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

at my teet in short order; then the hunter
shot another, which sank right away in water
which was too deep for the gaf to reach bot.
toni Another and still another were added
10 the boats load, and we had worked round
70 near our landing, when the boat turned
sharply In shore, and doubled back amongst
sne grasses, to reach a gator. whose eye had
peen hidden from US by mud bank until we
glance, This gator was shot, but not killed
instantly, as the others had been, but made q
Wild rush to open water, where it dashed
around few seconds, three feet of tail raised
up IN the air, then it sank, head first.
mo use to go out and look for that one:
it is dead enough, but will not float until to-
morrow night. That winds up the business
on Clearwater, for we have killed every ga
tor in the lake except the wild one that we
chased, and it is no use trying for that one
again, unless we wait till just before day
break, when it is possible that it might let
us get close enough to shoot. The big gator
they talked about in town is evidently not
Whilst speaking he had run the boat ashore
at our landing, stepped out and was casting
his light over the wide waters of the lake.
with the head-lamp turned up to its brightest
light; long way of l could see the two
The five dead carcasses were thrown out of the
boat and. with a caution to keep perfectly
quiet, the lantern on shore, and also the head.
lamp, were extinguished. Then the hunter
Of pig, though quite different. For ten or
fifteen minutes this continued, during which
time the mosquitoes nearly demolished me;
then the head-lamp was again lighted, and
closer in answer to the hunters call, and its
eye now glowed ABOUT forty or fifty yards
away.
Better let me 60 alone for this is grown
one, and not little pup like we have been
killing. Come if you want, but, remember,
have !. gwen you the chance to step out. There
But / was out to see the sport, so would
not back out, and, with grunt, the hunter
pushed the boat of and turned it around.
very carefully and in perfect silence, the
boat moved towards the two red balls. which
as far apart as had been the case with the
other gators. Presently we were twelve or
fifteen feet away, and / momentarily expected
to see. the hunter. take up the gun, but, in
Looking intently, could see the reptiles head,
or, more correctly, could dimly define the out
line Of the snout knob, which was fully two
feet in advance Of the. brilliant eye. Then
the boat backed off, and we went ashore, the
gator sinking as we moved away.
"That is the largest gator have ever seen,
and must be nearly, if not quite, sixteen feet
in length" said the hunter. "Had had NV
rifle | could have killed it without much
danger, but ! would not risk it with the shot
don't know what he will do. Even il he aid
not attack you, he would lash around with his
tail, and one blow from that would knock
boat into kindling wood. In fact, one has
to be . little careful when handling anything
bring one into the boat Of that size, until
was perfectly sure that he was quite dead.
keep that coil of rope on purpose for when
get big gator, or have any that do not
like to risk-in the boat. and tow them back"