The Boy Hunters Page 7

  CHAPTER SEVEN.

  FRANCOIS GETS AN UGLY FALL.

  The next encampment of our hunters was upon the Bayou Crocodile. This,like all the bayous of Louisiana, is a sluggish stream, and here andthere expands itself into large ponds or lakes. It is called BayouCrocodile from the great number of alligators that infest its waters,though in this respect it differs but little from the other rivers ofLouisiana.

  The spot chosen for the camp was an open space upon the bank, at a pointwhere the bayou widened into a small lake. The situation commanded aview of the shores of this lake all round--and a singular view that was.Giant trees rose over the water--live oaks and cypresses--and fromtheir spreading branches the Spanish moss hung trailing down like longstreamers of silver thread. This gave the upper part of the woods asomewhat hoary appearance, and would have rendered the scene rather amelancholy one, had it not been for the more brilliant foliage thatrelieved it. Here and there a green magnolia glistened in the sun, withits broad white flowers, each of them as large as a dining-plate.Underneath grew the thick cane (_arundo gigantea_), its tall pale-greenreeds standing parallel to each other, and ending in lance-shapedblades, like stalks of giant wheat before its ears have shot. Over thisagain rose the grey limbs of the tupeloo-tree (_nyssa aquatica_), withlight leaves and thin foliage. The beautiful palmetto (_chamaerops_)lifted its fan-like branches, as if to screen the earth from the hot sunthat poured down upon it, and here and there its singular shapes wereshadowed in the water. From tree to tree huge parasites stretched likecables--vines, and lianas, and various species of convolvulus. Some ofthese were covered with thick foliage, while others exhibited a surfaceof splendid flowers. The scarlet cups of the trumpet-vine (_bignonia_),the white starlike blossoms of the cypress-creeper, and the pink flowersof the wild althea or cotton-rose (_hibiscus grandiflora_), all blendedtheir colours, inviting the large painted butterflies and ruby-throatedhumming birds that played among their silken corollas. As if incontrast with these bright spots in the landscape, there were othersthat looked dark and gloomy. You could see through long vistas in theforest, where the trees grew out of green slimy water. Here there wasno underwood, either of cane or palmettoes. The black trunks of thecypresses rose branchless for nearly an hundred feet, and from theirspreading limbs drooped the grey weeping moss. Huge "knees" could bedistinguished shooting up like cones or trees that had been broken offleaving their broken trunks in the ground. Sometimes a huge creeper, afoot or more in diameter, stretched across these gloomy aisles, asthough a monster serpent were passing from tree to tree.

  The lake was alive with alligators. These could be seen basking alongthe low banks, or crawling away into the dark and shadowy swamp. Somewere floating gently on the surface of the stream, their long crests andnotched backs protruding above the water. When not in motion thesehideous creatures resembled dead logs of wood; and most of them werelying quiet--partly from their natural disinclination to move about, andpartly waiting for their prey. Those that basked upon the banks heldtheir jaws expanded, that at intervals were heard to close with a loudsnap. These were amusing themselves by catching the flies, that,attracted by the musky odour, flew around their hideous jaws, and litupon their slimy tongues. Some were fishing in the stream, and atintervals the stroke of their tails upon the water could be heard at thedistance of half a mile or more. Their croaking resounded through thewoods somewhat like the noise made by bull-frogs, but loud and terribleas the bellowing of bulls. A horrid appearance they presented; but ourhunters were accustomed to the sight, and had no fear of these animals.

  There were other objects around the lake more pleasing to contemplate.On a distant point stood a troop of flamingoes, drawn up in order like acompany of soldiers, their scarlet plumage shining in the sun. Nearthem was a flock of whooping-cranes--each as tall as a full-grown man--at intervals uttering their loud trumpet notes. The great egret, too,was there, with its snowy plumage and orange bill; the delicately-formedLouisiana heron, with droves of sand-hill cranes, appearing in thedistance like flocks of white sheep.

  Pelicans, with their pouched throats and scythe-like bills, stood inmelancholy attitudes, and beside them were the white and scarlet ibis,and the purple gallinule. Roseate spoonbills waded through theshallows, striking their odd-shaped beaks at the crabs and cray-fish;and upon projecting limbs of trees perched the black darter, his longsnake-like neck stretched eagerly over the water. In the air a flock ofbuzzard vultures were wheeling lazily about, and a pair of ospreys hungover the lake, now and then swooping down upon their finny prey.

  Such was the scene around the camp of the boy hunters, a scene often tobe witnessed among the wilderness-swamps of Louisiana.

  The tent was set near the bank of the bayou, where the ground was dryand high. The spot was open--only a few scattered palmettos growingover it--and the animals were picketed upon the grass near by. Therewas venison for supper. Basil's unerring rifle had brought down a doe,just as they were about to halt; and Basil was an accomplished butcherof such-like game. The doe was soon skinned, and the choice pieces cutout--enough to serve for supper and breakfast upon the followingmorning. The haunches were hung on a limb, to be carried along, as thenext day's hunt might not turn out so successful. There was stillenough left to make a splendid supper for Marengo, and that hungryanimal took full advantage of the occasion. He knew that in anexcursion like the present it was not every day that a fat doe turnedup; or when it did, that such a portion of its carcass was likely tofall to his share.

  It was still early, wanting full two hours of sunset, when the huntersfinished their supper--dinner it should rather be called--as, with theexception of some dry mouthfuls at their noon halt, they had not eatensince breakfast.

  When the meal was over, Basil again looked to repairing the harness ofthe mule--that had got out of order on the march--while Lucien drew outhis note-book and pencil, and, sitting down upon a buffalo-robe,commenced entering his observations for the day. Francois having noemployment, resolved upon creeping around the edge of the bayou, to havea shot at the flamingoes, if he should be lucky enough to get near them.This he knew would be no easy matter, but he had made up his mind totry it; and, having told his brothers of his intention, he shoulderedhis gun and went off.

  He was soon out of sight, having passed into some thick timber that grewalong the edge of the water, through which there was a plain trail madeby deer and other wild animals. He kept along this trail, shelteringhimself behind the trees, so that the flamingoes, that were severalhundred yards farther down the bayou, might not see him as heapproached.

  He had not been out of sight more than five minutes, when Basil andLucien were startled by the report of a gun, and then another followingquickly after. They knew it was Francois' fowling-piece; but what hadhe fired at? It could not have been the flamingoes, as he had not hadtime to get within range of them. Besides, the birds, where they hadbeen sitting on the far shore, were visible from the camp; and all ofthem, affrighted by the reports, were now seen winging their way overthe tops of the trees. No, it could not have been at the flamingoesFrancois had fired. What then? This was the question which Basil andLucien put to each other, not without some feelings of anxiety.Perhaps, thought they, Francois has sprung a deer, or trampled up aflock of turkeys? So the brothers were fain to conjecture; but theirconjectures were soon ended by Francois himself, who was heard far offthrough the woods, shouting in a fearful manner.

  Basil and Lucien seized their rifles, and ran forward to find him; butbefore they could reach the piece of timber, Francois was seen coming upthe trail between the trees, and running as if for his life! In frontof him an object appeared, like a dead log, lying directly across thepath. It could not be that, for it was in motion. It was a livinganimal--an alligator!

  It was one, too, of the largest dimensions--nearly twenty feet inlength, and lay right across the path. Basil and Lucien saw it themoment they got opposite the opening. They saw, too, it was not thatwhich was putt
ing Francois to his speed, for he was running directlyupon it. Something behind him occupied all his thoughts, and he did notsee the alligator at all; for, although his brothers shouted to warnhim, he ran on; and, stumbling over the hideous body of the reptile,fell flat upon his face--his gun pitching forward out of his hands as hefell. He was not hurt, however, but, scrambling to his feet again,continued his race, shouting, as he emerged half breathless out of thebushes, "A bear! a bear!"

  Basil and Lucien, making ready their pieces, looked along the trail.There, sure enough, was a bear coming up as fast as he could gallop. Itwas at him Francois had fired. The small shot had only served toirritate him; and, seeing such a puny antagonist as Francois, he hadgiven chase.

  At first they all thought of taking to their heels, and seeking safetyby mounting their horses; but the bear had got too near, and one orother might be caught before they could reach the horses and loose them.They resolved, therefore, to make a stand. Basil, who had been at thekilling of a black bear before now, was not so much afraid of theencounter; so he and Lucien held their rifles in readiness to give Bruina warm reception.

  The latter came lumbering on, until he had reached the place where thealligator lay. The reptile had turned itself half round, and was nowstanding on its short legs, lengthwise along the path, puffing like apair of blacksmith's bellows. The bear, intent upon his pursuit ofFrancois, did not see it until he had stumbled right upon its body; andthen, uttering a loud snort, he leaped to one side. This gave thealligator the very opportunity he would have sought; and the next momenthis powerful tail was lashed with such force against the bear, that theribs of the latter were heard to crack under the blow.

  The bear--who would otherwise have left the alligator to himself--becameso infuriated at this unprovoked assault, that he turned and sprang uponhis new enemy, seizing him round the body in a firm hug. Both struggledover the ground, the one growling and snorting, while the other uttereda sound like the routing of a bull.

  How long the conflict would have lasted, and which would have provedvictor had they been left to themselves, is not known; for Basil andLucien both fired, wounding the bear. This caused him to relax his hug,and he now seemed anxious to get off; but the reptile had seized one ofhis feet in his powerful jaws and thus held him fast, all the whilecrawling and dragging him down to the water. The bear was evidentlyaware of the intention of his antagonist, and uttered loud and pitifulmoanings, at times screaming like a hog under the knife of the butcher.It was all to no purpose. His unrelenting enemy gained the bank; anddragging him along, plunged into the deep water. Both went downtogether--completely disappearing from the eyes of the spectators--andalthough the boys watched for nearly an hour, neither beast nor reptilewere seen to rise again to the surface. The bear no doubt had beendrowned at once, and the alligator, after having suffocated him, hadhidden his carcass in the mud, or dragged it along the bottom to someother part of the bayou--there to make a meal of it at his leisure.