rom the river when discovered, that the doctor had time
to call in his gang of men, and make a general attack. Seizing an axe in
one hand, and shouting 'Charge!' to his men, all who could get a footing
mounted the back of the animal, with a view to stay proceedings till the
doctor could despatch him; but to their surprise, the old fellow walked
off with his burden with apparent ease. The doctor then waived off his
men, and mounting himself, drove the bit of the axe through his hide,
probably at the fore-shoulder; but from wrenching, or some other cause, it
was found impossible to remove it. The doctor hinted that the heart
clasped the bit by strong muscular exertion, with a view to his own
private use; but this being speculative merely, I only mention the fact.
As he was now nearing the water rapidly, a rope was slipped round the butt
of the helm, a quick turn made around a stiff sapling on the bank of the
river, and all hands made fast to the rope. At this moment, just as they
were all braced, the alligator made his plunge into the water, and the
sapling, I don't remember how large, very large however, came up by the
roots, and they all went to the bottom together! Some of the negroes,
however, came back.

Another Doctor W----, who, unlike his venerated namesake, still lives to
relate the marvels of a life unusually varied, has a remarkable store of
incidents, encounters, and other matters, quite alligatorical. The doctor
will forgive me, if I mistake, but I think he told me that the monsters in
the neighborhood of his plantation had in several instances stolen his
butcher-knives and chopping instruments; a fact which he made quite
certain, by seeing them use the knives in a family way on the other side
of the lagoon; and that on one occasion, he was quite astounded at seeing
a large alligator making tracks for the water on three legs, with a
pitch-fork and crow-bar in his jaws, and a hand-saw erect and glittering
from his right arm! Upon these last, however, I do not pronounce.

And now to sum up _my_ opinion of the animal. I believe that
notwithstanding these astounding tales, he is rather peaceful and
well-disposed, when properly trained, but hath very strangely fixed upon
him an idea, not entirely original with him, that the world owes him a
living; that he makes drafts that way to an advanced age; that he is
non-committal, except upon such matters as he can commit to his private
keeping; that his stomach in that r