Florida Swamps and Forests 



shallow, grassy pond before his door. "There," 

 said he, "I once had a tough fight with an alli- 

 gator. He caught my dog. I heard him howl- 

 ing, and as he was one of my best hunters I 

 tried hard to save him. The water was only 

 about knee-deep and I ran up to the alligator. 

 It was only a small one about four feet long, 

 and was having trouble in its efforts to drown 

 the dog in the shallow water. I scared him and 

 made him let go his hold, but before the poor 

 crippled dog could reach the shore, he was 

 caught again, and when I went at the alligator 

 with a knife, it seized my arm. If it had been a 

 little stronger it might have eaten me instead 

 of my dog." 



I never in all my travels saw more than one, 

 though they are said to be abundant in most of 

 the swamps, and frequently attain a length of 

 nine or ten feet. It is reported, also, that they 

 are very savage, oftentimes attacking men in 

 boats. These independent inhabitants of the 

 sluggish waters of this low coast cannot be 

 called the friends of man, though I heard of 

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