le. This woke him, and without waiting to bid adieu to
the party, he scurried up the log, and disappeared in the trees on the
bank of the stream. Miss Margie was greatly relieved when he was gone.
The oarsmen gave way again, but had not taken three strokes before one
of them tipped over an alligator in the water. He was a little fellow,
and made off with all his might, to the great amusement of the party.
The men had not taken half a dozen strokes more, before another
alligator was turned over by an oar. This was a larger one than the
other, and his head was lifted entirely out of the water. At the same
moment Cornwood, who was standing in the bow of the boat, aimed a
revolver at him, and fired.

Miss Margie gave a little scream at the report of the pistol. The ball
had evidently done its work, for the reptile was floundering on the top
of the water, instead of running away, as the other one had done. The
guide fired again; and after a little more struggling, the alligator
lay still on the top of the water.

"We will tow him ashore and let you look at him, if you wish," said the
guide.

"No, I thank you; not on my account," added Miss Margie.

"I should really like to see him," said Miss Edith.

"Then you shall see him," replied Owen.

But there was no shore in the vicinity to tow him to; and the guide
suggested that he should be allowed to remain, while we followed the
other boat to the head of boat navigation on the creek, which was only
a short distance farther. The shore was under water, and the trees grew
out of it. The guide said this was a specimen of a portion of the
Ocklawaha, on a small scale. But we soon came to higher banks, which
were covered with a fragrant blossom called the "swamp pink" in some
parts of the North. The air was loaded with its perfume, and the young
ladies were in ecstasies over the sweetness of the blossoms, and the
beautiful appearance of the banks of the stream. Beyond this we found
the shore covered with another blossom, the swamp blueberry. The bushes
lined the shore, and were so covered with blossoms that they seemed to
be all there was of them. The young ladies wanted to gather some, and
the men filled every available place in the boat with these and the
swamp pinks.

On our return we picked up the alligator, making a line fast to him,
and towing him down to the bridge. We made a landing under the bluff,
and hauled the reptile out of the water. He was about five feet long.