ded. It had been obtained at the hotels, and after our sail we
were in condition to enjoy it. The alligators were larger and more
plentiful, and while the Gazelle was at rest they were more disposed to
show themselves on the sandy beach above us. Owen and the Colonel fired
at them several times; but they seemed to take no notice of the shots,
and the pilot laughed as usual.

"You haven't graduated as alligator sportsmen yet," said Cornwood when
they had wasted a large quantity of powder and ball. "You might as well
fire at an iron-clad, as at the back and sides of an alligator as large
as those are."

Owen handed him his gun, which was one of the most expensive pieces,
intended for deer and other large game. The pilot loaded it himself,
and said he should try for the largest reptile in the group on the
beach. He fired. The alligator gave a spring, and began to flounder in
the sand, while his companions deserted him, taking to the water. In
another moment he was dead.

"What do you aim at, Mr. Cornwood?" asked Owen, with admiration at the
skill of the Floridian.

"It depends on circumstances," replied the pilot. "If the alligator is
in such a position that I can take him in the eye, as that one was, and
send the ball diagonally through his head, I fire at the eye. If he
lies so that I can put the ball in behind his forward flipper, and have
it pass forward, I take him there. Sometimes he is in such a position
that you can't hit him in either of these places, and it is no more use
to fire at him than it is to shoot into the water."

"You made an end of that fellow, at any rate," added Colonel Shepard.
"I think we had better run over and take a look at him."

The pilot ran the boat near enough to the beach so that we could jump
ashore. I took a measure with me, and the alligator proved to be ten
feet and four inches long. Owen considered himself a good shot, and he
was somewhat mortified at his ill-success in shooting the saurian. We
ran farther up the creek till we saw another group of them on the sand.
The steam was shut off as soon as they came in sight around a bend. The
boat went ahead a considerable distance after the screw stopped. On
this beach were a number of parallel crooked lines, where the
alligators had crawled on the sand. One of the reptiles raised his
head, and seemed to be in doubt whether or not he should take to the
water at the approach of the steamer.

[Illustration: ALLIGATOR SHOOTING ON BLAC