet!
I painted I,ed Rover white"