THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA. 203 



on the latter plan. Jack swung the deer on to his back and 

 we took turns carrying it until we reached home. 



We arrived at the head of South creek where it drains a 

 large pond, and where we could easily step across it, about 

 noon and sat down to eat our lunch. After performing that 

 pleasant duty we shouldered our venison and guns and 

 started down the creek. 



It increases in size rapidly, and but a short distance down 

 we came to some deep holes where we saw large numbers of 

 gar-fish sporting in the sunlight. We shot a few of them 

 merely for pastime. 



We also saw several very large rovallia, a fish that abounds 

 in the fresh waters of this state. It is said to be very gamy 

 and to possess excellent qualities as a food fish, but as I have 

 neither fished for nor eaten them, I cannot speak from per- 

 sonal knowledge. 



About a mile below where we first came upon the creek, 

 and two miles from where it empties into the bay, we reached 

 tide water, and Jack told us to look out now for 'gators. 

 Sure enough, we had gone but a few steps further, when we 

 saw two of the monster old saurians lying out on the bank 

 sunning themselves. They took the alarm, however, while 

 we were yet a long way off, and plunged into the water. As 

 we neared the place we saw several others swimming in 

 different directions in the same hole. They all disappeared 

 as soon as they saw us, so we laid down our luggage, and sat 

 down in the shade of a tree to await results. In a few minutes 

 one of them stuck his head out of the water, not more than 

 thirty yards away, whereupon Captain S. gave him a charge 

 of buck-shot in the vicinity of the eye and ear. He 

 lashed the water into a foam in his gyrations, and sank out 

 of sight, probably mortally wounded. Presently another 

 one put his eyes out of the water to look at us. He was near 



