TAKING A BIG 'GATOR.
Arnold Chesney came galloping with his neck for sale up to the shantyamong the orange trees, and flung himself off his steaming pony.
"Terry," he roared, "the cold signal's flying. Heavy frost prophesiedfor to-night. Get out and build the fires."
A good-looking young Irishman in flannel shirt and blue jeans camerunning out of the rough log building that served both as dwellingplace and as office at their orange grove in Florida.
"Faith, I thought as much, Arnold. The wind's going nor'west. There'llbe the divvle's own frost by morning," he declared.
The two youngsters toiled like Trojans while the sun sank behind thepine forest and the temperature dropped minute by minute. Great pilesof fat pine wood were stacked every few rows among the trees, coveredwith wet grass, and then as the thermometer in the tube sank close tothirty-two degrees the fires were lighted, and greasy, black smokepoured up in clouds.
But as the cold increased so did the wind, and the smoke, instead oflying in a protecting fog over the trees, streamed away to leeward.
By two in the morning it was blowing a full gale, and the cold wascrusting the water buckets in the veranda.
"'Tis no good, Arnold," gasped poor Terry. "Feel this!" He handed himan orange.
It was hard as a baseball, frozen to the very core.
Arnold groaned. "You're right, Terry. We're done."
They were. When morning dawned crisp and clear, and the red sun rose ina cloudless sky, every orange in South Florida was a lump of ice. Thegreen leaves, so stiff and firm overnight, hung limp and blackened. Notonly was the crop gone, but the trees themselves were terribly injured.
Arnold and Terence surveyed the scene of ruin in despair.
"Our first decent crop!" growled Chesney. "We'll have to start all overagain."
"'Tis not that I'm thinking of," said Terence Burke. "'Tis Cassidy."
"The brute! I'd forgotten him!" exclaimed Arnold in dismay.
"Small chance he's give ye of forgetting him. More be token, here comesthe spalpeen."
A short, square man with a flat face, a turn-up nose, and eyes like apig's, came through the slip bars by the road. In an ill moment the twoyoungsters had given this Irish-American a mortgage on their grove, astep they had never ceased regretting.
"Good-mornin' to ye, byes. Th' quarther's interest is due. Have ye itfor me?"
"There it is. Look at it!" said Chesney, pointing to the ruined trees.
"Ah, don't be pokin' your fun at me. 'Tis cash I want, not froze-uporanges."
Terence turned on the man. "Ye know full well, Cassidy, 'twas the cropwe were going to pay ye out of. The crop's gone, and ye'll not be bruteenough to want us to pay ye on the nail."
Cassidy's ugly little eyes narrowed. "I can't help the frost," he said."I'm a business man, and I'm wanting my money."
"Then you'll have to wait for it," said Arnold Chesney bluntly. "Wehaven't got it, so we can't pay. Is that clear?"
"Clear as soup, begob. An' as ye can't pay, thin I'll take th' grove.An' that's clear, too."
"Not so fast," retorted Chesney. "The law gives us a clear twenty-eightdays. If we pay the interest within that time we're safe."
Cassidy scowled. He had not credited the boy with so much knowledge.
"'Twill take more than twinty-eight days to grow a new crop," hesneered. "I'll give ye what grace the law allows, an' not another hour.Ye'd best write north for th' money. Ye'll never make it in th' time.That I know."
"What do you bet?" cried Arnold sharply. "What do you bet we don't makea hundred dollars in the next four weeks?"
"I'll bet ye the hundred, an' small chance I'll have o' being paid."
"Thanks for your kind opinion, but we'll have it in black and white ifyou don't mind, Mr. Cassidy." And Arnold quietly led the way to thehouse.
"You're crazy, Arnold. What took ye to make a bet like that? A dollar aday's all either of us can earn. An' even if we get work, that's onlyforty-eight dollars between us."
Arnold looked mysterious. "Have you forgotten our friend, Enos B.Hinks?" he asked.
"The chap that owns the Palmetto Beach House?"
"That's the man. When I was down there last year, he told me I couldhave a job any time as guide. Taking his Northern tourists out to killquail and snipe. Bet he'll take us both on, and it's two and a half aday and grub."
"Faith, I'm thinking 'twill pay better than growing frozen oranges,"replied Terence dryly. "I'm your man, Arnold, dear."
"Good. Now to pack and scrape up our fares. We've no time to lose."
Palmetto Beach was eighty miles south, on the Gulf Coast. The ticketswere nine dollars, which Arnold raised by selling his watch to afriendly tourist at the station.
When the two arrived at the door of the great building with its Moorishminarets and roofs of gleaming tin, they had exactly sixty centsbetween them.
"Hinks?" echoed the smart clerk in the office. "Mean Enos B. Hinks asused to own this hotel?"
"Used to own it!"
"Yes. You're strangers, I reckon. Enos B. sold out last summer. HiramJ. Crundall's now the proprietor of the Palmetto Beach."
The two boys stared with blank faces. Terry was the first to recoverhimself. "D'ye think Mr. Crundall would see us?" he asked sweetly.
Terry's soft Irish voice was irresistible. "I wouldn't wonder,gentlemen. I'll ask him. Step inside the office."
A great, burly man with scrubby black hair and a long, black cigarbetween his hard lips came into the office.
"Want rooms, gents?" he asked abruptly.
"Not rooms--work," replied Arnold.
The big man looked them over.
"I haven't any jobs, for you. I've got a yellow chap, Pete Lippitts,who takes the guests out shooting. You'll have to try farther."
"I'm much obliged to you," said Arnold very quietly. He took up hishat, and somehow he and Terry found themselves outside.
A merry party were playing tennis. Smartly dressed people lounged onthe shady veranda. The sun shone brightly, and the two poor lads, withhearts heavy as lead, made their way through the beautiful gardens tothe outer gate.
"How are we going to get back?" asked Terry. "Sixty cents won't take usfar."
"Walk, I reckon," said Arnold grimly.
"Hi, mister. Say, come back. The boss wants you."
Both the youngsters wheeled round. A big mulatto was running after them.
"Look here," said Crundall. "Peter tells me the big 'gator I've got inthe pond has bust the netting and crawled out and gone. If you chapsare game to catch him or another, I'll make it worth your while."
Arnold and Terry exchanged glances. "What's it worth?" demanded Arnold.
"Fifty dollars," said Crundall. "That is for one not less'n six footlong. I don't want any toys."
"And if he's bigger than six foot?"
"Don't you fret. You won't get one bigger."
"We might," said Arnold dryly.
Crundall actually smiled. "I like your sand," he said. "Tell you what.I'll make it ten dollars a foot extra for anything above six foot. Isthat a go?"
"Agreed!"
"Mind you, he's got to be whole and sound. No shark hooks in him, norbullet holes," warned Crundall.
"Right," said Arnold. "We'll start in the morning."
Crundall nodded. He was a rough chap, but the straight talk of theyoung fellow appealed to him. He turned to Pete. "Pete, see thesefellers have a bed to-night and grub. So long. The dollars will beready when you come back with the 'gator."
"A sweet fix you've got us in, Arnold, me boy," was Terry's firstremark when, after an excellent supper, the two reached their room.
"What's the matter, Terry?"
"Begorra, what isn't? How are ye going to catch an alligator withouthooks?"
"Don't you worry. I'll think it out."
"Faith, 'twill take a divvle of a lot of thinking."
"I'm going to sleep on it first," said Arnold quietly. "We've got to beup at an unholy hou
r to-morrow. I mean to give Crundall a run for hismoney. He's worth cultivating--that man."
Terry gave a sigh of resignation, and began pulling off his clothes.
When he awoke next morning Arnold was standing over him ready dressed.
"Have you thought of a plan?" was Terry's first question.
"Bet your life," grinned the other. "Hurry up. Breakfast's ready."
An hour later, guns on shoulder, food for two days, and a coil of stoutrope in a game bag, the two were tramping across the wire grass throughthe dewy pine woods, with the rising sun striking long shafts of lightthrough the red stems.
"Bitter Bayou's the place for my money," said Arnold. "There's stacksof 'em there. But keep an eye peeled for a deer or a pig. I'm notparticular."
"Bait, is it?" asked Terry eagerly.
"Just so."
"But that ould Crundall said he wouldn't have a hooked 'gator at anyprice," replied Terry, puzzled. "An' sure we couldn't hook one anyhowwidout a hook."
"True, Terence," laughed Arnold. "Sh--quietly!" As he spoke he droppedflat behind a log. As Terry did the same, there was a crisp rustling ina patch of saw palmetto about fifty yards away, and an old razorbacksow, with six piglings behind her, came slowly out into the open.
"Take the first little 'un," muttered Arnold. "Keep your second barrelfor the old beggar if she charges. Now!"
Two reports crashed out. Over rolled two of the small pigs. The old sowthrew up her sharp head, then with a squeal of alarm bolted with thesurvivors of her family.
"Good business!" cried Arnold, jumping up and running forward. "Rawpork for Mr. 'Gator, and roast for ourselves. Eh, Terry?"
"Faith, 'tis a funny thing to catch a ten-foot alligator wid!" remarkedTerry, ruefully surveying the plump little porker.
"Quite enough," replied Arnold with a grin, as he shouldered the otherpig.
The ground began to slope away, pine gave place to live oaks, and liveoaks to cabbage palms and cypress. The soil was black and oozy beneaththeir feet, and at last they found themselves on the edge of a deepriver, whose brown stream wound sluggishly beneath the gloomy branchesof giant cypress trees.
"Here's the bayou. Now for the 'gator," exclaimed Arnold as he flungdown his pig and his gun.
"Faith, you're as pleased with yourself as if ye'd got the scaly beggarin your pocket this minute," complained the Irishman.
Arnold grinned. "How long a one do we want, Terry. Fifty dollars forsix foot, and ten for each foot beyond. Fifty and five tens. Elevenfoot's our minimum."
"Sure, there's one with a bit to spare," said Terence sharply, pointing.
Out of the dull waters something was heaving itself slowly up.Something long and rugged, like a rough barked, water-sodden log. Soslowly did it rise that the oily water did not show a single ripple.
"Phew!" muttered Arnold. "That chap takes the cake! Never saw such abrute in my born days; thirteen foot if he's an inch. Terry, if we cancollar him our fortune's made."
"More likely th' baste'll swallow us," retorted Terence.
"Not he. He's going to have something else to swallow. Keep an eyeon the old scalawag, Terry, while I fix up a dose for him." AndArnold, plumping down on his knees, whipped out his knife and beganoperations. He slit open the pig, and then from the game bag pulled outa good-sized tin. In this were two packages, each carefully wrapped inoiled paper and sealed.
Arnold spread paper on the ground, and, turning out half the contentsof each packet into two small white heaps, began to mix them together.
"Is it crazy ye are, Arnold?" demanded his Irish chum.
"No; why?"
"'Tis a live alligator Crundall asked for, not a poisoned one."
"I'm not going to poison him; you wait a jiffy!" And Arnold chuckledagain, but gently, for fear of scaring the alligator.
The latter, however, was still taking life easy, basking in a patch ofsunlight which leaked between the trees.
Carefully mixing his two powders, Arnold made them into one package,which he rolled up in several thicknesses of paper, and tied securely.He then dexterously inserted this package inside the carcass of thediminutive pigling, and sewed it into place.
"Next thing is to present the bait nicely and quietly to our fat friendthere," remarked Arnold as he completed operations.
Terry shrugged his shoulders. For once his quick Irish wits were quiteat fault.
Carrying the pig, Arnold crept cautiously out on a fallen log whichextended over the water, and dropped his burden cautiously into thesluggish stream. It floated slowly down toward the spot where the greatscaly brute lay basking.
"Only hope another chap don't get it first," muttered Arnold. "It's thebig fellow we want."
Alligators have a quick sense of smell. All of a sudden two morescaly heads rose above the surface, and another couple of huge brutesappeared out of the thick saw grass on the opposite bank.
But number one had no idea of being balked of his prey. The oily waterbegan to swirl in front of his great blunt head. He came plowingupstream like a torpedo boat, and almost instantly the huge jaws openedlike a barn door, and the tasty morsel disappeared between two rowsof gigantic yellow fangs. Then with amazing suddenness the monstervanished.
"Got him!" hissed Arnold in tense excitement.
"Is it a slaping powder ye've given him?" asked Terry eagerly.
"Sleeping powder! You'll soon see." Arnold shook with laughter.
Minutes passed. Nothing happened. Arnold began to look uneasy.
"Your medicine ain't acting, Arnold my bhoy," grinned Terry.
"It's bound to before long," replied Arnold, creeping out to the veryend of the log and peering down into the brown bayou.
Suddenly the water boiled violently, and out of the unseen depths thebig alligator came flying as if he had been shot from a gun.
"Look out!" yelled Terry.
Too late. The monstrous tail smote the log with a force that sentArnold flying up into the air. And Terry, wildly grabbing for hisgun, saw with horror that his friend had dropped slap on top of thewrithing, struggling monster.
For an instant both disappeared. Then up they came again, and Terrycould hardly believe his eyes when he saw Arnold seated astride on thehuge scaly neck, while the alligator, thrashing the water with itstail, swam round and round in wide circles.
Terry, finger on trigger, dashed out on the log. He was certain thebrute would dive and take Arnold with him, and yet he dared not shootfor fear of hitting his friend.
"Don't shoot!" roared Arnold, catching sight of Terry out of the tailof his eye. "Hold on. I'll have him."
The alligator seemed unable to sink. Yet it was evidently trying to.Finding this impossible, it swung its great head round, snapping atArnold with a sound like the clashing of a shunting train.
But Arnold had his knife out, and every time the brute came round athim drove the point deep into the soft flesh at the joint of the neck.
"The rope!" shouted Arnold.
Terry bounded ashore, and next moment was back with the rope coiled anda slipknot at the end of it.
Round and round went the alligator, churning the water to foam, andsending small waves slapping under the hollow banks. It was fastexhausting its mighty strength.
"Now!" yelled Arnold, as the beast came sailing straight under the log.
Quick as light Terry swung the noose into position. It passed neatlyover the great, rugged head, and as it tightened Terry took a halfhitch round the log, and the brute was brought up all standing with ajerk that made the tough rope sing and sent Arnold flying overboard.
Terry had him out in a moment, and the two rushed the end of the ropeashore, and, getting round a tree, began playing the alligator as afisherman plays a salmon.
It was a good five minutes before the giant brute gave out and, morethan half throttled, was lugged ashore.
Luckily for the boys, the bank was practically level with the water, orthey never could have got the huge weight ashore. Even when he was onland they ha
d a terrible job to noose the great, thrashing tail thatwas leveling the bushes like a giant scythe.
At last he was safe, tied head and tail to two trees, and the boys,gasping, mopped the perspiration from their dripping faces.
"'Twas mighty funny medicine ye gave him, Arnold," said Terry, as hesurveyed their captive with huge satisfaction.
"Can't you guess what it was?"
Terry shook his head.
"Tartaric acid and carbonate of soda, my boy. Turned him into aballoon. He couldn't sink for the life of him."
"Tartaric acid!" gasped Terry; "carbonate of soda! Sure no wonder thepoor brute was onaisy!" Then the comic side of it struck him, and heburst into shrieks of mirth. Arnold joined, and the two laughed tillthey rolled helpless in the long grass beside their ugly captive.
"Geewhillikens!" exclaimed Crundall as he surveyed the monster whichfour oxen were tugging in a cart through the hotel grounds. "I'll needa new pond for that le-vi-athan!"
"Give us the job to dig it?" put in Arnold quickly.
For the first time since they had met him Hiram Crundall actuallylaughed.
"I reckon I've got a better job for you two fellers than diggingsand. Say, how'd you like to come into my office and learn this hotelbusiness. Don't mind telling you there's a pot of money in it."
"We accept, sir!" cried Arnold briskly. "Whatever it is, it's betterthan growing frozen oranges."
"I've made half a million at it in ten years, so I ought to know,"replied Crundall dryly.
Here Terry put in a word. "I say, Arnold, how about Cassidy?"
"Cassidy--who's he?" asked Crundall.
Terence told the story of the bet.
Crundall slapped his great knee. He pulled out a huge pocketbook,counted out bills for two hundred dollars, and handed them to Arnold."You git right along," he said, "and collect. And if Cassidy don't payon demand wire me. I'll come an' make him."
But Cassidy did pay, and then the boys let him foreclose on the ruinedgrove. They had better fish to fry.