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The Gator Hunters

by F.J. Smothers

147 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-1957; ISBN 1-4120-1580-4; US$16.50, C$18.49, EUR14.00, £9.50

A robust adventure set in the Florida Everglades where two men are alligator poachers.

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about the book      about the author      sample excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book A robust adventure set in the Florida everglades where two men are alligator poachers. They are caught by Florida game warens and a shoot out occured two lawmen were shot, the men and there wives head for California where in New mexico they are captured by renegade Indians and made slaves. After two years of slavery they escape and go back to Florida twenty years later only to be caught and sentenced to hang.

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About the Author Married for 52 years and has five children. Served in the U.S. Army during WW2. Also served with the military police and spent two years in Japan after WW2.

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Sample Excerpts

Bill Hollis was a long lanky boy, almost six foot tall by the time he was fifteen years old.

Bill grew up in Skunk Holler near the Florida Everglades. His Pa was a fisherman and Gator hunter so naturally Bill grew up doing like other young men in that area doing what their Fathers done for a living.

Bill only went to the second grade his Pa said it was a waste of time there was more important things to do.

Bob Adams Pa was a partner to Bill's Pa. They hunted alligators and fished for a living.

Bob was also a large boy growing up like his Pa who was six foot four inches and weighed over two hundred pounds.

Bob wasn't interested in Gator hunting he wanted to make something out himself but because of financial difficulties he couldn't go to school. He also had to help his Pa and he hated every minute of it.

Just down the street lived two pretty teenage girls.

One's name was Sally Ann Pritchard. She was the Baptist preacher's daughter who had long raven black hair and she had tan skin because she took partly after her Mother who was Cherokee Indian and her father was Irish.

Sally was a bright girl she finished high school when she was only sixteen years old but couldn't go to College.

Sally's best friend was Amanda Jane Fowler the local Grocery store owner's daughter.

Amanda Jane had bright red hair and light blue eyes like her Father, her Mother had long blond hair and blue eyes.

Amanda loved school and wanted to go to College and become a second grade teacher because she loved little kids.

She worked washing clothes for the neighbors and doing ironing trying to save enough money to go to College but after all her hard work she couldn't afford to buy her books and other things like nice clothes and it broke her heart knowing her dream would never come true.

Amanda was kinda struck on Bill Hollis he was kinda cute.

Sally also kinda like Bob Adams. He was big and strong and had the prettiest curly brown hair she'd ever seen.

The couple knew each other from school but Bob and Bill were about five years older than the girls.

The boys were now young men and also like the girls who were now also young ladies.

"Let's ask the girls to a picture show," Bob said to Bill.

"Yeah they are kinda cute but you ask them," Bill remarked.

Bill was the bashful type not bold like his buddy Bob.

Bill and Amanda hit it off first date as did Bob and Sally.

After one year both couples were married.

They were married in a double ceremony in the year of nineteen twenty in the Baptist Church by Sally's Father The Revrend James Pritchard in Skunk Holler, Florida.

After much talk they all decided to take up Bill and Bobs Fathers trade. There was good money to be made when they sold the gator hides at the Flea Market to Old man Harris or maybe another.

Both couples lived a mile back in the swamps of the Everglades in houses built on long stilts to keep the varmints from entering into the houses also sometimes the heavy rains would raise in the water in the swamp.

The only in or out was by dingy a small boat.

Bill owned a nineteen seventeen Model T Ford which he left on hill a mile from the houses.

They made their living by poaching alligators and selling their hides like their Fathers did.

Sally and Amanda made purses and belts from the small scraps left from the hides.

Old man Harris would buy every hide they could get their hands on.

It was a hot day in June when they went to the Flea Market near Orlando, Florida.

"Heard old Ron, Monroe almost caught old Mathselum last night," Old man Harris remarked.

"Yeah, if any one can get old Mathselum he can," Bill said.

"How old you reckon old Mathselum is?" Bob ask Mr. Harris.

"Don't rightly know, over a hundred I reckon," he answered.

"I heard he's over twenty five feet long," Bob said.

"Yeah I heard he's the biggest and meanest gator in the swamps," Olin, Graves remarked as he puffed on his cigar.

Bob and Bill sold all their hides and went to the booth where Sally and Amanda were selling their belts and purses.

"Y'all ready to go home?" Bill ask them.

"Yes, we've sold everything," Sally answered. They went back home with more money than they'd ever made before.

After the women cooked a good meal they set out on the top porch. "Let's go huntin," Bob said to Bill.

"O.k. I'll get the rifle and hooks," Bill answered.

The moon was full as they paddled their dingy into the swamp.

"Y'all be careful you hear?" Sally yalled to them.

Both men gave the thumbs up sign.

They paddled slowly into the swamp trying to be quiet as possible not wanting to startle the bull gators.

"Stop paddling," Bob whispered.

Two golden eyes shone in the moon light.

"Look at it," Bill whispered.

"Damn he's a biggen," Bob yalled.

"Damn it," Bill said as the big alligator slipped off the log into the water.

"Sorry I just got excited," Bob remarked.

"You reckon it was old Mathselum?" Bob ask.

"Naw, he's supposed to be huge." Bill answered.

The moon was so bright you could see a varmint a long ways off.

"Look at that," Bill said.

"That black panther on the log over on that knoll," Bob said.

"Yeah wouldn't want to tangle with it," Bill remarked.

"There's been several of the local Indians killed by them," Bob remarked.

Bob was getting sleepy. "What time is it?" he ask.

"Almost four in the morning," Bill answered.

"Hand me that thermos," Bob said.

Bill handed it to Bob.

He took a big swig. "Wow," he yalled trying to get his breath.

Bill had brought the wrong thermos, he's brought the one with the Moon Shine whiskey in it.

"Gimme a drink maybe it'll wake me up," Bill remarked.

"When you screw up you do a good job," Bob laughed.

"Look," Bill said pointing to the left side.

They slowly paddled the dingy closer to the big bull alligator.

"Hand me the hooks," Bill said.

Bill threw the hooks and they went deep into the powerful gators neck.

"Hold on," Bill said as the gator took off swimming pulling the dingy behind it.

"Yee Haa," Bill yalled as they rushed through the water.

Bob took aim with his 30-30 winchester rifle and fired hitting the big bull gator behind the left eye and it stopped and turned over on its back and groaned it's final breath.

"Lotta hide in that one," Bill commented.

The sun was just peeking through the cypress trees as they approached the house where Amanda and Sally were having coffee.

"Get um?" Sally ask.

"No but we got a big one," Bill answered.

It took all four of them to pull the gator onto the lower deck.

Bob and Bill carefully skinned the hide off the alligator and cut the meat into steaks and put it in the refrigerator that ran off Propane Refrigerator.

They had worked for nine months and had twenty six hides.

Amanda and Sally could get as much as five dollars each for the purses and belts at the flea market.

Bob played guitar and Bill played the Banjo they all would sing their country Music into the wee hours of the night sometimes.

It was a wonderful life, they were poor but they had each other and that was all that mattered.

"Heard there's a big hoe down at the Red Dog Saloon this weekend wanta go?" Bob ask them.

The Red Dog Saloon was one of the biggest and got the best entertainment anywhere and the best T bonesteaks in the State.

"I aint got nothin fittin to wear," Sally said.

"You can wear one of my dresses," Amanda said.

"Thick I can get my big butt in it?" Sally ask.

"Your butt aint no bigger than mine," Amanda remarked.

Bob and Bill were snickering trying not to laugh.

"Want a tape measure?" Bill ask as tears rolled down his face he was laughing so hard.

Bob turned his head trying not to laugh.

"Look fellers aint she beautiful?" Amanda ask.

"Wow Honey you look like a Movie Star," Bob remarked.

Sally just smiled, it made her feel good for Bob to compliment her.

It was Saturday 5:P.M. and they were anxious to get to the dance.

"Hop in," Bob said to them as he was waiting with the dingy to take them to Bill's car.

The women were real careful not to get their pretty dresses wet as they set down in the dingy.

Bob and Bill paddled carefully trying not to splash water on the women.

Bob and the two women got into Bill's car and set down.

Bill put the crank in the slot and turned the crank fast as he could. *Nothing-

"Pull the spark down two notches," he told Bob.

Bill again cranked fast as he could and still no spark.

"Gotta push it," he said after the crank spun backwards and almost broke Bill's arm.

"Damn that hurt," Bill remark holding his right wrist.

"Come on girls we gotta push old Lizzy," Bill said.

"We'll get our dresses dirty," Sally remarked.

"O.K. It's a no go," Bill said putting the crank under the front seat with disgust.

"Oh, alright we'll help," Sally said getting out of the back seat.

It took them over an hour to get to the Red Dog Saloon the music had already started.

"Damn listen to that fiddle, he's good," Bill remarked.

"Yep," Bob nodded.

There was over a dozen cars there and several teams of horses and buggies.

"Doe see doe," the square dancer caller said as the music played.

"Come on," Bob said taking Sally by the hand as did Bill take Amanda's hand as they entered the dance hall.

The smell of booze filled the air and some men were already acting like fools.

They picked out a table close to the door and the women set down as Bob and Bill went to the bar to get four beers.

They weren't much for drinking booze but this was a special occasion, the celebration of a successful gator hunt.

They danced for hours having a good old time.

Bill and Bob went to get some more beers.

"Hi Honey let's dance," a large man said to Amanda.

"No, thank you I'm married," Amanda answered.

"You better leave," Sally told the man.

"Aw, come on beautiful let's dance," he said again.

"She said no, now leave her alone," Sally said again.

"You her lover?" the man said loudly interrupting people.

Bob and Bill came back to the table with four beers in their big hands.

"Go on we don't want no trouble," Bill said to the man.

The man was a couple inches taller than Bill and he was six foot four inches tall.

Another man walked over to where they were and said

"Me and Randel the meanest man in Dade County will kick your skinny asses."

"Oh please sir," Bill said and winked at Bob "Gator time," he said.

With one punch from Bill's big left hand and down went Randel the Bully of Dade County.

People stared in disbelief as the other big man ran out the door fast as his legs would carry him.

"I aint never seen anything like it," one man said.

Randel had never been whipped.

"Ow," Randel Johnson groaned as he tried to get off the floor.

 

"Let's go get a room for the night, too late to go home," Bill said.

It was a warm sunny morning as they parked the car and got into the dingy.

As they gently paddled the dingy back home they passed a knoll of land where some large cypress trees grew.

"Look by that cypress knee," Bill said.

"Which knee theres there's a lot of um," Bob asked.

"The broken one hanging down by the big log," Bill answered.

On the ground by a log lay a huge alligator "Damn look at the size of that damned gator," Bill remarked.

"Wish we'd brought the rifle," Bill said.

The big alligator just lay there sunning himself.

"I think he's grinnin at us," Bob remarked.

"Be careful," Sally sad Bob was excited from looking at the big gator and splashed water on her dress.

After they got home and settled down and changed clothes.

"Y'all want to barbeque some of them gator steaks?" Sally ask.

"Sounds good to me," all the others answered.

After they had their fill of alligator steak they settled down to a game of five card stud poker.

In a couple hours the sun would be setting as the shadows came across the deck from the big cypress trees.

"EEEEkkkkkkk," Sally screamed. "Look," she said pointing to the top of the steps that let upto the top deck.

A large alligator was climbing the steps coming towards them.

"Reckon he wants some steak," Bob laughed.

"Yeah human steaks," Bill remarked.

"Get the rifle," Bob yalled to Sally.

"Where is it?" she ask.

"In the closet by the bed, hurry," Bob said. The gator was at the top step.

Bob took aim and hit the big gator right between the eyes. It groaned as blood came from the wound and run down its huge jaw onto the steps.

"Damn that was close," Bill said wiping his brow.

"Come on help me drag it downstairs," Bob said.

Bill started to step over the big gator's head going to the tail to get ahold of it to help drag it down the stairs to the lower deck.

"Be careful," Amanda said.

"Yeah remember that big gator that had your leg in his mouth and I killed it?" Bob asked.

"How could I forget it with this big scar on my leg," Bill remarked.

"Y'all be careful honey," Sally said as the gator's tail was still wiggling a little and was still dangerous.

"Look there's tears in its eyes," Amanda remarked. "Poor thing."

"AAaaaawwwaaaa," the big gator tried to bite Bob, he jumped trying to clear himself of the big bull gator.

"Sally shoot him again, aim for one of his eyes," Bill yalled.

"I aint never shot this here gun honey," Sally said.

"Do it he's still alive," Bill yalled at her.

Sally put the rifle at the big bull gator and pulled the trigger. (Boom)

The shot went by the alligator's head and hit a board not two feet from the men.

"I feel something on my legs," Bill said.

"What is it?" Bob ask him.

"I don't know but it's wet," Bill answered.

"Let me try it," Amanda said to Sally taking the rifle, she had shot Bob's rifle before.

Amanda took careful aim, the big gator was now in pain and was slashing around.

"Hurry honey shoot," Bob said to her.

(Boom) the alligator lay still with blood running out of its left eye and mouth.

"You gott um," Sally said.

"Yeah," Amanda said rubbing her fingers across her chest in I knew I could do it motion.

Bob and Bill set down on a big stump by the steps.

After about ten minutes they dragged the big gator onto the lower deck and skinned it.

"We're gonna get a good price out of this one look how white the belly is," Sally said. What the two men didn't know was there had been a law passed two years ago that they had to buy a hunting license and only could take two alligators a year. They were thinking about stopping killing alligators all together.

They heard a motor boat approaching their houses.

"Wonder who them fellers are?" Bob ask.

"Huh, don't rightly know, never seed them before," Bill answered.

"Morning," Bob said."Morning gentlemen caught any gators lately?" one of the men ask.

"Yes sirree, got us a bunch and almost got old Mathuslem yesterday," Bob answered.

"Let me see your fishin license," one of the men said showing a badge.

"What in the hell are you talking about, we don't have to have no damned fishin license," Bill answered.

"Got news fur you, if you aint got one your goin to jail besides them bulls aint legal that'll get you twenty years in prison," one of the men said.

Bill and Bob were puzzled they didn't know what to make of it.

"You're kiddin aint you mister?" Bob ask.

"No we're not if you can't show a fishin license you're goin to jail," one of the big men said as he started to get out of the boat.

"If you don't have a fishing license let me see your hunting license," one of the Game Wardens said.

"Also you have a fish trap which is illegal," another Game Warden remarked.

"We've been huntin them gators since we was just youngens," Bob said.

"Yeah. We aint broke no law," Bill remarked.

"Ignorance of the Law is no excuse," one of the Game Wardens said as he started up the steps.

"Ifin y'all value your hides you'll leave," Amanda said and pointed a rifle at him.

"I aint never shot a woman but I will if I have to," the Game Warden said as he continued up the steps.

"Put that rifle down," the Game Warden that was setting the boat said.

"No we aint goin to jail fur some trumped up charge," Amanda said.

"It's not a trumped up charge, the law's been in effect for three years," the Game Warden said.

After a ten minute stand off "Y'all better go I aint telling you again," Amanda said loudly. Her hands were shaking.

The Game Warden could see she was scared and a scared person are dangerous.

"We're leaving Mam," the Game Warden remarked.

"You can bet your sweet boodey we'll be back," the Game Warden said as he walked back down the steps.

"Is my boodie sweet," she ask her husband laughing.

"They'll be back with dozens of Lawmen," Bob remarked.

"Let um come," Amanda said and started to cry.

"I'm sorry but I aint lettin them take us to jail," she remarked.

Two weeks passed and no sign of the Game Wardens.

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Catalogue Information

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