The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-11-21
RAzORBACKs AND GATORS.
A Fioridian Tells How Ills Hogs Killed a
Saurian.

/! Saurian.
The fame Of the fine porkers raised
in this section is only equaled by the
equally weli-known fact that some Of
the biggest and fercest alligators in
the State inhabit the bayous aud mo-
rasses aTound this place, says Kis-
aammee, Fl. Letter letter &c :.Als :.Als !...!!ssaa..== !A...!!saa..==
Daily News. The owners Of porkers
know by sad experience that alligators
like fat hogs, but they begrudge fatten-
ing alligators on such food.
E. 8. Murtens, who lives four miles
west Of here. has bad considerable ex-
perience in such losses, and the FIRST
question he is asked when he comes
to town is; "Well, how many hogs
have you lost this week, Fred?" Us
ually he has tale of woe to tell: hut
| on his visit this week he had differ
ent story.
When asked about it today he
laughed little and saia .ha. he Eel.
so good that he didn't begrudge the
few hogs already lost, as he had so
much fun Watching big fight between
two alligators and some Of his fierce
"razorbaoks" that he felt almost
even. Murtens, besides his fine bred
hogs, has some regular Florida razor
backs that lived in the pine fat
woods .ud are seldom seen by him.
"It was hot fight and no mistake"
said he with smile, at the rseolleo-
tion. cit occurred last Sunday. I
was out at Snake river collecting some
Of the young Berkshire pigs that had
strayed that way. In the afternoon I
| suddenly heard squealing and below
ing off to one side and / knew at once
that some gators were getting in their
work. l ran up with all haste; but
before getting into sight Of the creek
where it cams from, I heard another
sound, kind Of fierce snarIing and
snorting, like, that I couldn't place.
Suddenly coming out on little
clearing where it shelved off down to
the water, [ saw a most exciting CON
test going on. Two big gators had
seized young yearling pig and we're
drawing it into the water. Fiercely
engaging them we're three big razor
| backs. These latter looked SO fierce
that I was glad that they we're not
| after me. Their hair stood on end on
their backs, and their eyes cleaned
with rage. They gnashed their big
tusks till the foam frothed out in
bloody stream. Two Of them had
charged the gator that held she pig
while the other was fighting his COM
panion.
"One Of the razorbacks charged at
the head Of the gator that had the
pig, while the other sweryed to Que
side and plunged his bloody tusks into
the gators side, where the soft skin
is. The saurian beloved loudly as lie
felt the hlow, end releasing the pig
swung his tail around with resound-
ing whack, like huge fail, and tried
to hit his assailant. The nimble hog
danced back out of reach CT this dan
gerous weapon, and as the tail went
back darted forward and gave the huge
sauriaa another bloody cash along his
unprotected side. His mate at the
same time ran ut the gators mouth,
and give him most vicious cash in
the throat as the gator raised his
head, exposing this vulnerable part.
The gator roared with rage and pain
and whlrled round and round trying to
hit his antagonist; but to no purpose.
For ten minutes this fight went on,
till finally the boars ran in and gave
the finish by ripping up the old gator
along his stomach turning him upon
his back, almost by the violence Of the
blow. The dying gator tried to crawl
back into the creek, but was unable
to move. He died in a short time.
In the meantime the other boar
was having hard time aud needed
help. He had missed his aim after
giving his antagonist several bad
wounds, and the gator BY quick
movement had seized him by the hind
legs and was trying to drag him into
the water. This the boar resisted
with all his strength, squealing shrilly
and ripping up the gator whenever he
got chance. Slowly the gator drag
ged him along until he was almost ON
the brink Of the water. The old boar
suddenly uttered another kind Of cry.
Eis companions hearing it--an appeal
for help, it seemed to me-left their
dying prey and rushed to the aid of
the imperilei hog. They sso1sely at