position many minutes,
when a monstrous alligator rose suddenly above the surface of the river,
and before the poor man perceived the animal, seized one of his legs,
snapped it off, just above the knee, and descended into the water. The
man then tried to get on board the ship, but in vain. The pain, the
terror, the loss of his limb, so entirely prostrated his strength, that
all his efforts were useless. The wife hung terror-stricken over the
side of the vessel, not knowing what to do, calling for assistance, and
shrieking distractedly. The boy, with more presence of mind, clung to
his father, and endeavored, with all his little strength, to lift him
up. The cries of the woman at length brought some persons to ascertain
what was the matter. At this moment the monster appeared again. The son
redoubled his exertions to drag his father from his terrible situation,
but with as little success as before. Some of the people who were
attracted to the spot, threw stones, sticks, or any thing that happened
to be in their way, at the alligator, while the wife, thinking that the
deliverance of her husband was now certain, hastened to the shore to
seek the surgeon. As the monster advanced, the child became convulsed
with terror, and at length was hardly able, by his exertions, to sustain
the weight of his father's body. He called loudly for assistance, but
either through surprise or fear, his cries were unheeded. Still
continuing to defend himself in a measure from the attacks of the
alligator, the sufferer became exhausted from pain and loss of blood.
The terrible animal seized the other leg. The boy still kept his hold,
and contrived to throw a rope round the body of his nearly expiring
father, so as to prevent him from being pulled into the river. At this
instant the wife returned with the surgeon. But, alas! they came too
late. The poor Indian recognized his wife, gave one parting look, then
sunk in death on the bosom of his child."

[Illustration: THE ALLIGATOR.]

Mr. Audubon, the distinguished naturalist, has given some of the most
interesting facts in connection with the alligator that have come to my
knowledge. He says: "A friend having intimated a wish to have the heart
of one of these animals, to study its comparative anatomy, I one
afternoon went out about half a mile from the plantation, and seeing an
alligator that I thought I could put whole into a hogshead of spirits, I
shot it immediately on the skull-bone. It tumble