Louisiana was cypress and magnolia country. It had deep swamps and Southern-style plantations that dated back to the Civil War. And for the unwary, there were alligators.
They lurked along the roads in bayous...
...dotted Louisiana from border to border. Sometimes they would brazenly cross a highway and a near accident or accident would occur. Many motorists filed reports of an accident with an alligator with their insurance company.
I lived in Mandeville, just across the causeway from New Orleans, for over a year. The publisher of a commercial fishing magazine had hired me as a field editor for his two publications, Fish Boat and Work Boat.
Harry Peace was 94 years old but he never acted it. He would sneak up behind his writers and editors. When they turned to see who was behind them, he would jump up, click his heels and wink at them. Then he would continue walking.
My job
I was to drive the company van around the state and in nearby Mississippi to find shrimp boats that were being built. My company would discover the firms that were doing business with the boat builders and sell them advertising bent on what they were selling to the boat builder, whether it was radar or nets.
One of the places I visited regularly was Bayou La Batre, a scenically beautiful community along a canal bank where many French families kept their boats. There was a popular restaurant owned and operated by two spinster sisters who made the best-blackened catfish and home-made pies in the territory.
If you didn't get to the restaurant by 1 p.m. daily, forget it. All the pies would be gone and you would have to wait until the next day.
Simone was related to the sisters. He was a wild-eyed Cajun, popular with the local girls, and he knew I liked to play poker.
'We're having an alligator hunt Saturday,' he said 'After that, we'll hold a dance with the local girls. There will be a poker game, dancing and drinking. You're invited.'
I naturally showed up for the alligator hunt. Two brothers armed with shotguns and harpoons operated a sturdy little motor boat. They said they would be happy to take me on their adventure as long as I promised not to upset the boat.
We pushed off from the dock...
...and the deep purr of the outboard engine took us down the bayou. The engine was cut when we entered a place of cut down trees and moss on the shore. Almost immediately we spotted an alligator. It was at least eight feet long swimming beneath the water's surface like a dark torpedo.
The Brothers Snapped Alert
One grabbed a harpoon while the other raised the shotgun and fired a blast into the water. At the same time, his brother lashed forth with the harpoon, snagging the dying alligator in its steel bite.
In two hours, we collected three alligators. Then we headed back to a house on stilts. It was next to the pier where the dance was already underway. A fiddle player, accordionist and drummer provided the music while the Cajun girls supplied the beauty.
Richie, one of the Cajuns, grinned and slapped me on the shoulder.
'Well, are you going to play poker or dance?' he said.
'I'm thinking, I'm thinking,' I responded.
Cajuns drink a lot and play poker like wild savages. It was a great game. I won over $300.
The next day I went for lunch at the restaurant owned by the two spinster sisters. They were happy to see me and assured me I was in time to sample their pies.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
