From DU's own Oneighty: excerpt from "Voyages of the Vicky Mary"

[madfloridian]

From my very special autographed copy of Oneighty's "Voyages of the Vicky Mary":

The Alligator
"Hey Gator? Whatcha be doing up there on the hill? Sunning, warming, waiting for the hunt, I bet. But you be where I wish to be. Soon he leaves splash."

"Where I work in the creeks and ditches of the Santee River Delta there are Alligators: big ones and little ones. This one was a big one, about ten feet long. With my thirty-two foot workboat the "Vicky Mary" I have towed my small boat up to the oyster bank that I have been planning to raid. I anchor up the Vicky and start paddling the little boat to the oyster bank. It is then I see the Gator! I toss a few oyster shells at him, holler, yell, and ask him to leave. Soon he get the message, raises high on his legs, and zips into the water."

It is a great little book which I keep handy by my computer, and I read portions along on it. I found I had ancestors in South Carolina who lived in the Santee area. I bet they saw lots of alligators, too. That was just after the Revolutionary War, long time ago. If 180 does a reprint, I hope he posts it here.