The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-26

lead, when suddenly he came TO the sur
face where log was floating and upon
which he caught. Something had broken
and Chris was still alive. When the boat
reached him both his arms were thrown
over the log and he was completely ex-
hausted. He was taken on shore and
rolled unit. the water was forced out of
him, and he gradually regained his
strength. This ended the most dangerous
episode in the nights fun, and when they
LETT Chris he swore he would never tie the
line to his wrist again and he didn't
The small hours had rolled around by
the time Chris was brought to, and all
hands were as wide awake as If the night
had Just begun, caused from the thrilling
scenes they had just passed through but
Sud noisiiy suggested, IT'S chewin' time.
boys; let's get out and have coffee and
snack. They climbed on the bank, and
Whl4e Bud was making fire to make cof-
Zee Pardner began rustling to find gator
nests.
He found one, and this is how it looked:
MOI Iar from the waters edge, on the
sandy bank, appeared a lot of rubbish
and sticks built in mound-like shane
some eighteen inches high and about two
1eet around. To a careless observer this
pie would not have been noticed, but un-
derneath H. in haphazard heap, lay six
ty-one of as pretty alligator eggs as
We're ever found. If unmolested the eggs
will hatch without any assistance other
than the rays of the sun, and the little
alllgators will crawl off into the stream
where the old mother is generally in
waiting. Alligators have never been
known as anything but the greatest of
towards around grown people, but Will
attack children and dogs. There is one
exception to this, hOweverSthe mother of
one of these nests. She will fight to the
last if you attack or in any way modest
her.
Boys" said Bud this night is almost
gone, but l believe there is one more bit
of fun left yet, and l for one want to
have 1t. I've had a pretty good time to-
night, and am glad l took this rest. But
let's nave one more story to tell them
when we get home. Down there about
quarter of a mile stays a gator what we
hunters calls Blinky, and he is a whop-
per, too. He's only got one eye, because
the hunters shot the other one out. Ev-
cry man on the river has been after him
except one, and want to take him home"
They agreed, of course, and slowly pull
ed down to the spot that Bud had desig-
mated. Now you two get on the bank,
because I've got to work fast when
start. Is my grab hook here? Yes, l
see 1t. Pull into that cove, and you can
see it ALL" The two stepped out and Bud
arranged his light and made everything
ready. He drifted around in the shallow
water, for they were now some distance
from where they started in the deep water
below. This went on for several minutes,
when the single ball of fire rose slowly
and shone out with peculiar luster. The
fire hall may have been no larger than
the others, but it appeared so, possibly
because it was by itself. Bud crept upon
Blinky in the usual way, but in order to
fool the monster he placed the light at the
head of the boat instead of on his own
head. In this way he hoped to get him
closer-and he did. Presently the fire ball
was just under the edge of the boat, and
then Bud took a deliberate aim not four
feet from him. They were under the
limbs of a big tree and he had trouble in
getting the aim on account of the fitting
shadows of the moon through the
branches.
At last the sight was on the vital spot
The report rang, out. Splash went the
water, and one end of the boat went in
the air and struck the limb above. When
the scene was somewhat cleared the boat
was found turned completely upside down,
and there stood Bud up to his neck in
water and swearing like the proverbial
sailer. Come in here. pardner, and help
me get these skillets and things What
you stand there like an IDIOT for laughin
your sides to pieces? This is not laugh |
in school What do you mean? Come
on here, or I'll put you where Blinky is.
No, 1 won't, for my guns gone. Quit |
laughin', l say. and come on here"
During all this time pardner and the boy |
were making the woods ring with their |
laughter. Finally they both waded in |
and turned the boat over, bailed her out, |
and began searching the bottom for the |
gun skillets, hatchets and the like After /
all these had been found their thoughts /
turned to Blinky, and a thorough search |
was made for him. They waded the place
over and over again. Pardner declared |
that Bud had not killed him, while the /
latter sWore by all that lived that Blinky |
was no more alive that that boat The
search was being made while the moon
was behind a cloud, and when it shone
out again the boy on the bank saw some
thing wriggling in the tree.
There's Blinky," he said, and sure
enough, it was.
the water level when he made the terrific
lunge that capsized the boat. The first
thing Bud did was to climb the tree with
his Ratchet and chop him just behind his
rear legs on the back. That sewers tho
cord that makes the slap of an alliga-
tors tail so dangerous.
The boat was pulled right under him
and Bud disodged him. They took him
on the bank. but before doing SO they
stretched him full length of the boat
which was sixteen feet long. Blinky COW
cred the space except few inches, show
ing that he was more than fifteen feet
long. They skinned him and sailed down
the hide Some bullets were found in him.
An alligator is a rare thing in the Neches
river nowadays, but when Bud Morgan
was a gator hunter they were thick and
the night that trio hunted 'just for fun"
was regarded by him as a fair sample of
alligator hunting on the Neches fifteen
years ago.