Mass' George

"Seem to have lost the place," said Morgan, after we had been going along for some time pretty well parallel with the river.

"Oh, Morgan!" I exclaimed, impatiently.

"No; I have it," he cried. "I remember that tree with the long moss hanging down so far. The ground's harder here too. More to the left, Master George. There you are at last."

"But where's the nest?" I said.

"Why, there it is, my lad; can't you see?"

I looked round, but there was nothing visible but a few footprints in a muddy spot, and a hole of very moderate size, evidently going some distance down into the moist, boggy soil.

"Is this it?"

"Yes, of course."

"But you said a nest."

"Well, I meant, as I told you, his nest, his snuggery. Now I'm going to see if he's at home."

I looked on full of doubt, for the whole proceeding seemed to me to be very absurd, and I felt sure that Morgan was mistaken.

"I don't believe he knows any more about alligators than I do," I said to myself, as I saw him thrust the long pole down into the hole.

"I tried this game on yesterday, Master George, and he said he was at home."

"Nonsense!" I cried, pettishly.

"But I'm afraid he has gone out for a walk this time, and it's a case of call again to-morrow. No," he added, energetically, "it's all right.

Says he's at home."

"Why, what do you mean?" I cried.

"Got a bite," said Morgan, grinning. "You try. But mind he don't come out with a rush. He might be nasty."

I hesitated for a moment, then leaning my own pole against a bush, I took hold of the one Morgan gave into my hands, and moved it slightly.

"Well?" I said. "I don't feel anything."

"Give it a bit of a stir round, my lad," he said.

I moved the pole a little, and then jumped and let go.

"What's the matter?" cried Morgan, laughing.

"Something bit the pole, and made it jar right up my arm."

"That's him. I told you he was at home. Now then, you aren't afraid, are

"Not a big one, is it?"

"No, not very; only tidy size; but we shall see if we get him out."

I looked rather aghast at Morgan, for the idea of getting a large alligator out there in the marshy place, and both of us unarmed, was rather startling.

"Now then, give him a good stir up."

Sooner than seem afraid, but with my heart beating heavily, I took hold of the pole, and gave it a good shake, and left go again, for it seemed as if some one had given it a good rap with a heavy stick, and a jarring sensation ran up my arm.

"No mistake about it this time," said Morgan, grinning. "Puts me in mind of sniggling for eels, and pus.h.i.+ng a worm at the end of a willow-stick up an eel's burrow in a muddy bank. They give it a knock like that sometimes, but of course not so hard. Well, why don't you go on?"

"Go on with what?" I cried, wis.h.i.+ng myself well out of the whole business.

"Stirring of him up, and making him savage. But stop a moment, let's have this ready."

He took out the piece of rope, and made a large noose, laying it on some thick moss, and then turning to me again.

"Now then, my lad, give him a good stir up. Don't be afraid. Make him savage, or else he won't hold on."

With a dimly defined notion of what we were aiming at, I gave the pole a good wrench round in the hole, feeling it strike against something, and almost simultaneously feeling something strike against it.

"That's the way, sir. Give it him again."

Growing reckless now, and feeling that I must not shrink, I gave the pole another twist round, with the result that it was s.n.a.t.c.hed out of my hand.

"He has it," cried Morgan, excitedly. "Feel if he has got it fast, Master George."

I took hold of the pole, gazing down with no little trepidation, in the expectation of at any moment seeing some hideous monster rush out, ready to seize and devour me.

But there was no response to my touch, the pole coming loosely into my hand.

"Give him another stir up, Master George. They tell me that's the way they do it to make them savage."

"But do we want to make the creature savage?" I said.

"Course we do! There, you do as I tell you, my lad, and you'll see."

I gave the pole a good poke round in the hole again, just as if I was stirring up something in a huge pot, when almost before I had gone right round--_Whang_! The pole quivered in my hand, and a thrill ran through me as in imagination I saw a monstrous beast seize the end of the stick in its teeth and give it a savage shake.

"Hurrah!" cried Morgan. "He has got it tight now. That's right, Master George; let me come. We'll soon haul him out."

"No, no," I said, as excited now as the Welshman. "It may be dangerous."

"We'll dangerous him, my lad."

"But he may bite."

"Well, let him. 'Gators' bites arn't poisonous, like snakes. I should just like to see him bite."