“There is, perhaps, no part of America where the alligators1 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 reptiles3. 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 prey5. The alligators of the Magdalena—or ‘caïmans,’ 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 navigate6 the river Magdalena in their bogas, or flat boats, drop overboard, and become the prey of the caïmans, as sailors on the ocean do of sharks. These boatmen sometimes carry rifles, for the purpose of shooting the caïmans; yet there are but few destroyed in this way, as the bogadores are too much occupied in navigating7 their crafts; and, moreover, it is a very difficult thing to kill an alligator2 by a shot. You can only do it by sending the bullet into his eye, as the rest of his body is impervious8 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 caïman may be shot in the soft elastic9 skin behind the fore-shoulder; but this is a very uncertain method of killing10 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 caïmans with lassos; and after dragging them upon the bank, despatch11 them with axes and spears. Notwithstanding this, the caïmans swarm12 upon these rivers, and are seldom molested13 by the inhabitants, except at intervals14 when some horrid15 tragedy happens—when some unfortunate victim has been snatched off by them, torn in pieces, and devoured16. When this occurs, the people, sympathising with the distress17 of their neighbour, awake from their habitual18 apathy19, collect together, and destroy great numbers of these hideous20 reptiles. The story I have promised you illustrates21 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 infested22 by caïmans—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 linen23. Her little daughter accompanied her, carrying one of the bundles.
“On reaching the spot, the woman filled her vessels24 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 plunge25, that were heard almost together; and, on looking round, she saw her child just sinking in the water. At the same time, she beheld26 a hideous object—a huge caïman—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 plunged27 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 caïman swept forward open-mouthed, caught the limbs of the little girl, and with one crunch28 of his powerful jaws29 severed30 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 remains31. At intervals, she stooped down and kissed the pale, withering32 lips. She did not weep. I have said she was an Indian. They do not act as whites do; but, anyhow, her anguish33 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 mangled34 corpse35, it was only to rest them upon the black water, and there, under the shadow of the guava bushes, swam the hideous reptile4, to and fro. He had swallowed the morsel36, and was eagerly watching for more.
“The countenance37 of the woman betrayed a mingled38 expression of agony and vengeance39. 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 caïman, 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 caïman 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 shaft40 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 caïman.
“When all was ready she poised41 the shaft, and flung spear, body, and all, into the water. Then taking the rope in her hand, she crouched42 behind the bushes to await the result.
“She had not long to wait. The reptile, thirsting for more blood, saw the tempting43 morsel; and, darting44 forward, seized it in his huge jaws, crushing it in the act. The woman remained motionless, biding45 her time.
“The caïmans do not masticate46 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. The Indian Mother and Caiman 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 caïman was secured!
“Finding himself thus caught, the huge reptile dived to the bottom, then rose again, bellowing47 loudly, and lashing48 the water into foam49, the blood all the while running from his jaws and nostrils50. 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 gallop51 of a horse roused her from her reverie. She looked around. It was her husband!
“The melancholy52 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 extermination53 was waged against the caïmans.
“This, brothers,” said Lucien, “is a true narrative54; 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 François. “Have patience a little, and I’ll bring them near enough. Place yourself in ambush55, while I call them.”
Now one of François’ accomplishments56 was an unusual talent for mimicry57. 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 whining58 and barking like a young puppy. Basil also concealed59 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 François 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 doomed60 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 sprawling61 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 François now showed themselves—as they did not care to waste their ammunition62 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 hatchet63, 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 heartily64, they saddled their horses, and resumed their journey.
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1
alligators
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| n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 ) | |
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alligator
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| n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼) | |
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reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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navigate
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| v.航行，飞行；导航，领航 | |
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navigating
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| v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的现在分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃 | |
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impervious
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| adj.不能渗透的，不能穿过的，不易伤害的 | |
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elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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molested
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| v.骚扰( molest的过去式和过去分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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apathy
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| n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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illustrates
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明 | |
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infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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crunch
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| n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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40
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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45
biding
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| v.等待，停留( bide的现在分词 )；居住；（过去式用bided）等待；面临 | |
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masticate
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| v.咀嚼 | |
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bellowing
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的现在分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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48
lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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49
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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51
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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extermination
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| n.消灭，根绝 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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mimicry
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| n.（生物）拟态，模仿 | |
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whining
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| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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