He never returned.
His body was never found.
Fitzgordon caught Jack sharply by the arm.
"I say, Jackson, what was that noise?" he asked in a voice which was not too steady.
"That. Oh, it's only an alligator," replied Jack carelessly.
"An alligator! But it's awfully close."
"It's in the creek. Heaps of 'em there. They won't bother you if you keep clear of the water."
Just then the dogs gave tongue, their baying crashing out startlingly loud under the huge cypress trees...
Swamped by swamp-jaws! This issue of Hunting Adventures magazine was published in the Spring of 1955. The cover artist is unknown.
![]() |
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE |
![]() |
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE |
Up Schitt's Creek with one paddle! This issue of Rage for Men magazine was published in August, 1957. The cover artist is Clarence Doore.

The fist shake (always a classic gesture!). This issue of Man to Man magazine was published in August, 1960. The cover artist is unknown.
Is she being fed to the 'gators, or rescued? The answer is on the man's face! This issue of True Adventures magazine was published in October, 1963. The cover artist is Victor Olson.
If you can't stop yourself from falling into the jaws of a croc', it's probably best to be dead first. The Master of Broken Men was one of eight volumes that were republished by Corinth, chosen from the 48 issue output of the 1930's pulp magazine Operator 5. Robert Bonfils produced the cover art on all eight titles, which may or may not have been the jaws of death for any additional volumes being published. For for the record though, I like his artwork. This paperback was published in 1966.
Git yer foot out of the water, you damn fool! Shelley Katz's Alligator was championed by, among others, acclaimed writer David Foster Wallace. That didn't make me like it anymore than I did, which I didn't. But like I always say about any novel: "to each his own." The cover art is fantastic though. I only wish I could attach an artist's name to it. Dell published this paperback in 1977.
*UPDATE: Thanks to Will of Too Much Horror Fiction, I've learned that the artist is Manuel Sanjulian. Yay!!!).
David J. Michael's Death Tour was more to my tastes than was Katz's Alligator. Death Tour features the mother of all 'gators roaming around inside a town sewer system. What could be better than that! The first US hardback edition was published by Bobbs Merrill in 1978 (upper), with cover art by Charles Chiodo. The first US paperback was published by Signet in 1979 (middle), with cover art by Don Punchatz. The first British paperback was published by New English Library in 1980 (lower), with cover art by a Gerry Grace.
The world's most famous teenage detective knows how to tame a croc'--feed 'em raw steaks! The Mystery of Crocodile Island by Carolyn Keene (aka Harriet Stratemeyer Adams) was published in the United States by Grosset & Dunlap in 1978 (my copy is a 1999 Flashlight hardback edition). It's the 55th volume in the Nancy Drew Mystery Story series. Its overseas counterpart was published by Collins in 1979. The cover art on the US edition was produced by Rudy Nappi, while the British edition cover art was produced by Roger Hall, obviously replicating Nappi's original conception while also making slight improvements.
As I said, David Foster Wallace placed Shelley Katz's Alligator high on his "recommended list," but you can bet he never read a Guy N. Smith novel! This British paperback edition of Smith's Alligators was published by Arrow in 1987. The cover artist is unknown.
GONE FISHIN'!
[© January, 2022, Jeffersen]