The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-17
a poLUNTEER BULL FIGHT,

remember onoo seeing when a lad at school a fight
between two bulls Although could not have been
more than eight years Of age shall never forget the
spectacle Ii happened in this wise Close by the school
housea very unpretendlng edihce 1t was-ran a deep
and rapid river. Across it had been thrown a high
wooden bridge, the railing Of which time and the
winds, and the weather, had entirely destroyed The
land on the opposite sides Of the stream owned by
different persons and faIned by them respectively One
bright summer dayI remember il 1t yester-
day-the hour Of noon had arrived, and frolicsome,
seeking troop OF schooboys were let loose for
All at the believing and roaring OF two bulls,
that had broken out of their enclosure each side
the river attracted attention The animals not
yet in sight of each other, but approaching along
the highway at a rate OF speed which would them
to meet the centre Of the high bridge which have
described and beneath which, at thirty feet ran
the river, between steep banks. The daring of
gathered near the bridge, lining it. to the anticipated
tight We were not disappointed Nearer and nearer
they approached the proud, paving oombatants. Ba-
shan produced two brutes of ercer aspect They
dashed their sides with their tails they tore the ground
with their feet Occasionally they kneeled down. trying
to gore the earth with their horns And yet they
concealed each from the other by the ascent of the
bridge at either end. &4
Presently, as they simultaneously assembled the re
spectiye abutments, they came full in sight of each
other The roar was mutual and actually tremendous
Every urcn of sprang into the fields and Find
ing however, that we were not pursued hastily re-
traced steps There they we're the ferocous duel
lists quite sensiby employed Of their human
imitators Front to front, their horns locked, every
muscle strained they fighting as only bulls can
fight. 1t seemed an even match Now would press
back his opponent few PAGES and presently you would
hear quick sharp short steps end his adversary would
be pressed back in return. The struggling hard
long, savage For while neither obtained an
advantage.
Hitherto they had been pushing each other length
wise Of the bridge suddenly they began to wheel and
in moment were facing each other crosswise. They
at right angles with the length of the old bridge
which shook and crealfed and rocked again with their
trampng and their terrible strife. 1t the work of
single moment one of the beasts-I could not tell
whchone Of them, however as IL conscious Of his POI
ston, made violent, desperate plunge forward and
pressed his antagonist backback backtill there was
but another step of the plank behind him between him
and nothing The moment was one Of intense inter
est to us Juvenile spectators. Never the amphi-
theatre of Rome the scene of more exciting combat
Another step Disadvantages, the unfortunate bull
forced to take it Back he is pressed and he goes
Such sight never SAW probably shall never see
again Imagine bull pitched backward over bridge
and falling at least thirty feet over and over He turn
ed or twice. probably thought he turned fifty
times there seemed such confusion of horns and feet
revolving, flying through the air. But down he went ,
the water deep, and he disappeared leaving whr-
pool of foam behind him. and making the river unduate
fur and wide with the conclusion of his ponderous bulk
The other bull did not laugh merely because bulls
as supposed, could not But laughed and shouted
applause. There stood the victor, looking directly
down into the abyss below, into which he had buried
his unlucky foe. He stood, however, but moment
and then, if frightened at the prospect he began
snort and step backward Back back he retreated with
his head in the pugnacous attitude when in
bat back still another step back and over he, too
went the opposite side Of the bridge performing just
many and ludcrous somersets his adversary had
done minute before
1t was to remember and the performance
called forth immense applause from the group Of Juvenile
amateurs who witnessed it. In about five minutes both
bulls might be seen well sobered by their duoking, drip
ping wet scratching up the steep gravey banks, each
on his own side of the river. Those bulls will
fight any more said boy behind His prediction
turned our correct for two peaceaby disposed
bulls than they, afterwards, could not have been
found