Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-02-03
A Bull Fight and a Moral.

Ralpho tells the following tale in the
Halifax NoUa Scotian. II solves the long
mooted question Of who pushed the bull off
the bridge
remember, when lad at school, OF once
seeing a fight between two bulocks. new
er shall forget II, although could not have
been more than eight years old at the time.
Il happened in this wise:
Close by the schoolhouse-a very unpre-
tending edifce it was, runs deep narrow
river. Across il had been thrown high
wooden bridge, the hand-ralIngs of which,
time. and The winds, and the weather had en-
litery destroyed. II was one bright summer
day, remember il as lfit were but yester-
day, the hour of noon had arrived, and frol-
icsome, romping, fun loving company OF lads
were let loose for an hours recreation. The
land on the opposite sides of The river was
owned by different PERSONS and farmed by
them respectively. The believing and roar
ing Of two bulls that had broken out Of The
enclosures on each side Of The river, and were
approaching each other along the highway,
at rate which would cause them to meet
about the centre fthe bridge, beneath which,
some thirty feet, ran deep sluggish stream,
attracted our attention.
The more daring Of US gathered near the
bridge, lining the fences 10 see the fight, and
we were not disappoinstd. Nearer aud near
er approached the proud, paving combat>
ans TO each other, and Bashan never produc-
ed two fiercer looking brules than those now
describe. They tore the ground with their
feet, they kneeled down occasionally, trying to
gore the earth with their horns; they Iashed
their sides fiercely with their tails, but unob-
servedly of each other, for the high bridge
obsrucIed their view. Presently, as they
simultaneously aseended The respective abut-
ments, they came in full sight of each other.
| The roar was mutual and actually remend-
Gus. Every urchin of us sprang into the
field and ran f; but gathering courage in find
ing that we were not pursued, we hastily re-
traced our steps, and there they were, both
Of them front to front, their horns locked to-
gether, fighting as bulls only can fght7 Il
seemed 10 be an even match. Now one
would press back his opponent few PAGES,
and his adversary would be pressed back 10
return. The struggle was hard, was long,
was savage.
! They began to wheel-in another moment
they were faced at righ angles with The old
bridge. which shook, aud creaked, and rocked
again with their tramping, aud the effects
OF the terrible strife.
| Ii was The work OF single moment, one of
the beasts, never could tell which Of Them
did it, one of them, however, as if conscious
OF his position, made a desperate, terrible
lunge forward he pressed his antagonist
back, buck, hack, there was but another step
of plank behind him, between him and notI:-
ing, back still further, he was pressed, and
he went headlong. Such sigh never saw,
never again shall see, bull offa bridge,
falling at least thirty feet, over and over. He
turned over once or twice probably, thought
he turned over fifty times. There seemed 50
much horns and feet and tail flying through
the air, but down he went, the water was
deep, and he disappeared.
The other bull did not laugh, merely be-
cause bulls, as | supposed, could not. But
we laughed There he Stood, looking direct
ly dow into the abyss below, and into which
he had plunged his unlucky foe. He stood,
however, but moment, as if frightened al
the prospect befnre him. lie commenced 10
step backward, back, lack, back, with his
head IN the same pugnaclous altitude as
when in combat, back another step and over
| he TOO went on the opposite side of the bridge,
! performing just as many and exacIly as hdi-
crous somersets as his adversary had done
minute before. Ii beat all ever saw.
In about five minutes both bulls might be
seen, their tails trailing In The sand, dripping
wet, and scratching up the steep, gravely
banks, each on his own side Of the liver.
Them are bulls lUont neUer fight no more
said boy behind me. | turned around
il was red haired Bob, as we used 10 call him.
and every hair on Bobby's naked head looked
as if il was 10 spasms. But Bobby was
right.
There are two political parties in Nova
Scotia; | wish they had seen hat fight as
saw il, that is all have 10 say for the present.