Chapter 4 The Alligator

Chapter 4
The Alligator


Richard woke up and it was morning time. The sun was up and it was a hot day.
“I better get moving,” he said. Richard finally arrived at Panama after 43 days. Everyone there was speaking Spanish.
“How am I ever gonna find someone who speaks English?” Richard asked himself.
“Hello there,” a man said. “How are you today?”
“I’m doing okay,” Richard said. “I’m just trying to find someone in charge of the canal.”
“Well then you found him,” the man said. “I’m John Stevens and this is my friend Colonel William Gorgas. I will be the Chief Engineer and William is the Sanitation Officer. He will get rid of all the mosquitoes that cause yellow fever.”
“Nice to meet you,” Richard said shaking William’s hand. A month later they started on the canal. Richard found a path in between sharp rocks and put buoy on each side showing what path the boats have to take so they don’t hit the rocks. He started to leave to see what he had to do next and something grabbed his foot. Richard looked back and an alligator was biting his foot. Richard screamed at the top of his lungs.
“Someone help me!” he screamed. The alligator pulled him into the water. Richard got on its back and started twirling it around. The alligator bit his hand and dragged him under water. Richard tried to punch the alligator but it did nothing. The alligator wrapped Richard up and twirled him so fast he began to get dizzy. It was hard for him to survive because he couldn’t breathe and he was dizzy. Richard looked up and saw a bunch of people in a boat. One man leaned over and shot his gun attempting to shoot the gator. Richard saw blood and thought that the man shot the alligator; but the gator kept on fighting. Richard looked at himself and saw that the blood was coming from his back. He started to yell and yell. Luckily he was under water because he screamed loud. He heard another gun shot. When he saw blood he checked himself. When he turned back around he saw the alligator sinking to the bottom. Richard swam back to the top and got in the boat. He collapsed on the hard wooden floor.
“Sorry about your back mate,” the man with the gun said.
“Hey I’m not dead, the gator is,” Richard said. John Stevens was on the boat.
“You’re a tough man, Rich,” John said. “Everyone else who got attacked by a gator didn’t come back up.”
“You’ve got a long breath too,” William Gorgas said.
“Which spots hurt?” John asked.
“My foot, hand, and back,” Richard said. “The alligator grabbed my foot and pulled me in the water. Then, he bit my hand and pulled me under water. Then! Someone shot my back!” The man who shot Richard grinned looking embarrassed.
“Well, we’ve got to get you some rest, you’re injured,” John said.