"There is, perhaps, no part of America where the alligators grow to a
greater size, and are more fierce in their nature, than upon the
Magdalena, and other great rivers that run into it. These rivers flow
through a low country within the tropics; their climate is of the
hottest kind, and consequently most suitable to the development of the
great reptiles. The indolent character of the natives, too--
half-Indian, half-Spanish--prevents them from attacking and destroying
these creatures with that energy that is exhibited by the inhabitants of
our own country. The consequence is, that the animals in their turn are
less afraid of man, and often make him their prey. The alligators of
the Magdalena--or `caimans,' as they are there called--frequently
destroy natives, who by any unlucky accident may have fallen into the
waters frequented by them. Not unfrequently the boatmen (_bogadores_)
who navigate the river Magdalena in their _bogas_, or flat boats, drop
overboard, and become the prey of the caimans, as sailors on the ocean
do of sharks. These boatmen sometimes carry rifles, for the purpose of
shooting the caimans; yet there are but few destroyed in this way, as
the bogadores are too much occupied in navigating their crafts; and,
moreover, it is a very difficult thing to kill an alligator by a shot.
You can only do it by sending the bullet into his eye, as the rest of
his body is impervious even to a musket-ball. Of course, to hit one in
the eye requires a sure aim, and a good opportunity when the animal is
lying still upon the bank or on the water. When out of the water a
caiman may be shot in the soft elastic skin behind the fore-shoulder;
but this is a very uncertain method of killing one; and several shots
fired into his body at this part will often fail to prove fatal.
Sometimes the natives of the Magdalena catch the caimans with lassos;
and after dragging them upon the bank, despatch them with axes and
spears. Notwithstanding this, the caimans swarm upon these rivers, and
are seldom molested by the inhabitants, except at intervals when some
horrid tragedy happens--when some unfortunate victim has been snatched
off by them, torn in pieces, and devoured. When this occurs, the
people, sympathising with the distress of their neighbour, awake from
their habitual apathy, collect together, and destroy great numbers of
these hideous reptiles. The story I have promised you illustrates an
affair of this kind.
"A _vaquero_ (cattle-herd) lived upon the Magdalena, some miles above
the city of New Carthagena. His palm-thatched _rancho_, or cottage,
stood at a little distance from the bank of the river, at a point where
it was much infested by caimans--as the country around was wild and
thinly settled. The vaquero had a wife and one child, a daughter--who
was about six or seven years old; and being a pretty little girl, and
the only one, she was of course very dear to both the parents.
"The vaquero was often absent from home--his business with his cattle
carrying him to a great distance into the woods. But his wife thought
nothing of being thus left alone. She was an Indian woman, and used to
dangers, such as would terrify the females that live in great cities.
"One day when her husband was absent as usual, looking after his cattle,
this woman took some clothes to the river bank for the purpose of
washing them. The river was the only water near the rancho; and by thus
carrying the clothes to it, she saved herself the trouble of fetching
the water a good way; besides, there was a broad, smooth stone by the
bank, where she was accustomed to beat out her linen. Her little
daughter accompanied her, carrying one of the bundles.
"On reaching the spot, the woman filled her vessels with water, and
commenced her work; while the child, having nothing else to occupy her,
began to gather some ripe guavas, plucking them from a tree that grew
out from the bank, and hung somewhat over the river. While the Indian
mother was thus engaged, she was startled by a wild scream and a plunge,
that were heard almost together; and, on looking round, she saw her
child just sinking in the water. At the same time, she beheld a hideous
object--a huge caiman--making for the spot! Filled with horror, the
woman dropped her linen, and rushed out upon the bank. She did not
hesitate a moment, but plunged into the river, which buried her to the
neck. At that moment the child rose again to the surface. The mother
seized her by the arms; and was about raising her out of the water, when
the caiman swept forward open-mouthed, caught the limbs of the little
girl, and with one crunch of his powerful jaws severed them from the
body! The little girl screamed again; but it was her last scream. When
the mother struggled to the shore, and laid the mutilated body upon the
bank, the child had ceased to breathe.
"For some moments sat the wretched mother, gazing upon the still
quivering remains. At intervals, she stooped down and kissed the pale,
withering lips. She did not weep. I have said she was an Indian. They
do not act as whites do; but, anyhow, her anguish was too keen to allow
her tears to flow. She did not scream or call for help. It could be of
no use now. It was too late. She knew there was no one near--no one
within miles of her. When she raised her eyes from the mangled corpse,
it was only to rest them upon the black water, and there, under the
shadow of the guava bushes, swam the hideous reptile, to and fro. He
had swallowed the morsel, and was eagerly watching for more.
"The countenance of the woman betrayed a mingled expression of agony and
vengeance. All at once a thought seemed to strike her--a sudden
resolve. She rose; and, casting a look first at the dead body, and then
upon the caiman, hurried off to the house. In a few minutes she came
back, bringing with her a long spear. It was the hunting-spear of her
husband--often used by him in his encounters with the Brazilian tiger,
and other fierce creatures of the forest. She brought also several
other articles--a lasso, some cords of the _pita_, and a couple of
knives.
"On arriving at the bank, she looked anxiously over. The caiman was
still there; and she turned, and stood for a moment as if considering
what to do. Her mind was soon made up; and, bending forward, she thrust
the spear lengthwise through what remained of her child's body! It was
a fearful act, but the feeling of revenge was strong within her. She
next caught the blade of the spear--now red with blood--and placing the
knives lengthwise--so that they might serve as barbs--tied them firmly
upon it with the _pita_ cord. Close up to these she pushed the mangled
body, and then looped the lasso tightly to the shaft of the spear. The
other end she made fast to the trunk of a guava tree--for she well knew
that her own strength would avail but little against such a monster as
the caiman.
"When all was ready she poised the shaft, and flung spear, body, and
all, into the water. Then taking the rope in her hand, she crouched
behind the bushes to await the result.
"She had not long to wait. The reptile, thirsting for more blood, saw
the tempting morsel; and, darting forward, seized it in his huge jaws,
crushing it in the act. The woman remained motionless, biding her time.
"The caimans do not masticate their food. Their teeth are not formed
for that. They are only made for seizing; and the tongue--which they
cannot extend forward--only serves to assist them in swallowing. In a
few moments the body had disappeared down the capacious throat of the
monster. Seeing this, the woman suddenly sprang to her feet, and
dragged violently upon the rope, and the next moment a wild scream
announced that she had succeeded in her intentions. The barbed blades
had taken hold, and the caiman was secured!
"Finding himself thus caught, the huge reptile dived to the bottom, then
rose again, bellowing loudly, and lashing the water into foam, the blood
all the while running from his jaws and nostrils. At intervals, he
would rush from point to point--until suddenly checked by the strong
raw-hide lasso--making the tree shake with his great strength; and this
he did for a long while. His struggles at length grew fainter, and more
feeble, and he lay motionless in the water. Throughout all this scene
the mother sat upon the bank of the river, at times in deep silence and
dejected, while at intervals her face would light up with a vengeful
expression as she cast her eyes upon the monster that had robbed her of
her child.
"At length the gallop of a horse roused her from her reverie. She
looked around. It was her husband!
"The melancholy tale was soon told; and shortly after was carried to
those that dwelt nearest them. The grief was general; and the sympathy
that followed caused a general rising throughout the neighbourhood; and
for several days afterwards a war of extermination was waged against the
caimans.
"This, brothers," said Lucien, "is a true narrative; and, in fact, it is
only a year or two since the painful incident occurred."
"And a painful incident it was," cried Basil, with some excitement.
"Thunder! it makes one hate those monsters so I feel like having a shot
at one this very moment; besides I want a tooth for a powder-charger;"
and as he said this, he took up his rifle, and stepped out to the
water's edge. None of the alligators appeared to be within range at the
moment, though dozens of them were seen moving about on the bayou.
"Hold, brother!" shouted Francois. "Have patience a little, and I'll
bring them near enough. Place yourself in ambush, while I call them."
Now one of Francois' accomplishments was an unusual talent for mimicry.
He could imitate everything, from the crowing of a cock to the bellowing
of a bull, and so naturally as to deceive even the animals themselves.
Running down towards the bank, he crouched behind some yucca-bushes, and
commenced whining and barking like a young puppy. Basil also concealed
himself among the bushes.
In a few seconds, several alligators were seen swimming over the bayou,
coming from all sides at once. They were not long in reaching the bank
where Francois lay concealed, and foremost of all a large male, throwing
up his snout, crawled out of the water. He was calculating, no doubt,
on making a meal of something; but was doomed to disappointment, and
worse than that, for the sharp crack of Basil's rifle rang upon the air,
and the hideous reptile rolled over in the mud; and, after sprawling
about for a while, lay motionless. He was quite dead, as the well-aimed
rifle had sent a bullet right into his eye.
Basil and Francois now showed themselves--as they did not care to waste
their ammunition by shooting any more--and the rest of the alligators,
seeing them, swam off faster than they had come. By the aid of Lucien's
hatchet, the largest teeth were knocked out of the jaws of the one that
had been killed; and the horrid carcass was left where it lay, to feed
the wolves and vultures, or anything else that chose to make a meal of
it.
After cooking a pot of coffee and a venison-steak for supper, our
adventurers spread their buffalo-robes within the tent, and went to rest
for the night.
Next morning they were astir by daybreak; and after breakfasting
heartily, they saddled their horses, and resumed their journey.