THE CAMP FIRE. 21 



high bank, and sighting for a big chocolate spot on his side, I fired 

 away. A wheeze, like a plethoric alderman, came from across the 

 creek, and with a mighty splash the animal slid into the river, and 

 the dark waters closed over him. I knew I had not missed him, 

 but, as he did not rise, I supposed him dead at the bottom. 



" Well, Charlie, my boy, how 's the shooting to-day ? " was the 

 hearty salutation of my host as I took my seat at breakfast. 

 A suppressed giggle, behind me, informed me that the negroes 

 were enjoying the joke, and I had to explain by assuring my 

 friend that the alligator was dead at the bottom of the river. 



" How 's that, Johnson ? Do you think you can find his body ? " 

 said my friend to his huntsman, as he came in to get his orders for 

 the day. 



" Find his body, sah ? Yes, sah, easy nuff find his body, sah ; 

 he body crawled up on de bank before de gememan dun gwine in 

 de house, sah." 



Every one laughed, and I did not forget the mishap until 

 I became engaged in shooting, in which we spent the day. The 

 next day was a repetition of precisely the same farce, except 

 that the conduct of the servants became quite extraordinary, 

 laughing outright, as I went across the rice-field, and the little 

 nigs came out of the cabins in crowds, and crowed with delight. 



" Well, Charlie, my boy, how 's the shooting to-day ? " became 

 a stereotype question at the table, and  tough as an alligator, 

 hey ? " one of the commonest comparisons. 



At last my patience and visit were finished together, and as I 

 was being pulled out to meet the Mobile steamer in my friend's 

 canoe, manned by eight as good oarsmen as ever pulled a blade, in 

 passing by the head of the creek a heavy splash was heard in the 

 water, and my friend whispered to me, loud enough to create a 

 chuckle among the boatmen, " There 's your target, you have left 

 behind." 



The alligator builds a nest of broken sticks and reeds of 

 a conical shape, and about three feet above the water. It resembles 

 in appearance a musk-rat house, and is anchored in the shallow 

 water of the swamp. The eggs are pure white, elongated, and of 

 equal size at both ends. They are distributed all through the 



