THE TWELVE - FOOT GATOR Or, "The Guinness World Record Water Toss"

Not a freak with multiple limbs, just full sized. Charlie Fales and Alfred Tomerlin spotted this huge animal in a swamp while frogging. "That gator would fetch a good price in Miami in one of those tourist places," they reasoned. Negotiation set two firm conditions; 12 - feet and $75.00. Large money for 1935's depression considering Mother worked at the dime store a week for $8.00. Much care and attention to detail is in order and always use plan A. Easier said than done. Capture is the first order of business. Sure enough there is the expected gator as lord of his territory. Gators will excavate a water-retaining shallow tunnel several yards in length as a precaution against possible drought. Water immersion is a daily requirement. This tunnel is double-ended but we must know which was the latest entry choice. Charlie & Alfred poked at the gator in this tunnel to get it to emerge. To no avail.

Plan B, "I'll go get a can of lye I have at home, pour it in and that should run him out." Well, the minnows and little catfish are jumping up the slopes to get out of the water but the gator is unmoving.

Plan C, "Alfred, the gator went in from this end so you get into the tunnel from the tail end and push him out and I'll grab him. We'll tie his mouth with this rope and get some help to carry him out." A complete plan including assignments if I ever heard one. You may well ask, "So how'd it go?"

As I remember from the best of the yarns told me, the lye was still in the water but Alfred stripped and started in. Sure enough he was able to move the gator out. Twelve feet at least if you grab him and nobody should argue with anyone who says so, even if he weighs only 130 pounds. Dad (165 pounds) tells it that he had to get his breath a minute or so, Charlie grabbed the gator and the gator went round and round. I mean it - a gator spins so quickly it is almost beyond belief.

Watch out for the tail since it is a chief weapon on land and even more useful than the jaws in crippling prey. The teeth are replaceable and not a care is given to their longevity. I suppose they have no nerve endings and pose no problem due to lost or damaged teeth when snapping jaws. Alfred jumped on the gator and Charlie needed to get his breath a minute or two or three, and sat on a log nearby. This was altogether acceptable except that he should not have laughed so long since this was evidence that he had more than recovered his breath. Alfred was hollering more than Charlie ever had, "Get the rope on his jaws." (No need to keep on worrying about both ends, meanwhile keeping a respect for his claws as a healthguard .)

Phase two follows: Get the gator out of the swamp. They got Charlie's clan to help. Jay, John, Edwin, Columbus, and all I suppose. They got the Model T Ford as close as possible by both driving and pushing. Charlie led the way to the hammock where they had tied up the gator including a rope around his neck. He was stepping over a mangrove limb when the gator charged with jaws open. Alfred pulled him back just as the jaws mangled the limb. They had returned in time that the neck was still tied but the taper of the jaws probably aided him slipping out of the rope wrappings. An easy fix compared to earlier situations.

Plan A always: Carry the gator to the truck and fold him into the back. Jay had heart problems but was in on the action, however, they were careful not to let him overdo it. Well done and so far so good. Take a breather, everybody - his body is up toward the cab and his tail and jaws out the back. Now the crew should walk and the gator ride reasonably doubled up into a U-shape. Now to start the engine and stroll out of here .

Begin plan B since the gator straightened out and flattened the sides of the truck bed. Now we walk alongside and keep him mostly on the bed of the truck. The terrain is no help but we can manage. Jaws require monitoring and tail is treated with healthy respect. Driving is a privilege to be shared.

They tied the gator to a large Almond tree in Dad's yard. Charlie, Charity and kids lived downstairs as I recall. Scientific method applied to safety and well-being required the following inspections in proper sequence: 1- rope around tree and knot tied (determined while still in the house), 2 - jaws tied nicely {often required a circuitous route at some distance), 3 - rope around gator's neck and knot secure (closer inspection - I do mean closer in both meanings!)

Now for the Guinness record mentioned earlier: Little Alfred was not yet in school but he and mom were to toss water from a tub onto the gator several times a day. Kindergarten age son and five-foot lady team water-toss with world record broken sometimes daily!