OY THE UPPER ST. JOHN'S. 131 



impossible as it was for him to enter fully 

 into the spirit of a man who wanted to look 

 at birds, but not to kill them. I think he 

 had never before seen a customer of that 

 breed. First he rowed me up the " creek," 

 under promise to show me alligators, moc- 

 casins, and no lack of birds, including the 

 especially desired purple gallinule. The 

 snakes were somehow missing (a loss not 

 irreparable), and so were the purple galli- 

 nules ; for them, the boy thought, it was 

 still rather early in the season, although he 

 had killed one a few days before, and for 

 proof had brought me a wing. But as we 

 were skirting along the shore I suddenly 

 called " Hist ! " An alligator lay on the 

 bank just before us. The boy turned his 

 head, and instantly was all excitement. It 

 was a big fellow, he said, one of three 

 big ones that inhabited the creek. He would 

 get him this time. "Are you sure?" I 

 asked. " Oh yes, I '11 blow the top of his 

 head off." He was loaded for gallinules, 

 and I, being no sportsman, and never hav- 

 ing seen an alligator before, was some 

 shades less confident. But it was his game, 

 and I left him to his way. He pulled the 



