FLORIDA AND THE WEST INDIES 161 



reptile at whose front door we now unmasked our 

 batteries had, it soon transpired, not overlooked 

 this essential condition of safety. The excitement 

 was tense. Pole, gaff, rifle and revolver were 

 requisitioned, and a large and powerful spade now 

 made its appearance for the first time, having been 

 carried by one who brought up the rear. Forgotten 

 were the troubles with saw-grass and red bugs, the 

 blisters and bumps even then rising on tender 

 limbs. The pole was now thrust within the 

 "cave." Underbill then informed us that the 

 passage within turned off at right angles six or 

 eight feet from the entrance. Often, he assured us, 

 the naughty reptile is found close to daylight, when 

 the gaff, with its coil of rope, does the rest in sur- 

 prisingly short time, someone standing by with a 

 stick to give the hermit his quietus as soon as his 

 head emerges. On this occasion the end of our 

 adventure at this particular cave was less dramatic. 

 Someone of an inquiring turn of mind discovered 

 another exit to this underworld, where, sure enough, 

 the footmarks pointed away from home. Pole and 

 gaff and other weapons were once more shouldered, 

 and our indefatigable guides led the way to fresh 

 pastures. 



Another "cave" was reached within a few 

 minutes, and here, they said, the conditions were 

 very promising. Underbill knelt before the en- 

 trance in a gesture that suggested that he was 

 vastly enjoying the effluvium of marsh-gas arising 

 from the threshold with an odour that indicated less 

 the residence of alligators than their burial-ground. 

 Presently, however, we found that his object was 

 business, not pleasure, for he began to utter a series 



