The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-10-14


 the nearest bank, When he reached there and was safely on shore he eN- claimed: Bud, I'm on dry land now, and I'll never get in that boat again I'd shoot you if you ever did that more'n onst!"
 It took us no little persuasion and more promises from Bud to get Pard- ner back into the boat, and for an hour after he wore a suspicious look on his face.
 When Pardner went overheard Bud turned around to watch the fun, which, of course, took the light away from the alligators, and they all disappeared.
 Well, boys" said Bud. we'll go up here little piece, and if I can hit one right I'll show you some queer antics.
 What he referred to then was queer little flap that fits closely over the alli- gators ear, which serves the necessary purpose of keeping out the water when he is swimming under water. It is simply little piece of tough skin at tached just above the ear and forming sort of close fitting lid. Bud intended to shoot off one of those flaps, and if he succeeded his 'aueer antics per AOiiiloIltO NOuIu DcSlI SiL oliSV" llC made three trials before he finally plucked the flap off one, and then the fun began. Every time the alligator went under water his ear would fill with it and up he would come. He would jump in the air first one way and then the other, then he seemed to rear back and turn the water ear downward. Then in a moment he would shake himself violently as if angered at himself and the world. Next he would jump high in the air and come down, but to jump the second time even higher than the first. This was repeated time and again until it became monotonous, and Bud suggest ed that they take the lasso and throw it over a big fellow and make him pull the boat
 This thought was hardly expressed before the two balls of fire were seen. and it proved to be big fellow that would answer the purpose admirably. Pardner handled the lasso as he had ridden the prairie for cattle until he was something of an expert in that line himself. He threw and missed at first, but when an alligator sees a bright light little thing like rope is not needed, so he threw it again, and this time caught him square over the nose, This tickled him, and he made jump only to find himself prisoner, bound by a strong rope. He jumped again, and this got the boat under motion, and from then on the propeli- ing power of the boat was an unseen force for several minutes. He swam up the river, then tried to turn quickly back again and almost capsized the skiff. Then as suddenly he changed his course back to the same direction, and on they went with the silent pro- peller. After he had pulled the boat a quarter of a mile, Bud said: 'Let him go, Pardner; we have made him work enough" Farther drew the rope ! in closer until the alligator's head was within two feet of his hand With | knife Farther whacked the rope off and away went the former captive. l T thought I heard somethin', boys, | up along yonder." There was pause.
 'Yes, there's some one on the bank. Let's go up there"
 | Pardner pulled up and in few min-
 utes a shout from Bud, Who's there?" brought the answer, Chris Franklin" | Chris is a bright mulatto who lives in Beaumont to this day. He owns his 1 own home and is of a sober, industrious | character.
 "Catchin' any, Chris ?' asked Bud. Yes, got 15 hides. They're all mid dlin' good. Slack up there a little please, got a big one right between us" answered Chris.
 | Chris had a peculiar way of catching alligators. He would take a strong line and put four big fish hooks in four directions with a piece of lead just be- hind them. The other end of the line 1 he would tie around his wrist and make coil of the line so he could throw | it. When he would come to an alligator 1 Che always walked up and down the 1 bank and never used his boaD, he | would throw the line so as to fall be- yond the alligator and the line itself would fall over his back. This did not i disturb his 'gatorship in the least, and all that was necessary was to draw | the line in and the hooks would catch | them. Chris had caught hundreds in | this manner, and such a thing as dan ger never entered his head in the pur- I suit of this, his vocation, yet the scene 1 that followed just after the boats ar rival almost cost Chris his life and made him careful ever after. He had I the big fellow between the boat and | himself, with the line already across | his back, and was just in the act of drawing it in when the boat approach ed. The next moment the hooks | caught the monster. He jumped into | the air and started off. Chris was | jerked into the stream, as he could not get the line from his wrist. Away went the alligator and likewise away went Chris. The water was deep, and only now and then could the little party in the boat see Chris head bob up from | below. He was taking long, fast dive | Quickly the boat was pulled toward him, and still the distance between it and Chris increased. Something must happen at once or else Chris would be
 drowned. He was almost gone, for the strain was terrible. He hardly had time when he came to the surface to catch his breath, and if things kept up l as they were there could be no other
 result. It seemed to the boys as if
 hours were passing, but in reality they
 were but a few seconds. Pardner was | 1i,,rr fN- oil 1,1