Evening star., 1901-07-27

standing we'll elevated rifle In hand and
bulrs-eye lantern attached to his hat; the
ax-man seated in the center, with Crap
ping hook and ak, and the poler on a
beaver-tail platform in the stern, whence
he propelled the craft with a sixteen-foot
pole The boats We're mere huge dugouts
some twenty-odd feet long by four feet
wide and deep. Away we glided over tne
phosphorescent brine, leaving in our wake
a long trail of pale blue. With smooth,
steady propulsion we were driven through
the water, among the myriad tiny re
Elections the surface.
The huntsman spoke very little Spanish
the poler none at all; nor was there need
of it. Andres waved signal. and Slowly
and silently we swung to the left. WITH
my unskilled eyes l could see no indica-
tion of game On and on we glided-
slower and slower. OF a sudden the sharp
crack of the rifle, a giant struggle In the
water and the flying OF spray told me that n at
the victim was ours. 'Goncha! goncha!
cried Andres, as he dropped his gun and
sprang back to me. selling the graphing
hooks. The great brute was fairly under
the PROV, dealing us tremendous caudal
broadsides. With speed and dextertty
Guillermo swung the boat aside. Andres
grappled the dying monster through the
bony armature of the back, where the
wound would do the least injury to the
hide, and drew it alongside, where its death
struggle declined to mere culver He
then grabbed the reptile by the snout and
forepaw and with Guillermo's assistance
lifted its foreauarters over the cage OF the
boat to admit of my cutting the cervical
cord with the ak, which In the excitement
of my first experience l found such a dell
cate task that 1 was obliged to strike many
times before Andres cried "Bueno,' where
as one deft blow should have been suffi-
cient We then all three exerted ourselves
and landed our first catch, belly up, in the
bottom sof the "canoa." Curiously l ex-
amined my trophy in the dark. 1t meas
ured nearly an even nine feet, and midway
between the eyes and Immediately behind
them / felt the bullet wound which had
ended his life.
Very large, is it not?' remarked
mo, only ordinario," answered Andres.
Hal quidado (have care) senor, he
bites!'
Landing the Victim.
A quarter of a. hour or so and we had
our second victim landed with less struggle
than the first, it proving to be six-foot-
er. became disappointed at my inability
to see the gator before the shot; 30
crouched up close to Andres, whose eagle
eyes could detect the pair of sparkling
green orbs Of his victim at hundred
yards, while I could not differentiate te-
tween them and the less luminous specks
that covered the surface of the water at
that distance.
Look, senior; yonder is one," said he,
pointing straight ahead. We made slowly
for 1t for several minutes. Suddenly
Spled TWO little DdllS OF Ure moving across
our path. Evidently they belonged to a
wise beast, as it seemed somewhat sus-
picious of the binding light Of the bull s.
eye Guilermo was obliged to draw a
great arc in approaching it. Finally, hav:
ing got within a few yards, Andres took
what in his occupation is considered a
'long shot" And such 1t proved to be.
Immediately the gator began a terrific
splashing (from which l felt grateful that
we were at a safe distance). threw itself
completely in the air. writhing 10 fury
gave vent to a demoniac grunt and sank
] out of sight with a gurgle. Knowing that
( Ii had made for the mud Andres carefully
searched the bottom with the hooks. and
after diligent exploration brought it to the
| surface with mortal wound in the head
| No sooner did the monster feel the air
Guillermo was thrown overheard and
was sent sprawling the bottom with
| the Shiny remains of our two victims
| "Hai quildado, senor!' cried Andres tC