The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-11
De DebiI in De Barth House.

The northern shore of Lake Pont-
chartrain was a quiet. delightful place,
where many of the New Orleans peo-
pie stayed during the summer months.
1t was conveniently near the city, and
had gently shelving beach, where the
little folks could wade in 4 hundred
yards or more before reaching deep wa
ter.
The bath houses with their APP
proaches had more appearances of long
legged worms than anything else, when
viewed from a distance, for they were
built out into the water on high piles
for length of three to four hundred
feet
Our black boy had promised ME at
breakfast, "Sartin, Massa Rct. when
Ise done clar up de dishes, If yo' naw'n
let me, We'll go ketch a basket oh
crabs.'
Nav" proved quite willing, for
guests were expected, AMI crab gumbo
was always an appreciated dish.
We had hardly reached The bath
house when we We're staTt,c and then
frightened clean out Of our wis by an
enraged below and a ,hunp, swish,
bang biff from within.
I'ropr ing basket and net we made
run for the house that needed 10 urg-
ing Jake was so scared that when the
colonel, who was watching us from tine
front veranda, hailed What you rum
ming at?" he could hardly gasp cut,
"Oh, Massa Ned! Oh, Massa Ned. De
debils broke loose Wonder in de bart,l
hourse:'
The colonel's remarks to Jake were
emphatic and accompanied by the in
struction, "Heah, yew! Get my rifle
| and powder horn and call some field
hands with axes, and be right smart
about it! You damned emery nigga!
Don't yew know the difference between
| alligator below and the devil?" ,Isf
Sure enough, an unusually large one
for this section had crawled up the bath
house steps from the lake, and while
| Investigating the small room nad
struck and closed the trap door, and
was held prisoner.
His believing and thrashing about
was his rage on hearing our footsteps
| that rang out on the little narrow pier.
| A knot hole in the side Of the bath
house soon gave the colonel an oppor-
| tunity of shooting the alligator in the
head, killing him.
This did not satisfy the negro boys,
for they declared "Nothin' on 'arth
would kill gator dead 'cept chopin
off his head and cuttin' him wide open"
Permission was given them, and soon
| the huge reptile was carved to their
| outspoken satisfaction.
| Ten or Is minutes later they were
| told to clear up the slaughter and throw
| the carcass into the water; the head
sank at once, and then followed one of
the most remarkable incidents of the
retention of muscular life that has ever
| been chronicled
The colonel had noticed that after the
carcass had been turned over on its
stomach. the bodv was at once raised
| and supported by the natural position
| and strength of the legs. as if alive.
Taking his cigar from his mouth, he
brought the burning end close to the
| headless part of the trunk, and the
| thing backed away.
This so startled us all that the hide
Gus thing was at once thrown into the
| water There 1t lay, spread out and
motionless, for a space of five minutes,
and as we watched. it began padding
| away in a slow, easy fashion until
deeper water was reached, when it sud
denly bent its stump downward, lived
out of sight and was gone.
By this time Jake's face was an ashen
gray, and looking up at the colonel he
walled out:
''Oh, Massa Ned, Oh, Massa Ned!
Dat warn't any no count gator! Dat
war de debil, suahi"