MARTIN RATTLER. 165

terrified at the sudden attack and the shouts of the
Negroes, that they thought only of escape.

Suddenly there arose a great cry. One of the
lassos had snapped, and the alligator was floundering
back into the water, when Sambo rushed in up to
the armpits and caught the end of the rope. At the
same moment two alligators made at the Negro with
open jaws. It is probable that the animals went in
his direction by mere accident, and would have
brushed past him in blind haste; but to Martin and
Barney it seemed as if the poor man’s fate were sealed,
and they uttered a loud shout of horror as they
bounded simultaneously into the water, not knowing
what to do, but being unable to restrain the impulse
to spring to Sambo’s aid. Fortunately, however, one
of the other Negroes was near Sambo. He sprang
forward and dealt the alligators two tremendous blows
with his pole on their snouts, right and left, which
turned them off. Then other Negroes came up, laid
hold of Sambo, who would not let go his hold and
was being dragged into deep water, caught the end of
the rope, and in ten minutes hauled their victim to
the shore, where it was quickly despatched in the usual
manner.

By this time about a dozen alligators, varying from

ten to twenty feet in length, had been captured; and