384 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



the harpoon into the wounded animal, as he turned 

 and showed the white of his belly. At the instant of 

 darting the harpoon, I was standing close to the edge 

 of the water, with the end of the line fastened to my 

 right wrist. The alligator had hardly felt the barbed 

 iron, when he darted off and dived, jerking me into 

 the water before I had time to hold back. The pan 

 fell out of my hand, and the fire was extinguished with 

 a loud hiss. The line was too securely fastened for me 

 to free myself, and I was twice dragged under water 

 before I felt firm bottom, when, holding back with all 

 my might, I succeeded in stopping him, he being some- 

 what exhausted by his exertions and loss of blood ; 

 then pulling slowly and cautiously towards the bank, 

 gradually increasing the strain, lie collected his remain- 

 ing strength, and darted off, dragging me head Under 

 again ; but the water Avas not more than four feet 

 deep, and this time I had less trouble in hauhng the 

 weakened animal to the shore. 



Wet through and through, and in total darkness, I 

 had fortunately left my matches, with the split wood, 

 at the foot of a tree. I groped for and found my pan, 

 and in a few minutes another bright flame rose flicker- 

 ing to the sky. The large alligator was about ten feet 

 long, and I could make no use of him ; for although the 

 planters use the fat for their cotton machinery, for 

 which it is well adapted, it was too old to be eatable ; 

 the two first caught were three and four feet long ; I 

 cut off their tails, and carried them home to eat. 



Very few of the Creoles, or even the negroes, will eat 

 the flesh of the alligator, partly because they feel dis- 

 gust at it, and partly because they fancy it to be 



