Florida Swamps and Forests 
shallow, grassy pond before his door. “There/ 5 
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/ 5 
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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