A Desperate Encounter.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1977, 4 March 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

A Desperate Encounter.

A fieroq anj blooay fight bstsresn alligators f?ft3 ths rare aporli witnessed ai CjakmUa, England, a tew d\\*\ a?o by one of the aitev'-c!arit-3 ia Dr. Huston 1 * K 3 -"Jcn in th&S baron^b. Each of tns co.-rjbataati maagarcd over fiVa feot in lergth, and hs<i b-ea living for tigbfe yefira paacaably lo;?eib*r in a errsafc Wnk wM'ih Dr. Huston had qoa^tractcd for them near hia bou3e. They vrera natives of Fiorids, andl were brought from thai country small by Dr. fluator:, For BOSEQ waeka, however, the two preat reptile^ bave beaa showing s:gn3 o? discontent with each other, but no oca anticipated tha t2!?cibl9 and fatal termination of thia ourioug quarrel. One day tho attention of the gardener, who was at work near the fcsnk, was attract-sd by a commotion in, the water and looking tip he saw thai the two alligators were engaged in a desperate struggle. The man rushed to tha spot, but waa powerless to Btop the fight, which wa3 raging so fißro9lv that the water was I&ahed into foam and ihe green-house was aplashed in every direction.

The largest of the combatants was seeking to get the body of tbe smaller alligator in hia wide-open jaws, but the latter was always too luiok to bs caught, and moved round and vound, striking the big reptile with hia tail, ' and sometimes getting the enemy'a leg in hia jswa and biting them. The tank waa soon reddeued with the bipod which flowed from the wounds inflicted In thia curious contest. The psrdener attempted to separate the maddened contestants by beatiag them with a p->, bat they paid no attention to thia attempt at divergion and went on with their figb? only more desperately. They rolled over each other, sometimes in the water and at times on the baak in th 3 mxidt, but aWayo lashing with their taik. The araaller aad more agile one of tha two continued to bite the lega and body of the big alliystor, and tho latter moved about slowly, cseking to make a successful grab at hia opponent's body. Their elocpy eyes had become bright and snappy, and it wa3 evident that the figh* wa3 to bs to death. At last, in an effort to snap at the ewinging tail of the larger, the small alligator (ell over on bis side, and before he could get out of the way tha big jawa of tho enemy were cloHed upon him with a snap.

Then occurred th 9 most 00110118 patfc ol the battle. Raising himself up slightly on his' fore feet the big alligator lifted the smaller ona from the surface of tho water and shook him 63 a dog would shake a tat— shook him until it seemed that hia tail would be hurled off, and nntil.in fact, hia back wai broken and ha lay dead and limp in thoae.greai jata. Then the big animal dropped tha body and moved oft to eun himself.

How to ebonizepino wood.— Diagolvs extraos of logwood ia one vessel, in another pul a quantity r{ rasty iron, covered with strong vinegar. With a soffc brash apply the log. wood, and while ptill wet, the iron water t When quite dry rub o£l with a soft cloth, an $ apply a smooth coat of copal varnish, dry, and oarefally polish with pulverised pamio« stone on a soffi we& pad. Rinse clean, re* varnish and polish. Repeat until as smooth and solid fis ebony.

TJdere are 37 tanneia of more than IGW yards in Enplant), the longest being that ol the Severn— 7,664 yards. s • A French investigator baa come to ihg oonoiaaioß tbat women, have a larger proiaoA