138 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
fishes which they had snapped off lay floating around on the 
dark waters. A rifle bullet was now and then sent through 
the eye of one of the largest, which, with a tremendous splash 
of its tail expired. One morning we saw a monstrous fellow 
lying on the shore. I was desirous of obtaining him to make 
an accurate drawing of his head, and, accompanied by my as- 
sistant and two of the sailors, proceeded cautiously towards him. 
When within a few yards, one of us fired and sent through 
his side an ounce ball, which tore open a hole large enough 
to receive a man’s hand. He slowly raised his head, bent 
himself upwards, opened ‘his huge jaws, swung his tail to and 
fro, rose on his legs, blew in a frightful manner, and fell to 
the earth. My assistant leaped on shore, and contrary to 
my injunctions, caught hold of the animal’s tail,-when the 
alligator, awakening from his trance, with a last effort crawled 
slowly towards the water, and plunged heavily into it. Had 
he thought of once flourishing his tremendous weapon there 
might have been an end of his assailant’s life, but he for- 
funately went in peace to his grave, where we left him, as 
the water was too deep. The same morning, another of equal 
size was observed swimming directly for the bows of our 
vessel, attracted by the gentle rippling of the water there. 
One of the officers, who had watched him, fired and scattered 
his brain through the air, when he tumbled and rolled at a 
fearful rate, blowing all the while most furiously. The river 
was bloody for yards around, but although the monster passed 
close by the vessel, we could not secure him, and after awhile 
he sunk to the bottom. 
Early one morning I hired a boat and two men, with the 
view of returning to St. Augustine by a short cut. Our 
baggage being placed on board, I bade adieu to the officers, 
and off we started. About four in the afternoon we arrived 
at the short cut, forty miles distant from our point of de- 
parture, and where we had expected to procure a wagon, but. 
were disappointed. So we laid our things on the bank, and, 
