A TOUGH FIGHT.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4403, 13 February 1883, Page 4

A TOUGH FIGHT.

date says t—•• On last Saturday morning* a scene took place at Lake Lcchloosa Station, on the Peninsular railroad, which for genuine excitement and sensation will completely lay in the shade the best Spanish bull fight on record. A party of men on the wharf saw a large alligator about a hundred yards out in the lake gentlo reposing amid the ripple that a gently breeze was making. < Some of the 'party got into a boat, carrying with them ,a small harpoon hook, and rowed out to !thje° alligator. When at a convenient 'distance the harpoon was thrown, and with., unerring shot made its way into ,ihV beast just behind the right fore leg. >N.O: sooner than this was done, and awhile . the alligator was raging in the ; waters in its most powerful effort to release itself, one of the cparty, a Mr Posey, a man probably 50 years" of age, leaped into the lake, >s#am to the rearing and surging monster, ; got on its back, grappled it round the neck and rode it to the land amid the •houts/bf those who were fortunate enough "to witness 'the exciting scene. When 'measured .the monster was found to be 10ft' 6in.., long.. &trang to aay, after Mr'Posey had backed him and grappled it around the neck the beast was almost subdued. At a few lunges he followed the tightening of the rope until he reached the shore a tamer but greatly confused His mouth was then muzzled and a rope tied around-'his belly, and it Was hauled up on the platform at the depot. When the afternoon train came along the passengers got out to look at the beast 'and its valiant captor, then another, scene took place quite as exciting and extraordinary as the one in the water. Fosey got on the'gator to ride it for the enter tajnment of; the crowd. After much tickling and,, spurring' he aroused the animal into, such a desperate struggle for ' freedom that everybody expected to see ' someone, chewedl up and literally swal- - lowed by it. In the melee it snapped the ropes that were bound around its long and bfital mouth; and then, making a dash for the ground, it was swung by a rope | tied by. its body', and fastened to a, ' post; , It scon broke this, and fell heavily to the ground, when it put out for the i lake. But.it was scarcely landed before Fosey was on his back, when a struggle rentued. .between man and alligator that could scarcely hare been paralled in the arena, of acrobatic , action, The. crowd! . scattered at this appalling scene, and men 1 there were who if fiat fights with alligators were a feasible and practicable thing, would I>e strong enough for the business,' exclaimed that the world bad not .treasure i ' enough to enter such a struggle. Yet in a few minutes'Posey was master of the 'situation, the saurian was conquered, and lay as quietly under'the grasp of its con* quertr W if, instead of being 4001b of .real live alligator, it, was the most pur. 1 Ajjhout [ of victory went; ;up for Fosey, and, parties . went to his, assistance, and, again tying and securing , the animal,- -the Job wais completed, and , .the, hero of the fight offered his prisoner, i .in- the market for. the trifling sum of 10 i dollars." •» ■ - ' ! I