192 WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW TO CATCH FISH 



plied, " Not much ; I would as soon kill a hog, cow, or manatee." 

 He finally convinced me that he could show me how to kill one and 

 still preserve my dignity as a sportsman. 



He saw one near the little island and made for him, and, as he 

 knew would be the case, the alligator sank down quietly in about six 

 feet of water. We moved over until within a few feet, where we saw 

 him lying still on the bottom. Pacetti took the grains, which were 

 on a pole twelve or fourteen feet long, with a y 3 ^ or i^-inch cotton 

 line twenty or twenty-five feet long. We moved quietly over the 

 'gator, when the grains were driven down into him just behind his 

 head. The pole was quickly drawn from the socket in the grains, 

 leaving the line in my hands. Well, that 'gator rushed for every- 

 where at a lively gait, and before Pacetti could get his oars fairly in 

 hand. We went stern first a few feet, when Pacetti got partial 

 control. 



We were towed around in the river in all directions for ten or 

 fifteen minutes, when our victim began to play out. We finally 

 landed on the south shore and pulled him out, pounded him quite 

 a while with some pieces of board, drew the grains out of him, 

 pounded him some more and left him for dead some ten feet from 

 shore. He was eight feet long. 



We went on up the river, caught our Black Bass, and about 5 

 P. M., on our way back to the sloop, stopped to take a look at our 

 alligator, and found he was not there. What became of him we 

 could not imagine ; no footsteps around, but the grass and ground did 

 look a little as though he had crawled back into the water. That was 

 the only 'gator I ever killed, or tried to kill, in all my experience in 

 Florida, and I hereby promise to never try to kill another one. It is 

 a mean business, unless you want his hide to sell. 



Eight miles below Sebastian the " Indian River Narrows" com- 

 mence and are about eight miles in length. Channel Bass are 

 tolerably plenty at the northern and southern entrances. Good 

 Oysters can be gathered at the southern end. 



