Year: 1874

A correspondent of the New Orleans
Weekly Times writes an account of an
adventure of two gentlemen who recent


ly had occasion to cross in canoe the
small lake which lies between Bavous


Terrebone and Black, about four miles
north of the town of Houma. Know


ing of an alligator's nest, situated upon
! a floating island near the border of the


lake, one of the gentlemen conceived
the idea of exploring it for eggs. and no


sooner was the proposition broaehed,


than they decided to carry it into exc


cution.


Approaching the spot with caution.


and deeming the coast clear, one of our


heroes-FergusoB, we viii call him


disembarked to despo1 the nest, while


his cOmpanion-Jones, for instance


mounted guard in the canoe to give the


alarm should danger threaten. Just as


Ferguson had discovered eggs. ana was


about to appropriate them, q terrible


roaring and splashing Of water but


few yards distant, filed his heart with


terror, and glance toward the disturb


ance confirmed his fear that the croeo-


die had discovered the raid upon her
lncipient progeny, and was bearing


swiftly down upon the invaders of her
habitation, bent upon immediate and
dire revenge.


A retreat to the canoe being cut off
by flank movement of the infuriated
monster, Ferguson bent all his energies
to the task of reaching one of the few
trees on the island q short distance
away, and by sUperhuman exertion sue
ceeded Just in time to escape the
yawning jaws of his pursuing enemy.
Ferguson had not climbed tree since
boyhood, but under the peculiar infiu-
ence OF the moment he Skinned up that
sapling with rapidity that would have
astonished himself, under less exciting
circumstances. Jones had contemplated
proceedings thus far with awe that
struck him dumb and benumbed all his
faculties, but when Mrs Alligator sud-
denly wheeled around and started for
the canoe he began to experience live
ller appreciation of the situation, which
was enhanced by the fact that Ferguson
had taken the only oar to explore the
nest, and he was powerless to sail away
from there. On came the maddened
crocodile and climbed right into the ca
noe to make dinner of Jones, but that
individual promptly evacuated the craft,
and gaining the shore followed his COM
panion's example by climbing a small
tree. Mounting too high in his terror
he bent the tree over and fell fiat on his
back in the mud below, and became
nearly frantic when he. imagined the
hungry monster about to psunce upon
him. He quickly recovered his posi-
ton up the tree and was temporarily y re-
lieved to observe that the enemy had
ensconced herself comfortably in the
canoe and was apparently prepared to
stay there until starvation or physical
exhaustion should compel our hapiess
heroes to come down and be eaten. The
prospect seemed very gloomy indeed to
Ferguson and Jones, and they had al
most given up hope and resigned them
selves to horrible despair, when lone
hunter in canoe appeared upon the
scene and released them from their un
enviable situation by shooting the ALI
gator. Quickly descending our heroes
lost no time in securing the eggs which !
had cost them such tribulatiOn of mind,
and after warmly eongratulating each
other and thanking their deliVerer, they
rowed away, mentally resolving to be
better prepared for war next time they
essayed to hunt alligator's eggs.