Outing . is rifle when the ALLIGATOR SHOOTING IN FLORIDA. 217 mother disappeared, and vowed to neveragain go gunning for alligators withouta full magazine. This incident stronglyimpressed him with the fact that an alli-gator is not as stupid as it looks, nor soslow as its ungainly legs would indicate. Another female alligator attacked ahorse and rider while crossing a streambecause they frightened the youngsters inher company. The horsewas so badly injured aboutthe hind legs that he washardly able to reach dryland. The rider on seemgthis was renderedso furious that hewent to a farmhouse close
Outing . is rifle when the ALLIGATOR SHOOTING IN FLORIDA. 217 mother disappeared, and vowed to neveragain go gunning for alligators withouta full magazine. This incident stronglyimpressed him with the fact that an alli-gator is not as stupid as it looks, nor soslow as its ungainly legs would indicate. Another female alligator attacked ahorse and rider while crossing a streambecause they frightened the youngsters inher company. The horsewas so badly injured aboutthe hind legs that he washardly able to reach dryland. The rider on seemgthis was renderedso furious that hewent to a farmhouse close by,borrowed an axe,and wading to hisarm pits into theriver, boldly as-saulted the rep-tile. He swunghis weaponmuch as a Cru-sad er his bat-tle axe amongthe Saracens ter until he is in their midst. If hispresence is then detected by the lurkingmothers, he is liable to be charged fromvarious directions simultaneously, and ifhe does not prove nimble of foot andquick ofe y e, he isin danger (, , ,;Vof bearing. A SOUTHERN BEAUTY. and, although thesaurian used allher skill andpower in defending herself and progeny,she was killed in less than ten minutes,her skull being broken in several was then towed ashore, and left thereas a feast for the buzzards. The horsesubsequently recovered, but it was manya day before he was fit for service. Tales of this sort could be extendedinto a volume, but I think those relatedare sufficient to prove that a female alli-gator is no mean foe when she is tryingto protect her offspring. In passing through low, swampy lands,in summer persons should reconnoitre theground carefully, as several nests arefrequently found close together in suchplaces, and some are so carefully con-cealed that one cannot tell their charac- ,- , ,, the im- pression of some brutes tail on his leg for many a day. The chief weapon ofoffense and defense with analligator is the caudal ap-pendage, and as it has tobend itself into almost a halfcircle to deliver an effective b
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