Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-28


of one of the stores, discussing the
weather and sundry other topics OF
universal interest with the storekeeper and
select company of his neighbors, when lit
tie. clear-eyed man, in blood stained overalls,
joined the group.
"Hello MIR. Gator Man; your gun sound
ed mighty big last night. Where were you,
and how many did you gel? was the greet
ing he received from my new-found friends
who seemed to be on terms of the greatest
intimacy with this smiling man, whose bust
ness l soon learned, was the hunting of ALI
gators.
Why, l only got four last night, although
I killed one other small one which sank be-
fore l could get hold of it. l was hunting
Mud Lake, and there were only five gators
In it, though l expected to find more. To-
night l am going to do better, as that has
always been a famous place for alligators, and
l hear that it has not been hunted for four
or five years"
"YoCu look out if you go on to. Clearwater!
that lake. You killed one ten feet long in
there last time you hunted it, and one twelve
feet nine inches the time before, but l told
you then that that was not the big one, for
OF course. it may not be in Clearwater to-
night, for it may be off on a trip to the
marsh, or have gone. to the Boy Hole If
you could get your boat to Boy Hole you
could get no end of gators, for 1 counted fifty
some of them big ones. No use trying to
get boat on there, though, for you can't
get within hundred yards of open. water
without sinking to your neck in ooze."
And so the conversation turned to alli-
gators and alligator hunting, and 1 became
SO interested that gained the consent of the
hunter to go with him that night to watch
his method of killing the reptiles.
According to our arrangement, l was at
Clearwater Lake at shutdown, but it was
quite dark before the hunter put in an ap-
pearance. Sorry to have kept you wait
ing / met a friend up the road, and could
not shake him off for half an hour, for he
got to discussing the merits of new brand
of fertilizer he used on his orange trees last
fall. 1t is soon enough to go out, though,
for we can hunt this lake in two hours at
most"
Whilst speaking he was overhauling the
boat, and placing everything in readiness for
buckshot were thrust in the gun (he explain
ed that he had run short of rifle cartridges,
and SO was using his shotgun, though he pre-
ferred a .35-calbre automatic rife for this
work., and it was deposited in the bow of
the boat ready to hand. A huge shark-hook
dashed at the end of an eightfoot pole and
coil of light rope completed the furniture of
the boat, save for the oars, which 1 noticed
were set in front of the seat instead of be-
hind, as is the case when rowing and the
oar-locks were well muffed with cloth to pre-
vent noise.
All being satisfactory, the hunter turned
down his lantern, and set it, with dim light
burning, among the grass on shore, to act as
a guide back to the landing. From one of
the voluminous pockets of his hunting-coat he
then extracted bulls-eye lantern, which was
firmly fastened to the front of a round can
vas cap, and, after lighting it and placing it
upon his head. he commenced to sight his