XXIV 



RECREATION. 



MEXICAN ALLIGATORS. 



Mexcallitan, Mex. 

 Editor Recreation : 



For the study of alligator nature this 

 locality is . unrivaled. Here he is every- 

 where in evidence, acting his will with lit- 

 tle fear of man. The alligator is 'an ani- 

 mal of considerable intelligence. I have 

 seen one head off a large fish in shallow 

 water, corner and catch him. Step out of 

 a canoe and hide on the bank, and if there 

 is a 'gator in the vicinity he will swim 

 slowly by, making observations. If he can 

 see you at all he will stop and size you up, 

 as if wishing to know what you are about. 



They are not found hidden away in dark 

 recesses, as I had expected. That may be 

 the case where they have been much hunt- 

 ed and are shy. Here there is no other 

 animal that so loves the broad daylight 

 and warm sunshine. Three miles away is 

 a favorite sunning place, where, on a bank, 

 ioo or so can be found any bright day. If 

 a canoe draws near they slide into the wa- 

 ter one by one and lie with only the head 

 showing. Many will allow the boat to get 

 within 20 feet before diving. They dive 

 by a backward jerk, the snout being last 

 to disappear. 



Having been requested to send 3 hides to 

 San Francisco I went to this sunning place, 

 landed, and hid among some bushes. In a 

 few minutes a big 'gator floated up, blow- 

 ing out his breath with a noise like a suc- 

 tion pump short of water. He crawled 

 out and prepared to take a nap within 20 

 feet of me. A bullet a little below and 

 back of the eye, and a cast of the harpoon 

 to keep him from rolling into deep water, 

 and he was mine. His struggles lasted 

 but a few minutes. I left him as he lay 

 for a decoy, and my order for "one large 

 and 2 medium sized hides," was soon filled. 



The natives surprised me by saying the 

 alligator has no tongue. It is true he 

 has none in the usual place for that organ ; 

 but I found what seems a tongue under 

 the floor of the mouth. The animal has 

 great trouble in getting a morsel in just 

 the right position to swallow, managing it 

 by throwing his head back a number of 

 times, with his jaw^ wide open. 



The 'gator has a peculiar odor, which at 

 a distance might lead one to suppose him 

 a member of genteel society ; at close 

 range, however, you know him for a rank 

 pretender. A Mexican lady from the table- 

 land told me she used perfume once after 

 coming here, and only once. On that oc- 

 casion a number of persons asked her, 

 "What smells of alligator?" 



'Gators 12 or 13 feet long are considered 

 large in this section. They swim mostly 

 by a snakelike motion of the tail. In 2 

 years spent here I have known of but one 

 man being bitten by n alligator. Fie, poor 

 fellow, after 5 weeks in bed, had still 5 

 holes in his thigh, each large enough_ to 

 admit the index finger to the first ioint. 



Ed. M. Williams. 



A GAMEY HOG. 



G. W. SMITH. 



During the fall of 1893 I was station 

 agent at a little city in Southern Kansas, 

 near the Indian Territory line. Game was 

 abundant, and being a lover of rod and 

 gun, I soon made the acquaintance of a 

 cattleman whom I will call Ed Hewins. 

 He owned a ranch of 2,000 acres, bounti- 

 fully stocked with quails, prairie chickens, 

 rabbits and squirrels. Mr. Hewins gave 

 me leave to hunt and fish on his land, and 

 I had many a day of sport shooting quails, 

 over my old pointer Sport. 



One afternoon in November, I took my 

 favorite 12 bore, slipped a few quail loads 

 into my pocket, and, with a younger 

 brother and my dog, set out in quest of 

 game. We had gone perhaps a mile from 

 the. station, when Sport came to a stiff 

 point, near a hazel thicket. Told to flush, 

 he raised a covey of quails, and I 

 succeeded in grassing one with each barrel. 

 The others flew some 300 yards and scat- 

 tered in the open field. We had some 

 excellent sport, and, after finding I had 

 birds enough for our dinner, and but one 

 remaining shell, we started to return home. 



When we had gone a short distance, 1 

 noticed Sport strike a scent, and with the 

 wind in his favor proceed cautiously up a 

 draw to the crest of the ridge. There, 

 where some passing wagon had dropped a 

 bunch of hay, he came to a staunch point. 

 Thinking it was merely a cottontail, 1 

 stepped in ahead of the dog and gave the 

 bunch a violent kick. To my utter amaze- 

 ment I was confronted by a wild boar, 

 which proceeded to make things interesting 

 for the next few moments. 



With open mouth, catlike eyes glistening 

 like balls of Pre, tusks which seemed to 

 me as large as an elephant's, he made a 

 vicious charge. I happily avoided this, 

 only to be confronted with another attack 

 more determined than the first. Seeing it 

 was to be a fight to the finish, I side-stepped 

 and bringing the muzzle of my gun just 

 behind his shoulder, fired. Some pellets 

 of the charge of No. 8 shot reached his 

 spine, with the effect of paralyzing his 

 hind quarters. There was plenty of fight 

 left in him, however, and as I had no 

 more ammunition, I beat a retreat. At 

 the station I obtained a rifle, and return- 

 ing, despatched the boar with it. 



There are probably more deer in Connecticut 

 to-day than at any previous time within 150 years. 

 They are seen on railroad tracks, in fields and 

 gardens, and even feeding with domestic cattle. 

 Where they all come from, and what is drawing 

 or sending them here, is not clear. They are 

 not only seen in most unexpected places, but 

 appear singularly free from fear of human beings. 

 They are seen, too, in nearly all parts of the 

 State. — Hartford Times. 



Mr. Marryat. — I see old Roxley has left 

 an estate worth $2,000,000. Wouldn't you 

 like to be his widow? Mrs. Marryat (am- 

 biguously) — No, dear; I'd rather be yours. 

 — Philadelphia Press. 



