Year: 1872

BATTLE WITH AN ALLIGATOR.


| was returning from the half-built
sugar mill one day, perhaps a month
after my first arrival at the hacienda,
at about four o'clock in the afternoon.
l was riding homeward, then, thinking
of many things-of the friends that |
should perhaps never see again in the
flesh; Of


"What was that? A cry of pain ?''
Yes, a cry certainly of pain or terror
the shrill appealing cry of a chlld's
agonized voice; and l started, and
wheeled my horse toward the quarter
from which the sound seemed to come.
The cry was repeated, more feebly than
before; and as | had now no doubt as
to the direction whence the call for
help proceeded, dashed across a ravine,
and, scrambling up the steep bank op
posite, came in sight of the chain of
lagoons connected with the mighty Rio
Plata by small river, which skirted
the plantations of rice and tobacco, and
on the banks of which had shot many
y snipe and tiaminso. Here, at the
edge Of cane bordered creek that run
up from the nearest lagoon into the
broken ground, where the hillocks were
gay with purple rlIododendrons and the
wild geranium, beheld a sight that
chilled my blood with horror.


Close to the margin of the water,
knee-deep in the flowers and tall pam
pas grass, just where the white and
yellow pond lilies mingled with the
rich colored blossoms Of the lowered
prairie, was child-little Charlie
Don Miguel's hope and heir-his one
tie to life and its affections-I knew the
bare little golden head at once. But
the 10y stood, rooted to the ground,
transfixed by terror, crouching down,
his J lue eyes dilated by mortal fear,
fixed on something huge, shapeless,
unclean, that drew nearer and nearer
yet, grim and monstrous thing that
had more the aspect of large log
glistening with Shiny mud, than of any
thing else. What is the ugly thing that
has crawled out from the creek, fringed
with bushes Of the laurel rose, and that
is clumsl!y climbing the bank with
awkward hurry of its ungainly claw
tipped feet? An alligator, by Heaven !
tor | see the slanting sunlight glisten
on its scaly back, and the formidable
jaws open and display the curved row
of cleaning white teeth, as, with its
cruel red eye fixed upon its prey, it ap.
preached the spot where stood the fated
child, frozen by terror that denied
him the power to flee.


Run, Charlie, run run toward me
I called aloud, at the same time urging
my horse down the bank. The little
fellow turned his pale face toward me,
and recognized me; Tut fear was still
potent with him, and he remained
where he was, crying out to Mirry War
burton to save him. | dashed in the
spurs rowel deep, and at one bound
came crashing through the rhododen-
drons to within some three or four feet
from the place where the child stood.
The alligator wheeled angr.ly around,
to confront the intruder who dared to
come between him and his toothsome
supper; and my horse, driven wild with
terror at the sight and smell of the
monstrous reptile, reared, swerved, and
threw Inc, galloping off Like mad
creature. | was on my feet in a mo
ment, and had just time to throw my
self between the alligator and the boy,
before the bloodthirsty jaws could close
IN the hrst fatal snap. The brute re-
coiled little, for alligators are cowardly
as we'll as fierce, and they have been
known to watch for hours in their
reedy ambush, allowing men to pass
them uninj jured, until they could
pounce securely on a woman or child.
But the reptiles slow blood had been
too much stirred, by the expectation of
an easy triumph, to permit him to de.
cline the fight, and he crawled upon
me, uttering the hoarse cry, half 1oar.
half whimpering moan, that cayman
gives under the sting of pain or fury.


had a strong sheath.knife out, a
strong, double-edged blade of Barcelona
steel, with cross handle and buck
horn haft; but this seemed a poor
weapon against such a foe. By the
hasty impulse-one of the life saving
thoughts that come upon us at mo.
ments of extreme peril, as if they were
the whisperings of inspiration-I tore
the blue woolen poncho from my shoul.
ders-happily had adopted the New
Spain style of dress-and, wrapping the
mantle around the tough handle of my
whalebone riding whip, forced it be.
tween the alligator's jaws as he closed
with me, while at the same time, bend
ing forward, | struck hard with my two
edged knife at his white throat, which
was comparatively unprotected. The
tirst stab told, for the white streak was
soon crimsoned with blood; but the
second failed, for the knife slipped and
ratified uselessly on the armor plates OF
the creatures mailed back, and then
began struggle for death or life be,
tween my terrible antagonist and my
self My strength was nothing to that
of huge reptile, and l felt myself