Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1895-01-19
HUNTING THE ALLIGATOR.
A Narrow Escape from a Hardy Old Gus
toner,

A Narrow Escape from a Hardy Old Gus
TONER,
Two years ago, during orange-paek-
ing time. not wishing to spare one OF
the MEN from work To go to town every
isv for mail. / made n small cypress
boat not more than ten feet long. IL
was 50 light and easy going that |
could cover the distance of one mile in
nine minutes. After ! had the boat
finished | painted it red-"a strong,
1 bright red" rs the Dutchman SAID.
lust as | was starting to town one day
DR. Whitfield. of Grand Rapids 5. d.,
who was seeking health by hunting
gators. told me that u whopping big
alligator had recently made "A bed in
the weeds on Shaw'S grove near an old
wharf,
Hes a whopper," said the doctor,
'and You watch out and report
When | approached the place went
about forty feet from the shore. ! soon
saw the monster, an ug%ly.looking fell
low. lie was about four feetabove the
water. partly hidden in weeds. no.
ticed n slight motion as | passed, so |
concluded to return, in hopes OF seeing
him slide into the water, us they usu-
ally do, and thus secure his dimensions.
But | was greatly surprised to see the
monster rise and plunge in the water
like a mar taking a header, 1t was an
unusual performance. | had heard Of
such a thing, but in my ten years resi-
dence on the lake this was the first
plunge | ever really saw. This, to-
gether with his immense size, warned
me that | had encountered a danger
Gus enemy.
He struck the water about twenty
five feet from the boat. As he passed
under it, | felt and heard his rough
scale-like hide rub on the keel. |
thought my time had come; all the
blood in my body rushed to my heart
and it beat against my ribs as though
il would come out. He came up about
twenty-five feet ON the other
side, and turned toward the boat.
He churned the water with his
tail. ! knew he was mad and that he
was determined to get atme, He came
toward the boat with his jaws open at
such speed that if he had struck it it
would have gone to pieces. Death, a
horrible death, was staring me in the
face and no help at hand. There were
some people on the opposite shore
watching the battle, but they had no
1oat. and it they had, could not reach
ne in time to be Of any service.
| realized that | must keep cool if |
would win the fight. As he came
lear the boat | pulled on my off oar
With all my might, This swung the
'oat around so we passed each other
ide by side. He was going at such
peed that he went fifteen or twenty
eet before he turned, and then he had
o make a large circle, lashing the
into a foam. tried to get away
him, but he was between the boat
nd the shore. and it would be folly to
ush toward the middle of the lake.
lie was disappointed, mad, furious,
came for the canoe with renewed
igor. !
| began pulling on my off oar, and
other oar slipped from its lock and I
i'd into the lake. There was no time
} be lost in trying to recover it, for in |
mother instant the battle would be !
'st or won, man or gator. Quick as
ghtning | raised the remaining oar '
nd brought it down with all my pow
:, aiming for his eyes, 1t fell short of e
lie mark, but struck him on the end of a
lie nose. lie spurted blood and hest /
tied. That was fatal to him, for the
instant | struck him across the T
yes. He stopped and commenced sink I
g, and another blow sent him ont of
ght, =,
The spot was watched for some days, y,
Id at last he was found summing him -
If in his old bed, when he was shot. :.
g measured fourteen feet and was "
ought to be eighty years old. The p
alligator hunters said that he at
cked the boat because it was red V,
,nver Republican. W