The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

Texas girl, is the heroine OF the little
~ town of Tunis. on the Bayou Sarah.
an arm of the Brazos She made
herself famous few days ago by killing
two monster alligators that had entered
her mothers cottage during the night.
Few men would have been capable of
performing the feat that this brave girl
accomplished The house occupied by
Mrs. walston stands within twenty feet
of large irrigating ditch. across which
there is a small foot bridge. The yard
gate opens at this little bridge and a wire
fence extends some twenty feet either
way along the bank of the ditch and then
turns at n sharp right angle and joins the
corners of the house. This makes small
front yard which has but one gate.
1t is supposed that the two monster ALI
gators were prowling along the irrigating
ditch In search of food when they en-
countered the foot bridge and in crossing
over 1t they may have pushed the little
gate open. Miss Savannah Walston was
sleeping on a cot on the little porch In
front of the open door of her mothers
ROOM and a little negro boy years OF age
was lying under a china tree In the yard.
Mrs. Waston, who was sick at the time,
occupied bed In the parlor of the cot
tage. and her little baby was lying in a
cradle within easy reach of her hand.
She says that she heard the alligators for
some, moments before she called her
daughter The moon was shining almost
as bright as day, and when Miss Savannah
was aroused by her mother she raised up
on her cot and put one of her hands on
the head of one of the monsters. At that
instant little dog that had ran out OF
Mrs. Walston's room was snapped be-
tween the jaws of another alligator at the
young girls side.
In her fright she sprang over one of the
monsters In order to reach her mothers
bed. Both of the alligators pursued her
across the floor and one of them turned
the cradle over The little baby fell out
on the carpet. Miss Savannah had reached
the bed In safety, but when she heard the
cries OF her baby sister she sprang back
on the carpet and rescued the child al
most from the jaws of one of the saul
rians.
Mother and daughter were now stand
Ing up on the bed but they were NOT sure
that they occupied a position beyond the
reach of their hungry assailants The
noise awoke the little negro. and the wo-
men saw him running toward them
They shouted to him warning him OF the
danger and telling him to run outside OF
the yard. Evidently he did not know
what was the trouble, for he ran toward
the bed, stumbling over one Of the aIliga-
tors and falling with his head right in the
mouth OF the other.
The women were helpless to defend the
dnfuThhf&te hitft African 1ife monster
crushed the little negra's head between
It's paws, and the women could plainly see
the child's blood streaming over the car
pet
ITO add 10 the terror of the scene" says
Mrs. Waiston 1.-THE other alligator seized
the little neero's legs and they tore the
childs body to fragments before our eyes
We did not know what TO DO. At one mo-
ment we thought Of springlng out on the
floor and trying 10 escape and run 60 the
house OF a neighbor."
While The women were hcsitating in
their fright a curious thing happened. On
the previous day Mrs. Wslston had or
dered q large mirror which she had sat
on the nOor against one of the walls Of
the parlor, The male alligator caught the
reflection of his own image in this glass
and with a furious below he plunged az
II and shivered the costly mirror TO frag-
ments. This seemed TO enrage the crea-
ture and he began 60 behuw and run
about over the house. overtuFning every
thing that came in hts wav Miss sa-
vannah says that she threw pitchers,
wash bowls glass tumblers. and boxes Of
matches into the monsters open mouth
and ne would crush and seailow such
things IL they were delicscies that
,iekied his palate.
While the smaller OF the two creatures
was overiurnlug the stove and destroying
the kitchen furniture the other remained
In the parlor terrorizlnE the two women.
He would doubtless finally have succeeded
in overturning the bed II Mss Savannah
had not adopted plan % battle which
put an end to the existence Of the two
tsrrors. Her brothers gun was hanging
against the wall on the opposite side OF
the room. She determined to take ad-
vantage OF the first opportunity and get
hold OF the weapon Her mother tried
to dissusde her from such desperate
venture. but the moment that the big
saurian left the room she sprang out on
the carpet and ran after the gun The
alligator heard her steps and he pursued
her 10 the bed. swapping his hideous jaws
and making a noise that would have para
lyzed a less courageous girl
Miss Savannah says that she had never
shot a gun before in her ufe but she
had often seen her brother handle rife
and she had some knowledge Of the way /
the liner was worked In order to load and /
eject the shells from the barrel, Her I
heart bounded for Joy when she found the
magazine OF the gun fun OF cartridges.
Aiming well at one eye Of the big bull I
she fred and had the satisfaction OF see
- hsm cayQIs about over the carpet as 1